Looking Back
March 18 15 years ago The Rainy Lake Community Orchestra will present an informal concert at 3 p.m. in The Dungeon at Backus.
March 2022
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Ecklund to seek re-election
Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls) has announced his plans to seek re-election to the Minnesota House of Representatives this fall. Currently serving his fourth term, Ecklund will run to represent the newly drawn District 3A spanning the Canadian border from Koochiching County east to Grand Portage.
Increase in PILT sought
Thursday, the House Taxes Committee held a remote hearing on legislation authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls) to increase Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for natural resources land administered by counties and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The bill also creates additional PILT payment amounts for counties with high proportions of PILT eligible lands to help improve equity within the program itself.
Meals on Wheels
The Elks National Foundation approved a $2,500 grant for the local Elks Lodge 1599 to give to the Koochiching County Senior Center for the Meals on Wheels program. Accepting the donation is, from the left, Star Keep, Peggy Ridgeway, TJ Coulombe, Elks 1599 exalted ruler, and Guy Johnson. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Advances
The International Falls Knowledge Bowl Team placed third at the Regional Tournament Monday in Mountain Iron Buhl which means that the team of Ellen Windels, Nora Sullivan, Emma Saxton, and Jakob Clifford have qualified for the state meet in April.
SPORTS NOTEBOOK
The Rainy River baseball team opened its season with a doubleheader March 13 in Arizona. In Game 1 against Miles Community College out of Montana, the score was tied at 7 after 4 innings.
Larry Trask
Larry Trask, 92, peacefully passed away on Friday, March 11th, at Good Samaritan Center. Son of Vernon and Andrea, Larry was drafted into the Army and served two years at Fort Hood.
June I. Johnson
June I. Johnson passed away on February 28, 2022 at Pelican Pointe Health, Windsor CO.
James John Janousek
James (Jim) John Janousek was born on August 7, 1937 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Johnson High School in the east side of St. Paul. After high school, he took a bus and headed north without even a driver’s license to start a job as a forest guard in Big Falls, Minnesota. Shortly after, he served in the Army for two years. When he was done serving, he came back to northern Minnesota and worked in forestry for 37 years and proudly ended his career as district forester in International Falls, Minnesota.
Barbara Gail Bergstedt
Barbara Gail Bergstedt, 81, died on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at Rainy Lake Medical Center. Barbara was born in International Falls, MN on March 6, 1941 to Irene and David Olson.