Community

Cities with the ‘Scroogiest’ drivers

Tucson, Arizona and Portland, Oregon top the lists for most and least aggressive holiday driving The holiday season is known for being merry and bright, but hectic schedules, last-minute shopping and travel both near and far can translate to the roads in the form of aggressive driving. A new survey from GasBuddy, a PDI company and the leading fuel savings platform providing the most ways and places to save money on gas, reveals that drivers in certain cities across the United States are up to 54 percent more aggressive than the average driver.

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Help for Minnesotans struggling to pay energy bills

Gone but not forgotten Minnesota homeowners and renters struggling to pay energy bills are encouraged to act now to ensure your home is warm and safe this winter. The Energy Assistance Program administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the Cold Weather Rule administered by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission give homeowners and renters options to pay your utility bills, to reduce your energy costs and to protect you from having your heat and power disconnected.

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Holiday songs

Holiday concerts are underway, with area youth performing for family and friends. Above, Falls Elementary School second graders sing and move to Christmas tunes last week. Below, Littlefork-Big Falls second graders were all dressed up for their evening performance Monday night.

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Labor strike focus of book

An Escanaba, Mich., man has released a book based on the 1989 strike and riot at Boise-Cascade’s paper mill in International Falls. Nino Green’s novel, “Picket Line Blues,” is told by fictional union leaders and members from Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, their non-union, southern rivals, corporate managers, law enforcement lawyers, judges and others.

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Looking Back

An ornament painted by retired Voyageurs National Park employee Lynn Lufbery is displayed on the White House Christmas tree this year as one of the decorations selected for “Holiday in the National Parks.” Lufbery, who retired in August after 22 years at VNP, traveled to Washington, D.C., on November 28 to visit the White House for an event which included the unveiling of the tree. Lufbery’s ornament, which features water, pine trees, cattails and loons, is one of 391 ornaments depicting National Park sites. The tree is an 18foot Fraser fir.

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Lights and dazzle

The Home for the Holidays Community Parade Friday, after Thanksgiving, drew large number of spectators under balmy November temperatures. The effort was again led by Rainy Lake Medical Center, and other community members.

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