Conversations

Building on empathy

For many, it’s hard to imagine your children going to bed hungry or making a choice between paying the electric bill and buying your child glasses.About 40 people got the chance last week to take part in a three-hour Community Action Poverty Simulation at the invitation of hosts Melanie Mattsen, deacon at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, and Amy Mortenson, support specialist with KOOTASCA Community Action.The simulation was facilitated by Sue Monson, child care programs manager/Poverty Simulation Team, MAHUBE OTWA Community Action Inc.“There are so many aspects of what to get out of it,” Mortenson said of the simulation.

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Designing the concerns out

By LAUREL BEAGERLBeager@cherryroad.comWith only about 30 percent of the design process completed for the new International Falls border crossing, representatives of agencies and contractors met again with local officials to try to design out some of their concerns.Plans for the about $300 million Falls land port of entry modernization project call for design to be completed next year, with the start of construction next fall.

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Get ready to get colorful

A family-fun event will return to Smokey Bear Park on Labor Day, and participants should get ready to get colorful.The Rainy Lake Medical Center Foundation will host the second annual Color 5k to promote health and wellness and support new technology, patient services and more at Rainy Lake Medical Center.“We are thrilled to unite our community for the annual Color 5k,” said Mickie Olson, RLMC director of marketing and foundation.

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New county jail, LEC underway

A group gathered behind the Koochiching County Courthouse Tuesday morning as heavy equipment dug into the ground, beginning the construction of a new county jail and Law Enforcement Center.Before digging shovels into the dirt in a symbolic gesture Tuesday, Koochiching County Board Chairman Jason Sjoblom and Sheriff Perryn Hedlund spoke about the need that has grown over the years, with the aim to provide a safer and more efficient facility for inmates, staff and members of the public.They both credited former county commissioners, including Wade Pavleck, who was in attendance, for understanding the need to improve the jail facility, and beginning to plan several years ago.They also credited an over site committee that handled many details of the plan.“We are being proactive,” Sjoblom said.

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Coming along

As local officials waited outside the Alexander Baker Apartments last week, they voiced curiosity and excitement to tour the soon to be available rental housing in International Falls – the first new rental housing built here in more than 30 years.

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AARP awards KTI, G2G students

This week, AARP announced selection of awardees of its 2024 Community Challenge Grants – and Koochiching County has made the cut.The Koochiching Technology Initiative, KTI, was selected as one of 343 from more than 3,300 applicants from around the nation for its Generation-to-Generation, G2G, Student Digital Navigators proposal.The KTI project is targeting seniors, yet open to all county residents, and will include local teens and adult supervisors offering three, four-hour classroom courses over two evenings.

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Local group takes grief one step at a time

Grief: If you haven’t experienced it, you will.Like death and taxes, grief will likely be a part of everyone’s life, whether it be over the loss of a loved one or a lifestyle through divorce or retirement.Karen Kavan facilitates a grief support group, first held at Green Larsen funeral home and now at Backus Community Center.“It is free and open to anyone on a grief journey,” Kavan said, adding that it also helps her through her journey.She started her journey when her son Paul, 39, unexpectedly died peacefully in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition July 28, 2022.

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