June 23rd was National Hydration Day, which is your reminder to consider having a beverage while reading this article. It was also the birthday of professional curler and native Minnesotan Bruce Roberts, and the anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty being entered into force, which has since maintained use of the Antarctic as being for peaceful scientific use only.
The meeting began in earnest with presentations from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, starting with their annual update. Sheriff Nathan Stadler covered accomplishments over the past three and a half years he has led the office, focusing on three major issues: staffing, body cameras, and the employee wellness program.
Stadler was sworn in as Sheriff on January 3, 2023, after the retirement of previous Sheriff Carey Johnson. Around the start of his term, the office was short several roles, and it has been a continuing challenge to fill those roles due to the difficulty of finding qualified candidates. Thanks to recent luck with hiring, as of the time of his presentation the office was fully staffed.
The office’s deputies and jailers have been wearing body cameras while on duty since September 2024. In 2023, funding was given to Lake County for Public Safety Aid, with part being used to purchase these new body cameras as well as squad cameras for vehicles. The Sheriff’s Office purchase of the cameras was done in conjunction with the Two Harbors and Silver Bay Police Departments, all choosing the same company to ensure maximum technological compatibility between the groups.
The Public Safety Aid funding was also used to start an Employee Wellness Program. It is mandatory for all deputies, dispatchers, jailers, and administrative support staff to make one annual hour-long visit with a counselor, currently Two Rivers Counseling, to discuss anything they want. After this first visit, staff members can choose to take up to three additional visits if they desire, including bringing a spouse/significant other at no extra cost. These visits are completely confidential, Stadler emphasized, stating that the purpose of the counseling is to help the wellbeing of employees by allowing them to freely talk with a professional about any issues they might be having, and “encourage the early conversations if they’re having problems,” he explained, “and hopefully get ahead of the problem, whether it’s a personal problem, a work problem, anything, they can go talk about it.”
Last year the program was used four additional times, which is known because each visit is paid for via the Public Safety Aid funding, although who made further use of the program is, being confidential, unknown even to the Sheriff. “It’s great that they’re taking advantage of [the Wellness Program],” he said of those taking the extra visits.
Stadler next put a spotlight on the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association Volunteer of the Year, Robert Norlen. “Bob started with the Rescue Squad in 1976 and is currently in his 50th year as a volunteer,” he stated to a room that was noticeably impressed. Stadler presented an award to Bob for his years of service at the 2025 Sheriffs’ Winter Conference.
Finally, the Sheriff covered some details about the recently acquired Lake Assault Patrol Boat. The boat was gifted by the Grand Portage Band and delivered in May of this year. It is currently docked at the Silver Bay Marina and has already been used twice in the past month, with one incident to recover a body and the other to tow a disabled sailboat on the Lake. Stadler was happy to once again have a boat in their repertoire and thanked the County Board for their approval of the arrangement.
The second part of the presentation was handed over to Deputy Sheriff Alex McGrath for a historical review of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. McGrath has been researching the topic for the past two years, making great use of local libraries to source his information. His documentation began with a letterhead from 1889 showing that at the time a single Sheriff’s Office operating out of Duluth covered St. Louis, Lake, and Cook Counties. Lake County only gained its own Sheriff’s Office in 1891, when Henry K. Gillon was appointed as the first Sheriff of Lake and Cook Counties (after serving as deputy sheriff for St. Louis and Lake Counties for only two weeks). 1895 saw Andrew E. Braud succeed him as the second Sheriff for the two Counties after Gillon switched to being Chief of Police for the village of Two Harbors. In 1896, H. (Henry) Wilson was elected Sheriff, and in 1898 deputy sheriff Emil Nelson was elected the fourth Sheriff of Lake and Cook Counties. This was slightly complicated by Cook County apparently unofficially electing their own Sheriff, Hans Gulbrandson, despite Nelson “holding all the rights” according to a newspaper at the time.
Time passed. A new jail and sheriff’s residence was constructed in 1903, while the following year the Lake County Courthouse burned down. The State’s term for County Sheriffs was extended from two years to four years between 1913 and 1915. But for decades, one thing in Lake County remained the same: Emil Nelson died at the age of 72 in 1940 while still the Sheriff, having served in the role 42 years and in his 16th term. He was buried in Two Harbor’s Lakeview Cemetery.
Deputy Gust Risberg completed the remainder of the term as Sheriff of Lake County, with A. (Alfred) L. Anderson being next elected in 1942. McGrath noted this was the first new person elected for Sheriff since 1898, making it a rather momentous and competitive race. The following election in 1946 saw Roland Falk take the position, where he continued to serve for 24 years until his retirement. Interestingly, McGrath found an article where Falk spoke of only applying for one search warrant in all of his years as Sheriff. One additional item from Falk’s term in McGrath’s presentation was the change in 1961 as Lake and Cook Counties began the practice of furnishing squad cars for the sheriffs rather than using the staff’s privately owned vehicles when it was still a relatively new practice within the state.
William B. DeRosier succeeded Falk as Sheriff of Lake County in 1970, serving another long set of terms until his retirement in 1990. McGrath has been able to speak with DeRosier about his time as Sheriff, allowing for more details than in prior years. DeRosier’s terms included the creation of the Lake County Rescue Squad and the first radar unit purchased in 1972, use of the county’s first Breathalyzer machine in 1973, and several other updates. McGrath’s notes include that from 1970 to 1990 the Lake County Sheriff’s Office increased its full-time staff from 4 to 13.
1990 saw Harold Paulseth elected, followed by Andrew Haugan in 1994. In 1996, during Haugan’s term, the former Lake County Jail and Sheriff’s residence was torn down and replaced with the current Law Enforcement Center the next year.
Moving ever closer to the present, in 1998 Steve Peterson was elected Sheriff, serving until 2006 when Carey Johnson took over for the next 16 years. In 2022, Nathan Stadler, the current Sheriff, took over as Interim Sheriff to finish out Johnson’s term before being elected that Fall as Lake County’s “lucky 13” Sheriff.
McGrath finished his presentation with a look at Lake County Sheriff’s Office Patches over the years, with three different designs. The Board and others in the room found the history lesson quite engaging, a good look into an important piece of the recent history of Northeastern Minnesota and where we residents call home.
In the course of his research, McGrath has collected a good amount of items at the Silver Bay Sheriff’s Office, including a letter regarding the first Grandma’s Marathon, and Sheriff Stadler suggested the possibility of a more formal display area to showcase old equipment and historical items relating to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
County Administrator Huddleston went over current issues in the County, including Silver Rapids Lodge submitting a permit for their revised resort redevelopment project and doing a voluntary EAW (Environmental Assessment Worksheet), upcoming SNAP and related program impacts due to federal and state changes, increasing awareness of helium’s importance among state legislators, and around 200 cubic yards of fire debris collected by the county so far as of mid-June.
Interim Auditor/Treasurer Ronelle Radle went over the progress preparing for this year’s elections, with many election judges being approved this session and absentee voting for the primary election having started this past week.
Highway Engineer Jason DiPiazza warned of road closures at the portion of 15th St in Two Harbors near Marie Ave starting around July 6th/7th and Highway 4/ Lax Lake Rd for pipe repair work for around a week starting July 6th. Sheriff Stadler noted that this year’s Grandma’s Marathon, which was its 50th Anniversary, was a huge success. Despite being a large and popular event with a lot of runners, everything went smoothly.
Commissioner’s Correspondence from Commissioner Joe Baltich included the surprise news of the ALS (Arrowhead Library System)’s Executive Director resigning, attending an event on mining, and the open house for Silver Rapids Lodge. Commissioner Rick Hogenson and Commissioner Rick Goutermont attended a Lake County Ambulance Meeting, and Board Chair Sve attended the recent County Board of Appeal and Equalization meetings.
Approved consent agenda items of note included the closeout of the Highway 2 Reconditioning from White Pine Picnic area to Greenwood Lake Access; purchase of a new vehicle for the Highway Department; a special event permit for the 2026 Grit and Gratitude Bike Ride on August 16th; a Highway Easement Across State Land application to with the eventual goal of better accommodating aquatic wildlife and flood resiliency; the obligation of Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Title III funds; and approve the resolution approving the Local Bridge Replacement Program Grant Agreement;
Resolution items were also all approved, including selling the former Lake County Finland Forestry Office to the Lake County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (LCHRA) to be used for workforce housing; 2026-2028 labor agreements between Lake County and the Minnesota Public Employees Association concerning Dispatchers/Corrections Officers as well as the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 66 concerning Health and Human Services employees; a lease agreement between North Shore Area Partners and Lake County; and measures relating to the staffing for the upcoming elections.
