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HomeNewsLake County Board Of Commissioners; September 23, 2025

Lake County Board Of Commissioners; September 23, 2025

The Lake County Board re­ceived some good news at last week’s meeting regarding apartment complexes that are proposed for both Two Har­bors and Silver Bay. Matthew Johnson, Executive Director of the Lake County HRA, report­ed that the IRRR Board (Iron Range Resources and Rehabil­itation) has agreed to help fund the Visions, 75 unit apartment building in Two Harbors by contributing $850,000 to the project. Construction on this project is scheduled to start in the Spring and, upon comple­tion, the complex will provide much needed workforce hous­ing for the city. The Silverpoint II project in Silver Bay has been stalled for a while due to negotiations that have been on­going regarding acquisition of the land that will be used for the project. A portion of the County Board’s meeting was devoted to a public hearing on a proposed land swap be­tween the County and property owner, Steve VanHouse. The Board agreed to the land swap in which the property that will be the future site of Silverpoint II, owned by VanHouse, will be traded for tax forfeited land near Silver Bay. The parcels of land included in this swap are of equal value and the ar­rangement will save the coun­ty $150,000. The opportunity here, to provide crucial work­force housing in Silver Bay, will be welcomed news to area employers who are in need of housing for potential employ­ees.

Jason DiPiazza, of the Lake County Highway Department, reported receiving a grant for $17,000 which will be used for road safety.

In other business, the Board voted to set a Truth in Taxation public hearing for 6:00 PM on December 2nd. The meet­ing will be held at the County Highway Department Head­quarters, located at 1513 High­way 2 in Two Harbors.

The next Lake County Board meeting is scheduled for Octo­ber 14th at 2:00 PM.

Rick Evans
Rick Evans
My wife, Marsha Kinzer (a proud DEHS Greyhound, class of ‘77) introduced me to the North Shore on vacation in 2012. It became our regular escape when the stress of our careers in education became overwhelming, and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the breathtaking scenery, the nice people, and “salad” containing Jell-o and marshmallows. So you can either blame or thank my loving wife for my being here, because when we needed to choose a retirement hometown, Marsha advocated hard for her beloved Duluth, and here we are, six months later. Yes, this will be my first northern Minnesota winter. Yes, I welcome thoughts and prayers. Government, public policy, and social justice weighed heavily in the curriculums I taught at the high school level over a thirty-eight year career. In addition, we were a laboratory school focused on critical thinking in conjunction with technical and scientific writing. So when I found myself adrift on the great ocean of retirement and spied a raft, I jumped at the chance to take up what I’d left behind…minus the bad teachers’ lounge coffee. My position at the NSJ allows me to combine my passions for government and writing, and it’s helping me to feel less out of touch in new surroundings. When I’m not being “Cubby” (Marsha’s favorite new nickname for this green reporter) I enjoy pointing at eagles and saying, “Look, honey. There’s an eagle.” I’ve had an active side hustle as a professional musician for almost as many years as Charlie Parr. As a guitarist/singer/songwriter, I graced the stages of clubs and festivals around southern Wisconsin, including an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion. Should I even mention A Prairie Home Companion, or am I the only one here old enough to remember what that is? Look! An eagle!
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