Thank you Laurel Beager for your interesting and informational Article on the book, "Plaintiff Blues" I am so glad International Falls schools Superintendent is being brought forth. I read a blog this morning "A leopard.... and can not find it again. The Indian Education program is not the only program targeted, so is the Community Education. Why are the programs that help our children being destroyed? Both programs help our children in more ways than one. Once again thank you Laurel for the article.

My husband and I are relocating back to this area and are interested in contact from anyone willing to explore a rent to own or contract for deed situation. We would like to live within 30 miles of the Falls and the home needs to be less than $80,000. We need 3 bedrooms. We have been on a contract for deed for five years now and can provide a reference if needed.
We are both employed here and are driving back and forth from the Iron Range weekly. You might just be the person/s with the property we are looking for!

R. Marjorie Mylnechuk Draper of Independence, Ore., passed away Thursday, June 26, 2008 at the age of 84.
She was born July 17, 1923 in International Falls, Minn., to Leslie and Doris (Blazer) Raco.
She is preceded in death by her first husband, William Mylnechuk in 1967 and her second husband, Charles Richmond Draper in 1995.
She moved from Albany in 1995 living in Independence with her daughter.

NPS Report

Mike Ward has been selected as the new superintendent at Voyageurs National Park.
Ward, now superintendent at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Mo., will report for his new assignment on Aug. 17. He follows former Superintendent Kate Miller, who retired from service earlier this year.
Ernest Quintana, regional director of the National Park Service's 13-state Midwest Region, said Ward has proven himself to be an effective leader and will be a real asset at Voyageurs.

More than 15 percent of the state’s public defenders were cut in June, leaving staff at the Koochiching County Court Administrator’s Office considering how to move forward.
The Minnesota Board of Public Defense voted to cut 72 full-time jobs by the end of the summer to help absorb a $3.8 million state budget deficit.

United Way of Northeastern Minnesota has provided $138,000 to area support agencies.
Several area residents gathered June 24 to review and interview agency applications for United Way of Northeastern Minnesota funding. Four separate panels interviewed 18 agencies before granting $138,000 to area agencies.

Koochiching County Sheriff Brian Youso urges boaters to use good judgment and exercise safety while boating over the July 4th weekend.
The holidays usually brings more boat traffic, he said and urged people to wear life jackets and to be familiar with the personal flotation device requirements. Most boats 16 feet or longer are required to have a Type IV throwable device, usually a U.S. Coast Guard approved boat seat cushion. Youso notes that this is a common boating law violation, although the requirement has been around for 12 years in Minnesota.

The Falls VFW baseball team improved to 3-2 in division play with a 5-4 victory over Grand Rapids Monday afternoon at Scheela field.
“We are 3-2 in the division and Grand Rapids is a pretty good team,” Falls head coach Roger Jerome said. “We are pretty happy with the win today. Everybody was focused for the game and we have been playing a lot of games lately.”
The Falls and Rapids played even for most of the game with the Falls down 4-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

The International Falls Junior League baseball team was in Nashwauk the weekend of June 21 and 22 for the annual Nashwauk-Keewatin Junior League Baseball Tournament.
In the opening game of the pool-play tournament the Falls team was defeated by Hibbing by a score of 3-4. The Falls went on to defeat
Itasca by a score of 12-2 and Greenway by a score of 8-3.
With two wins and a loss, the team qualified for the single-elimination "A" bracket to be played on Sunday.
In the first game on Sunday, the Falls defeated Hibbing by a score of 22-3 to move them into the championship game.

Voyageurs National Park’s next superintendent has big shoes to fill.
Not big as in size, but big in stature.
Mike Ward will take the helm of Voyageurs National Park in August. We wish him the same kind of success that we watched former Superintendent Kate Miller work so hard to achieve.