March 19, 2020
Media Release Lake County COVID Update 3.19.20
March 19, 2020
The Lake County Board of Commissioners held an Emergency Board Meeting today. At the 9:00 a.m. meeting, the Board unanimously approved a resolution declaring a State of Emergency for conditions resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, the Board approved three resolutions as follows:
While county offices will be closed to the public, the county will remain open for business. Services will be provided to the community by phone, email and USPS. A complete listing of department contacts can be found on the Lake County website www.co.lake.mn.us and at (218) 834-8300.
The Courthouse will remain open during regular business hours for District Court business only. It is recommended that you call ahead to Court Administration at (218) 834-8330 to determine the appropriate location to enter the Courthouse.
We will make every effort to keep the Recycling Center open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am to 5:30pm, however, if we are unable to appropriately staff the facility it will be closed until further notice. Please check the Lake County Facebook page for updates or call the Solid Waste Office at 834-8304.
The Demolition Landfill will maintain its regular schedule.
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Contact: Matt Huddleston, Lake County Administrator, 218-834-8320, matthew.huddleston@co.lake.mn.us.
March 16, 2020
Media Release Lake County COVID Update 3.16.20
In response to Governor Walz’s announcements on March 13 and March 15, Lake County continues to work with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and partners to support the health and wellbeing of our communities. This includes reminding us all that we are our own best defense against the transmission of COVID: wash our hands, cover our coughs, keep a social distance, and stay home when sick.
The situation is rapidly evolving and we’re updating our strategies to provide essential services, protect the health of our staff and emergency workers, and maintain economic stability.
Currently Lake County is open for essential business. The public is encouraged to conduct their business remotely rather than in person at County facilities. Please call 218-834-8300, use email, or use the dropboxes at the Two Harbors or Silver Bay Service Centers.
By closing schools, limiting exposures, and protecting our senior citizens, we are fighting back. Schools, businesses and governments are planning not only for education of our students, but also for parents to keep working, and to help cover expenses while caring for children or sick family members. We all need to share the challenges caused by these uncertain and trying times.
The MN Dept of Health (MDH) has set up a hot line for questions about COVID at 651-201-3920 or 800-657-3903 from 7AM to 7PM every day of the week. The MN Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) also has a hotline for questions about Governor Walz’s orders at 651-297-1304 or 800-657-3504, also from 7AM to 7PM every day of the week.
Contact: BJ Kohlstedt. Lake County Emergency Manager, 218-220-7811
Media Release Lake County COVID Update 3.10.20
MARCH 10, 2020: We’ve all been hearing a lot about “COVID-19,” the name for the respiratory disease caused by the novel Coronavirusthat has spread to over 100 countries and sickened over 100,000 people worldwide (as of March 8). Since theMinnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported the first case in Minnesota on March 6, can we expect the COVID-19 to visit Lake County? The short answer is that it’s likely. COVID-19 is much like the respiratory virus influenza, but because it’s a new arrival, there is a lot we don’t know about how easily it spreads and how serious it can be. So far, with the help of Pasadena area probate attorney, we know it hits the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions the hardest. The good news is that we are our own best protection against becoming sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 is spread by droplets from a sick person’s nose or mouth, often transferred by their coughs or sneezes. We all know that good handwashing is our best defense, along with keeping our hands away from our eyes, nose and mouth. Covering coughs with the inside of our elbow, staying a few feet away from sick people, and staying home from work when sick are also expected of us. If you do get flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath), be sure to call or chat with your medical provider online before showing up at the clinic or hospital. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) serves as the lead agency in monitoring and managing coVID-19. Their website at www.health.state.mn.us is the best place to get current information on the disease and how to protect yourself and your family. They also offer a COVID-19 hotline for public questions at 651-201-3920; it is open from 8am – 4:30pm Monday-Friday. What will happen when the disease does reach Lake County? The MDH will interview each case and have the person isolate themselves (normally at home), track those who have been in contact with them, and recommend that those people stay at home in voluntary quarantine for two weeks. Lake County Public Health will provide essential services as needed (ie. providing food, medications, and transportation) to those in isolation or quarantine. Any important local updates can be found on the Lake County website at www.co.lake.mn.us and any urgent public messages would be sent
out through “Lake County Emergency Alerts” (sign up on our website). Should the outbreak progress to impact a larger number of people, MDH may recommend “Community Mitigation Interventions” like postponing community gatherings, encouraging virtual gatherings for work and church, and if needed, closing schools. But these have not happened yet. We’ve been through global outbreaks before. Lake County works closely with local, regional and state partners to plan for and manage these incidents. These plans worked well during the 2009 H1N1 global pandemic, and we expect they will work well again.
“Wash your hands, cover your cough, and stay home when sick.”
Contact: BJ Kohlstedt. Lake County Emergency Manager, 218-220-7811
Cabin Fever 2020-catch It for a good cause!
Two Harbors Community Radio will be hosting its 6th annual Cabin Fever Reliever music and entertainment extravaganza at the Two Harbors High School Auditorium on Sunday, March 8 at 3:00 PM. This year’s Cabin Fever Reliever will showcase stellar music and storytelling. Our featured guests this year are hometown favorite singer/songwriter Hannah Rey, the guitar/keyboard duo Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund from Grand Portage, and soulful roots singer Colleen Myhre. The show’s Emcees this year will be the dynamic spouse team of author Gail Francis and KTWH rockin’ DJ/storyteller Shane Dickey. Also featured will be songs from student performers Elizabeth Scoggin and AJ Lindgren, as well as some jazzy brass energy from the Two Harbors High School Saxophone Ensemble. We’ll have poetry from Shelley Getten and Tom Koehler will enthrall the audience with his telling of the Legend of Burlington Bay. Cabin Fever once again welcomes the return of our one-of-a-kind house band: THUG (Two Harbor Ukulele Group). This is truly a something-for-everyone event.
This year’s emcee Shane Dickey sharing a whopper of a tale at last year’s Cabin Fever Reliever Benefit
The Cedar Coffee Company will be selling gourmet coffee and treats before the show and at intermission. Free desserts and cider will be available as well before the show. Again this year we are opening the lobby at 2:00 PM for kids’ activities such as face painting, a percussion music circle, and the opportunity for kids of all ages to record a legal station ID for broadcast. You can also make a donation or become a sustaining member and instantly receive a KTWH premium. THUG will open the pre-show at 2:30 with a 30 minute performance, so come and get your seats early and enjoy ALL the fun!
Tickets will be on sale starting February 8th at the KTWH studios, Tues-Fri. 1-5 PM (Harbor Landing Building, corner of 7th Ave. and 7th St. in Two Harbors), daily at the Cedar Coffee Company (1130 11th St., just north of SuperOne), and the Mocha Moose Café (543 Scenic Dr, Two Harbors) during their business hours. Tickets run $12 adults ($15 at the door), $8 ($10 at the door) for students and seniors, kids under 5 are free, and it’s $25 for a family package. Tickets will be available at the door.
THUG (Two Harbors Ukulele Group) entertaining guests at last year’s Cabin Fever Reliever.
KTWH features artists of all ages at Cabin Fever and on our airwaves all year-round For more information about the show or tickets, call KTWH at: 218-595-6195
The Youth Radio Initiative is excited to announce three class offerings coming in January of 2020! Classes will be offered in a radio theatre program, our live music show Beat Farm, and our regular youth radio initiative show. Each of these programs will be airing once a month and there is no previous experience required to participate. These opportunities are open to anyone who is currently in grades 5-12.
Click here to fill out our Youth Radio Questionnaire for youth to fill out.
Listen to our new local program Let’s Talk Mental Health. This program discusses mental health and
behavioral issues affecting the local community and resources for help. It is hosted by Chris Belfield and sponsored by the Lake County Local Mental Health Task Force. Chris is an emergency services volunteer chaplain with 20 years experience providing services and counseling to emergency first responders and community members dealing with grief and trauma.
Listen on 99.5FM or KTwH.org
Every third Monday of the month at 11am, repeated the following Sunday at Noon.
Episodes are also archived on our website, on the top of the page under Programs.
Join us for our Two Harbors Community Radio Open House! Learn about volunteer opportunities, meet the staff and radio personalities at KTwH, tour the radio station, give input about the radio station, and more! The fun is at the Two Harbors Landing Building (629 7th Avenue) on the corner of 7th Avenue and 7th Street in Two Harbors. It all happens on Friday, December 13th, from 1pm-4pm. We hope to see you there!
Support your community radio station on Give To The Max Day!
What is it?
Give To The Max Day is a donation drive organized by GiveMN to support non-profit organizations like ours all over Minnesota.
Why donate on November 14th?
You can make a donation through GiveMN any time of the year, but GiveMN and other organizations will potentially match donations on November 14th. This means your donation could go farther than you might expect.
When is it?
The drive is all day on Thursday, November 14th, 2019.
How can I donate?
The whole process is done online. Just go to givemn.org on November 14th, search for Two Harbors Community Radio, and click the donate button on the page.
What about the donate button on ktwh.org?
Yes, that is a pretty amazing button we have on the website—BUT—your donation could go much further using givemn.org on Give To The Max Day!
Two Harbors Community Radio is more than an idea sprouting in Two Harbors; the station just celebrated its 4-year anniversary-on-the-air. With two paid staff, over fifty volunteers, a new Citizens’ Advisory Board, numerous pledge drives behind them, a growing list of sustaining supporters, and programming and music that can’t be found on other airwaves in Two Harbors, THCR finds itself beyond its beginning stages.
It is thus presenting its third annual fall event that will bring together community in the old way—with music, food, and things to buy. The “Harvest Moon Gala” will take place on Saturday, October 19 at the American Legion on 1st Ave, beginning at 5:30 with a silent auction and social hour. At 6:00 a plated dinner will be served, prepared by a professional chef. The 3-course plated lasagna dinner includes a harvest salad, artisan bread and handcrafted French macarons for dessert. A vegetarian & gluten free option, of the same menu, is available. Only 65 tickets are being sold for dinner, so contact the KTWH Studio in the Harbor Landing Building soon! The $30 ticket includes dinner, the silent auction and the concert. The concert begins at 7:15 and will feature local entertainers: violin virtuosos Austin & Wilson, tribal fusion belly dance by Tribal Alchemie, and the guitar wizardry of Dave Slattery and accompanist Paul Hanson. Dinner music will be provided by Tracy Parks. Throughout the evening a silent auction will offer over 70 items up for bid including local art and jewelry, gift certificates for many local businesses and venues, a variety of baskets filled with goodies and even a handcrafted pie.
Involvement with a local radio station can take many forms. Listeners and contributors are only the beginning. There are also advisors, board operators, writers, and technicians. Businesses and nonprofits can underwrite the station and receive public acknowledgement for their support on the air. Sara Preston volunteers for the radio by sitting on the Citizens’ Advisory Board and sending out acknowledgements after a fund drive. She says, “When I first heard about this I was so excited; I knew it could do great things for our community.” Sara is one of over fifty volunteers who have found a way to use their time and talent to join the team.
Tickets are available at KTWH Studios in the Harbor Landing Building at 629 7th Avenue, Two Harbors. $30 for dinner (65 tickets only, available only at KTWH Studio so contact us at 218-595-6195 or stop in to purchase), $10 for auction/concert at the door, doors for concert only open at 7:00 p.m.
Hear THHS Principle Jay Belcastro address the school safety incident that caused a closure on Thursday.
In the audio bit below you will hear Jay speaking with Katya Gordon, host of a new program called “What’s Happenin’.” On this new program, Katya speaks with community members to get updated on news that is happening with local organizations and groups. This particular episode was aired on September 20th.
Celebrating our fourth anniversary on the air and streaming on Friday, September 13th, KTWH invites everyone to show your support for community radio in Two Harbors. The annual Fall Fund Drive will run from Monday September 16th through the end of Saturday September 21st. Get cash advances info here.
The drive is an opportunity to vote to invest a little in KTWH- Radio with a Lake View. We encourage you to sign up as a sustaining member at a modest monthly level, but we truly depend on donations at all levels to make a difference- thanks for contributing whatever amount you can!. We aim to raise $4,000 during the drive, but that depends on those of us who support the station and who last gave a year or so ago to step up to donate what we can afford..
Go to ktwh.org and click donate to see your giving options.
A new KTWH t-shirt for 2019-20 is being designed— when you donate at the $60 level or higher, make sure to let us know if you’d like to take one as a thank you from KTWH.
During this Fall Fund Drive we have a very special premium for a $125 gift: two tickets to KTWH’s Harvest Moon Gala dinner/concert/silent auction at the American Legion on October 19th!
Consider donating before the drive officially starts… early bird donors can launch our fund drive on a positive note. We welcome your feedback with your pledge. You can also email us directly at ktwh995@gmail.com with your input on our programming, to offer a matching contribution or premium for the drive, or to inquire about volunteering for one of the many large and small assignments for which community radio needs your help. Our volunteers thank you for connecting with the station and keeping us growing!
Sustaining members and one-time donors can take one of our great KTWH-themed premiums and take satisfaction in keeping this community audio connection alive and thriving. The Lloyd K. Johnson foundation acknowledged our efforts to sustain this bridge building radio medium with a $20,000 grant award to Two Harbors Community Radio this summer. That generous funding is being put to great use bringing a professional development manager to our team. Your gift can make sure that all our fixed costs, technical improvements like our brand new audio server, and a host of critical fees for operations are covered. KTWH runs a very tight budget and our volunteer-driven crew stretches it with care to keep your ears and mind enriched for over 5,000 hours each year.
We are grateful and determined that with your support and feedback we are becoming the eyes and ears of the community. KTWH is committed to help move forward the community conversations we need more of to secure a good future for our area and our world. That’s a grand ambition for a 100 Watt station in a small town, but with the web stream outreach and some cash in hand we are determined to stick around and make opportunities for people to connect across the many dividing lines that we sometimes put between ourselves and our neighbors. We have so much of value to share; let’s all be part of fearless outreach to create understanding and surprising alliances for the common good. Let’s make great radio continue along our Great Lake.
You can give offline as well: call in a pledge during the drive: 218-595-6195 , bring your donation in person to the KTWH studios in the Harbor Landing Building, or mail a check to KTWH,PO Box 622, Two Harbors MN 55616
Thanks for your commitment and support!
Check out this very nice article put together by the great people at WDSE-WRPT. The Slice is a new digital project from WDSE that captures the unique character, events and experiences found in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.
CLICK HERE to take a look!
