GRAND MARAIS — Residents of Cook or Lake counties are invited to participate on an advisory committee as the Cook County/Grand Marais Joint Economic Development Authority seeks to shape the future of Taconite Harbor.
The EDA is in the early stages of a strategic plan, after receiving a $200,000 state Energy Transitions grant, to redevelop a 172-acre former power plant.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 19, with the committee expected to meet twice per month through March 2026 beginning in October.
The Taconite Harbor coal-fired plant closed in 2016. Minnesota Power has owned the facility since 2001, but Cleveland-Cliffs also has a stake in the plant due to its rail access, dock facilities and switching station. Minnesota Power has taken the lead on the plant's deconstruction and decommissioning, which began in 2023.
The unincorporated community of Taconite Harbor emerged in the 1950s, established by the Erie Mining Co. to provide housing for its employees of the nearby taconite plant.
Taconite dust, noise pollution and layoffs contributed to the decline of the town, with the last resident moving out in 1988 and most buildings and homes being moved off by 1990.
"The site's topography, historical uses, limited utility access and joint private ownership present redevelopment and environmental challenges, but through informed research and a robust strategic planning process, Cook County hopes to position the site for future economic activity and recovery from past closures," stated the EDA in its application for the Community Energy Transition Grant.
-
Contributed/Alyssa Chen / Minnesota ReformerThe state abruptly paused payment to thousands of care providers in May in a rush to meet a federal deadline. -
Contributed/Lakers Girls Golf Instagram PageAlmost 90 Northland students competed at the state golf tournament June 9-10, 2026, around the Twin Cities. -
Contributed/Brian DowThe number of detainees has not been confirmed. Bemidji police and Beltrami sheriff's deputies did not take part, leaders say. Some community members gathered to protest. -
And: A missing Alexandria woman found alive in mud puddle near Backus; a nature-based early learning center opens in Coleraine; and Brainerd boys and Detroit Lakes girls are state golf champions. -
Contributed/briandjan607 via FlickrThe Emergency Forest Order, which prohibited campfires and charcoal-fueled cookstoves, will be lifted on June 12, 2026. -
Contributed/Bemidji Fire DepartmentThe Bemidji Fire Department responded to the multi-family structure fire in the nearby city of Wilton on June 10, 2026. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Paul Bunyan Playhouse is bringing back professional theater to the Historic Chief Theater for the first full season since 2023. -
Erin Bowman/KAXEChildren at the nature-based Roots and Wings Early Learning Center in southern Coleraine typically spend five to six hours outside each day on the 25-acre campus. -
Contributed/Minnesota Chippewa TribeMembers of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe bands cast ballots for secretary-treasurers and tribal council representatives on June 9, 2026. -
Plus: the Brainerd City Council is considering a plan to redevelop the City Hall parking lot into a four-story apartment complex.
