HIBBING — The Hibbing School District has a new acting superintendent.
In an emergency meeting Friday, Jan. 9, the Hibbing School Board selected Carrie McDonald as the district’s acting superintendent. McDonald comes from the district's current administrative team, serving as director of teaching and learning and the Bluejacket Career Academy director. She previously served as principal of Greenhaven Elementary School in Hibbing.
The district updated its superintendent’s webpage with McDonald’s information.
The move comes after Superintendent Rich Aldrich announced he would resign on Jan. 7, due to a health condition. Aldrich’s resignation isn’t effective until mid-April, but he is on medical leave for the next several months.
The Hibbing School District’s business manager, Alex Kaczor, also announced his resignation last month, with his last day set for Thursday, Jan. 15. Kaczor is taking a position at the Grand Rapids school district.
The vacancies come as the district begins planning $2 million in budget cuts, in part due to declining enrollment. Voters rejected two referendum questions in November.
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The Legislature does not have to approve a new budget in 2026 but is still holding talks affecting taxpayer dollars.
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Residents may notice increased tree removals in city boulevards, parks and public spaces because of the emerald ash borer, but new trees will also be planted in priority areas.
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Grand Rapids is working on a new master plan for Legion Park, with potential investments including a curling center, indoor fieldhouse and mountain biking trailhead.
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An Afternoon with ORIP is a free session from the Outdoor Recreation Industry Partnership that will cover an economic impact report and next steps for the industry.
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The public can learn more about ongoing projects in the forest on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
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Defending champions Pequot Lakes will be joined by Northeast Range/Ely, Bemidji, Brainerd, Cloquet, Thief River Falls and Warroad at the state robotics tournament in May 2026.
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And: Most of Northern MN under spring burning restrictions; SNF open houses Thursday, Monday; and Northland students to compete in speech, robotics state meets.
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The bill's author says other states are using money from legalized sports betting to bolster purses, giving their horse racing tracks an advantage over Minnesota’s.
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The bill would authorize limited use of psilocybin, a hallucinogen that is found in some mushrooms. It could be used therapeutically for individuals 21 years old and older.
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A bill authored by Rep. Ben Bakeberg, R-Jordan, would give the Blue Ribbon Commission more time to recommend cuts and eliminate the automatic funding cut.