The Lake County Board’s final meeting of 2025 on Dec. 23 featured a mix of community updates and plans, with discussions centered on veteran services, local journalism initiatives, veterans services and memorial redesign, and technology upgrades.
The board was given an overview of the Lake County Press’ extensive behind-thescenes efforts that go beyond news coverage.
Projects include supporting Harbor Theater as a community hub, advancing restorative justice programs mandated by the state, and organizing the county’s Pride celebration, which drew about 500 attendees in 2025.
A new initiative, “Turning Up the Volume on Indigenous Voices,” will partner with the University of Minnesota to document stories of residents with Native American heritage.
The newspaper also announced a $10,000 grant from the Mortenson Family Foundation to strengthen emergency preparedness. Working with the county’s emergency manager and KTWH radio the paper plans a May event focused on disaster resilience. The grant will fund communication strategies and backup power for critical infrastructure.
Board members received an update on the Lake County Veterans Memorial, which has undergone a significant redesign.
The project’s cost has been reduced from $1.3 million to under $500,000, with nearly all work slated for local contractors.
Organizers reported raising about $50,000 and set a goal to begin construction in 2026. Private donations, including $300 plaques honoring veterans, are expected to help close the funding gap.
Operation Volunteers for Veterans reported delivering 15 “Thank You for Your Service” meal kits during the holiday season and outlined plans for 2026.
Upcoming efforts include a veteran movie night at the Harbor Theater once heating issues are resolved, monthly coffee gatherings, and meetand- greet events in Silver Bay, Ely, and Finland.
The group also intends to introduce its mission at city council and township meetings in the coming year.
The IT department highlighted a busy year, including migration to Teams phones, Windows 11 updates, and GIS remonumentation. The phone transition saved roughly $137 per user annually.
Security incidents decreased thanks to improved use of Microsoft 365 tools. Looking ahead, major projects include launching a new county website with a .gov domain, expanding key card access to county facilities, and completing grant-funded accessibility improvements at polling places.
The department also plans to finish remonumentation work and explore badge-controlled entry for most exterior doors.
The administrator’s report touched on personnel recruitment, legislative priorities for February and March, cannabis ordinance language, commissioner salary setting, and emergency management grants.
Updates also included SNAP recertification requirements, planning for the January organizational meeting, and efforts to modernize fire protection plans.
