The Grand Rapids City Council has officially acknowledged support for a state proposed incentive program for the wood pellet production industry, recognizing that investments are required in expanding such businesses locally at this time.Â
According to the quarterly census of employment and wages, from 2008 to 2019, the seven counties of northeast Minnesota saw a loss of 1,466 jobs, 34 businesses and $28 million in wages from the forest product industry. This same data shows that between 2013 and 2018, Itasca County saw a loss of 20% of its independent forestry and logging operations and 12% of its independent truckers.Â
Despite these losses, a 2017 study by the University of Minnesota-Duluthâs Labovitz School of Business found that the forestry sector still contributes nearly 3,000 jobs, $160 million of labor income and more than $800 million in output to the economy of a 10-county region of north-central Minnesota and the sector still presents opportunities for growth.
Minnesotaâs first case of COVID-19 was identified on March 6, 2020. Since then, Itasca County has seen 3,141 cases, 46 deaths, 221 hospitalizations, 49 intensive care unit stays, and 9,297 first vaccinations.Â
âWhat a year,â said Kelly Chandler, Itasca County Public Health division manager. âWe did not know in March 2020 how COVID spread; now we know it is primarily airborne. We know that good hygiene, including hand washing, is important, but even more important is masking to prevent the droplets carrying the virus from spreading to others.
âA year ago, we did not know that you could spread COVID prior to showing symptoms. Now we know you can spread it two days prior to showing symptoms or even without showing symptoms at all.
Two weekends of the theater and dance production January- February
If there is one thing 2020-21 has taught us, it is how to pull together to find the good and make the best out of any situation. The Reif Education programs have been doing exactly that.
 Last fall, during a time when the stage would normally be ready for the curtain to rise on their musical and the studios would be full of dancers preparing for the annual Nutcracker performances, the Reif Dance and Theater Education programs came up with ways to keep the performing arts alive in the face of a pandemic. From Zoom rehearsals and postponements, to getting back on the stage, the actors and dancers are now ready to show off their stuff.
Reif Arts Council celebrates with Home For The Holidays series grandrapidsmn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from grandrapidsmn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Itasca Symphony releases free virtual concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, December 20
As Northern Minnesota anticipates, inch by inch, celebrating a âWhite Christmasâ during a year many would characterize as âcharbroiled,â the Itasca Symphony Orchestra has completed the final edits to its first ever âvirtualâ concert.
Filmed at the Reif Center for the Performing Arts on December 5 with three cameras and multiple microphones, the concert will officially be premiered on the Itasca Orchestra and Strings Programâs YouTube channel at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time Sunday, December 20. Just enter the âItasca Orchestra and Strings Program YouTubeâ in any search engine, subscribe to the YouTube channel, and enjoy.