Grand Marais adventurer Lonnie Dupre has called off his second attempt to become the first person to reach Mount McKinley’s 20,320 foot summit solo in January.

According to an update posted Saturday on Dupre’s website, the climber made the decision Friday after being pinned down by hurricane-force winds at 14,200 feet for a week.

The update said there may have been a break in the weather for a day that would have allowed Dupre to reach his high camp at 17,200 feet — the last stop before going for the summit — “but (winds) would then pick up again and not diminish in the foreseeable future. To be stuck at high camp with only eight days’ worth of supplies is too big of a gamble.”

After collecting stashed gear, Dupre made a harrowing descent to 11,200 feet late Friday, getting blown off his feet at least once in 80 mph gusts.

Dupre, 50, tried climbing McKinley last January, but bad weather stopped him at 17,200 feet.
 

Twenty-nine youths, ages 12 to 15, participated in the 2011
Department of Natural Resources Snowmobile Safety Training. The
training included work in the classroom and a very cold day at the old
airfield on Devil Track Lake. Students were required to pass both a
written exam and field test covering a variety of topics that
included: winter survival, snowmobile regulations, driving skills,
courtesy, and ethics.
All students passing the course received their temporary permits and a
copy of the new state snowmobile laws.
Successfully completing the training were Leif Anderson, Wyatt Baker,
Jazzmine Blackwell, Korey Bockovich, Kya Brazell, Aaron Breitsprecher,
Jesse Breitsprecher, Michael Burton, Brandon Curtis, Connor Franks,
Colton Furlong, Austen Graham, Joe James, Amy Lacina, Daphe Lacina,
Julia Larsen, Harleigh Lindquist, Ezra Lunde, Everett Morawitz, Selien
Morawitz, Caleb Phillips, Alicia Smith, Jasmine Smith, Riley Somnis,
Hannah VanderHeiden, Jack Viren, Kyle Wiegele, Bradley Wilson Jr.,
Damian Zimmer.
As of October 1, 2002 any resident born after December 31, 1976 must
have a safety certificate to operate a snowmobile anywhere in Minnesota.
This program would not be available to our county's youth without the
support of the certified snowmobile safety instructors who volunteer
their services to teach this course. This year’s instructors were Eric
Nelms, lead instructor; Bob Sopoci, Kim Linnell, Charles Silence, Aaron Schmidt,
Steve Lashinski, and Dick Parker. The DNR Conservation Officer taking
part were Darin Fagerman, Mary Manning and Tom Wahlstrom.
Safe riding, everyone!
 

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After a UPS truck went into the ditch on the Skow Road, the
Schroeder town board discussed at its December 13 meeting ongoing
concerns over when the county would be called to salt/sand townships
roads and who was authorized to make those calls. The truck got into
trouble on November 18 after a snowfall melted and refroze.
The township has hired Karl Crawford to plow its roads, but the county
has salt/sanding equipment that neither Crawford nor the township
have. Supervisor Roger “Bill” McKeever said people had been calling
Crawford and “giving him heck” for not sanding. McKeever said he
asked Crawford to put some barrels of sand out for people to spread
across the road when needed.
The board talked about the length of time it can take for a county
sanding truck to get to Schroeder township roads. McKeever pointed
out that they can’t have sanding done everywhere right away in a small
remote area. Conditions can change fast within a given day, he said,
and having some sand around for people to spread on their own would be
good.
McKeever told County Commissioner Bruce Martinson, also a Schroeder
resident, that the township is interested in the possibility of buying
an old plow from the county.

The Schroeder Town Board meets next on Tuesday, January 10 at the Schroeder Town Hall.
 

Each weekend WTIP news produces a round up of the news stories they’ve been following this week. Big ship research on Superior, controversy over guns in court, another look at the Rec Park “Community Connections” and Lonnie Dupre on Mt. McKinley…all in this week’s news.

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In our broadcast area, we sit on one of the biggest resources in the world: Lake Superior. The lake means different things to different people, whether it's a spiritual connection, a source of income or a favorite place to fish. In this first segment, Voices from the Lake, we explore some of ways in which the big lake is significant to people.

This project is funded in part by the Coastal Zone Management Act, by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, in cooperation with Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program.

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January is National Radon Awareness Month.  It's estimated that 1 in 3 Minnesota homes have elevated levels of radon, which can be a serious health risk.  In this interview, WTIP volunteer Tracy Benson talks with Radon Outreach Coordinator Andrew Gilbert of the Minnesota Department of Health about what radon is and the importance of testing our homes for it.

Click on "attached file" below to hear the interview.

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