KNOT notes

Meetings for baby mamas and moms-to-be

The Nesting Place is a group for new mothers that welcomes moms with infants up to 1 year old and those in their third trimester of pregnancy. This group is open to anyone, regardless of where you live or delivered your baby. We will provide a safe and supportive environment to discuss all postpartum issues: breastfeeding, baby blues, anxiety, depression, sleep, relationships, exercise, nutrition — you name it! Meetings are free and will be facilitated by a healthcare professional and the content will depend on the group’s needs. Refreshments will be provided. We will plan to start with a meeting every other Saturday 10-11 a.m. in the Pine Room at Community Memorial Hospital. The first meeting will take place on Jan. 19, 2019. For more information, contact Laurie Dandrea at 218-878-7626, ext. 7385 or [email protected].

Christmas Lighting contest winners announced

The 2018 winners of the Twin Ports Christmas Lighting Challenge have been chosen out of a total of 77 homes and businesses in three communities including Cloquet, Superior and Duluth.

In Cloquet, both Wood City Lights & Hardware and Luke Grages, 7249 Industrial Road, won.

Superior was voted the favorite Christmas city by online voters. Winners will receive their awards at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 28 at Bentleyville, in front of the giant Christmas tree next to the cookie hut.

There were more than 1,300 votes and 15,000 views of the online lighting map, according to Peter Cpin of A Sweet Event. A full list of lighting displays, an interactive map and voting results (12-21-18) can be found at http://www.asweeteventus.com/lightingchallenge. Cpin noted that the goal is to provide the community a fun resource of lighting displays for the community to tour.

Join the Carlton County Extension committee

There is an opening in Commissioner District 4 for a citizen to serve on the Carlton County Extension advisory committee starting in 2019. The committee meets five times a year (bi-monthly from February through November). If you are interested in getting involved, call or email the Extension office at 218-384-3511 or [email protected]. Application deadline is Jan. 31, 2019.

It’s not too late to register for MNsure

Following the first deadline of Dec. 15 for 2019 coverage, 113,000 Minnesotans have signed up for private health coverage through MNsure. Minnesotans now have until January 13 to sign up for coverage starting Feb. 1, 2019.

Since the start of open enrollment, MNsure’s contact center has fielded nearly 80,000 calls. In addition, there have been 1.2 million visits to MNsure.org and more than 175,000 plan-comparison-tool sessions.

“Minnesotans have until January 13 to take advantage of lower rates, which have decreased 7 to 27 percent on average” said MNsure CEO Nate Clark. “Free, in-person assistance is available, along with tax credits that are, on average, saving Minnesota families more than $5,600 a year.”

In addition to more than 113,000 private health coverage sign-ups, MNsure has also received over 11,000 dental sign-ups.

MNsure’s sixth open enrollment period runs Nov. 1, 2018, to Jan. 13, 2019. Individuals earning up to $48,560 a year, or a family of four earning up to $100,400 a year, could qualify for federal tax credits. Additional income guidelines are available at mnsure.org.