Minnesota briefs: Rocori school board selects interim superintendent

The Rocori school board decided Monday to offer former Roseville Superintendent John Thein the role of interim superintendent.

Thein previously served as interim superintendent in St. Paul and Maccray schools, as well as at Rocori in 2018 after longtime Superintendent Scott Staska was arrested on charges of publicly exposing himself.

In February, Brad Kelvington announced plans to resign as superintendent at the end of the year. The board then placed Kelvingtonon administrative leave and appointed a Rocori elementary principal as acting superintendent.

A lawyer representing the district told the Star Tribune there have been no complaints or disciplinary action against Kelvington during his four-year tenure at Rocori. But the resignation came shortly after the district was sued by a Cold Spring resident who is claiming the district failed to respond to incidents of racial discrimination against her children.

In mid-May, the board interviewed three candidates but decided not to offer any of the candidates the job.

A representative from the Minnesota School Boards Association, which is working with the district on the superintendent search, said it is not unusual for boards to forgo selecting a superintendent after a short spring search because the candidate pool is often limited.

The board plans to resume the superintendent search in the fall.

LUTSEN

Lutsen Mountains set to acquire U.P. ski resort

The owner of Lutsen Mountains has agreed to purchase a Michigan ski resort.

Charles Skinner, owner of both Lutsen and Wisconsin's Granite Peak Ski Area, will acquire Big Snow Resort in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the company announced this week.

Big Snow includes Indianhead and Blackjack ski areas, and gets its name from the effects of Lake Superior delivering 200 inches of snow each winter. Indianhead was the first ski resort built in the area.

Plans include investing in new lifts, snowmaking and base area infrastructure, and retaining current employees. The agreement includes more than 1,000 acres of private land.

Lutsen, too, will receive an upgrade next summer with a new high-speed chairlift. Plans for a proposed Lutsen expansion are still undergoing review by the U.S. Forest Service.