International Falls? (Duluth, Virginia, Baudette: high crime, house, college)

[Mark S.]

Any locals? Or anyone who used to live there?

I browsed through the blog on the local newspaper, and it seemed a pretty even mix of good and bad.

Is the mill and air quality as bad as some people say? Is the river around the city really polluted?

How are crime and safety issues? I'm getting conflicting info. People who talk about it rave about how safe and crime-free it is, but the official stats tell a different story. Not high crime by any means, but at or above the national average, depending on the year. Violence doesn't seem to be an issue, but property crimes seem abnormally high for the area. That true? Is that indicative of a growing drug problem in the area? What about gangs? Are they a problem? Is being in such close proximity to the border a good thing or a bad thing?

[BorderGirl]

I'm a local.

Yes, the mill does smell but you do get used to it and don't really notice it most days, unless the wind is blowing in the right direction. But you really don't notice it, or at least I never did.

As far as crimes go, they're only the small ones. If you look at the paper most of them are car accidents, someone breaking into someone's hunting shack or ice house and taking a few things. I have never felt unsafe in that town and I lived there nearly all my life. It does seem to me that there are more drug problems but that seems to be an increasing trend no matter where you go.

I liked living near the border, I could go to Canada whenever I wanted to do a little shopping or to get a change of scenery for a few hours. However, the traffic getting into Canada can be insane in the summer months. The line is known to go on for several miles and can take several hours to finally get across the border.

I had to leave the town because there just wasn't anything for me job wise. I finished college and moved back home for a few months and just couldn't come up with anything. I'm living in Utah now and love it but I am terribly homesick for my Minnesota. If you have any other questions, just let me know.

[Mark S.]

BorderGirl, thanks for your input! Much appreciated.

[BorderGirl]

No problemo! Glad to help. I hope I didn't make the town sound too bad, it really isn't. I do really miss it myself and can't wait to visit over the summer!

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by BorderGirl

No problemo! Glad to help. I hope I didn't make the town sound too bad, it really isn't. I do really miss it myself and can't wait to visit over the summer!

Actually, you were very encouraging.

On that blog I mentioned, several people mentioned that the hospital has a bit of an infamous reputation for bad care. Do you know anything about that? Either to confirm or deny?

[BorderGirl]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

Actually, you were very encouraging.

On that blog I mentioned, several people mentioned that the hospital has a bit of an infamous reputation for bad care. Do you know anything about that? Either to confirm or deny?

I think I know exactly what you're talking about. I was reading it too a few weeks ago. I don't mind the Duluth clinic. I've never had a problem there. They regularly have visiting doctors and they've always been great.

However, I've always been apprehensive about the hospital. Fortunately for me (knock on wood) I've never needed to go to the hospital for anything major. My grandmother was recently there before she passed away and she was comfortable and well taken care of. I am picky though, I will drive to Virginia or even Duluth to see a specialist rather than wait months for them to see me in the Falls.

[MidniteBreeze]

Hi Mark S,

I'm not a local, but I have friends up in the Falls and have visited numerous times. I think the most important thing to realize about the Falls is how isolated it is....Duluth is the "big city" and it's a 3 hour drive south. Virginia is about an hour closer but that's really about it. To the east is wilderness--TRUE wilderness--Voyagers Nat'l park and the BWCA. There's nothing west until Baudette (an even smaller, more isolated border town) and beyond Ft. Francis, ON to the north is yet more (Canadian) wilderness.

Of course this isn't necessarily a bad thing...all that wilderness means lots of wonderful outdoors opportunities, GREAT fishing, etc. But living in such a small little pocket of "civilization" so far from anything would take some getting used to if you've never experienced anything like that before.

I think a lot of people have this fascination with I-falls...I guess it's kind of the "Barrow" of the lower 48 in some respects.