>> ERIC: FULL SHOW FOR YOU TONIGHT.

A BOREAL FOREST EXPERT IS HERE.

TANE DANGER IS HERE WITH THOUGHTS ON DEBATES, AND WE'LL SEE IF IMPROV COMEDY AND DEMOCRACY PAIR WELL.

>> CATHY: BUT WE START THE HOUR WITH NEWS THAT THE PRAIRIE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY IN APPLETON HAS BEEN SOLD TO THE U.S.

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

THE PRISON CLOSED IN 2010 AND WILL REOPEN AS AN IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT DETENTION CENTER AS SOON AS THIS FALL.

THE PRICE TAG WAS $495 MILLION.

"ALMANAC" REPORTER KAOMI LEE WAS IN APPLETON EARLIER THIS YEAR TO LOOK AT THE PRISON.

SHE JOINS US NOW.

WELL, NOT EXACTLY A SURPRISE.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU WERE OUT THERE, YOU SAW SOME MOVEMENT.

THERE WERE WORK CREWS ON THE SCENE TRYING TO DO SOME REPAIRS.

SO WE SAW THIS KIND OF COMING DOWN THE PIKE, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN RUMORS FOR OVER A YEAR ABOUT PEOPLE WERE WONDERING WHAT COULD HAPPEN.

I MEAN, THERE HAD BEEN TALK ABOUT, WOULD THIS BE AN I.C.E.

DETENTION FACILITY OR WHAT COULD THEY DO?

BUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY, THERE'S WAS A LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH CITY LEADERS AND CORE CIVIC -- >> AND CORE CIVIC OWNS THE PROPERTY?

>> YES, T'S A PRIVATE PRISON.

AND THEY'VE OWNED IT SINCE THE '90s.

BUT EVEN THEN WHEN I WAS THERE IN FEBRUARY, CITY OFFICIALS DID NOT KNOW.

JUST THAT THEY SAW, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, THAT THE WORK CREWS WERE THERE, IMPROVING THE HVAC SYSTEMS, KEEPING THINGS, YOU KNOW, REGULAR MAINTENANCE.

GHE HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE OPPOSITION FOR SUPPORT FOR THIS TO BREAK DOWN?

>> WELL, LIKE YOU CAN IMAGINE, EVERYONE'S THE SAME PAGE THAT YOU TALK TO.

THEY WANT THE BEST FOR APPLETON.

THE PRIVATE PRISON CLOSED 16 YEARS AGO.

THERE'S EMPTY STOREFRONTS.

THERE'S ABOUT 20 I LP DATED BUILDINGS, HOUSES THAT THE CITY DEEMS SHOULD COME DOWN.

THERE'S ALSO OTHER HOMES THAT ARE RUN DOWN, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN YOU'VE GOTH ABOUT 400 WORKERS LEFT WHEN THE PRISON CLOSED, LESS PEOPLE IN THE GROCERY STORES, BUY THINGS, BUYING GAS AND THE CITY REALLY KIND OF EMPTIED OUT.

SO EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WWAYS -- DISAGREEMENT ON HOW TO GO ABOUT IT.

PROGRESSIVE VOICES AND ACTOR VISITS WHO SAY MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AS AN I.C.E.

DETENTION FACILITY AND DETAINING IMMIGRANTS IS NOT REALLY MORALLY RIGHT.

AND ISN'T REALLY THE BEST SOLUTION FOR THIS.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT OTHERS SAY, WELL, THIS COULD BRING BACK PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE COULD MEAN MONEY.

AND MORE INVESTMENT AND SO IT -- THERE'S TWO -- I MEAN, EVERYONE -- I THINK IT'S A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WORK WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER.

AND SO HEY WANT TO BE UNIFIED, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE END RESULT.

>> Cathy: SO IS THIS A DONE DEAL?

CAN PEOPLE WEIGH IN ON IT?

> >> Kaomi: IT IS A DONE DEAL.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE COUNTY -- THE COUNTY OFFICE HAS THE DEED IN PLACE.

SO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OWNS THE FACILITY.

AND SO -- BUT THERE IS GOING TO BE -- I SPOKE TO STATE SENATOR TOREY WESTROM, WHO IS A BIG SUPPORTER, CAME OUT WITH A PRESS RELEASE THIS WEEK, SUPPORTS THE NEWS.

HE'S GOING TO HAVE A TOWN FORUM ON AUGUST 20TH AT THE V.F.W.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS, SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION.

ASK QUESTIONS.

AND MAYBE BY THAT TIME, THAT'LL BE IN TWO WEEKS, THERE WILL BE MORE ANSWERS, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION.

>> Eric: RIGHT NOW THE DETAINEES -- IS IT MAINLY EL PASO WHERE THEY'RE GOING NOW?

>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'LL BE COMING.

THEY SAY THAT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, THEY'LL TART TO SEE SOME OF THE DETAINEES FILLING UP THE SLOTS.

THERE'S ABOUT 1600 BEDS THERE.

AND BY THE END OF SECOND QUARTER NEXT YEAR, IT SHOULD BE AT FULL CAPACITY INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF WORKERS.

I >> Cathy: SEE KNOW THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE EXCITED THAT THIS COULD BE AN ECONOMIC BOON TO A STRUGGLING TOWN, BUT I'M WONDERING BECAUSE NOW THE FEDS OWN THIS AND IT WAS A PRIVATELY OWNED PRISON, I WONDER WHAT THE TAX IMPLICATIONS WOULD BE FOR THIS?

>> WELL, IT COULD, THE TAXES, THE FACILITY PAYS, OF COURSE CIVIC PAID THIS YEAR, WAS $494,000.

THAT'S ANNUALLY.

AND THAT'S FOR AN IDLE FACILITY.

THAT'S ABOUT 30% OF THEIR TAX BASE.

SO STARTING NEXT YEAR, THEY -- THAT COULD BE GONE.

AND AS WE KNOW, IT'S A FEDERAL FACILITY.

THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM STATE AND LOCAL TAXES.

BUT I TALKED TO CITY ADMINISTRATOR JOHN OLINGER WHO SAID HE SPOKE TO SOMEONE NAMED KELLY DURHAM AT CORE CIVIC WHO TOLD HIM THAT THEY -- WHO ASSURED HIM THAT THEY WILL MAKE APPLETON WHOLE AND THEY ARE RIGHT NOW CRAFTING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO THAT EFFECT.

WHAT THAT MEANS?

I THINK IT'S A WAIT AND SEE.

BUT HOPEFULLY I THINK THE CITY LEADERS HOPING THAT THERE'S AN OFFSET HERE.

>> Eric: A LITTLE BIT MORE AFTER SENATOR WESTROM'S MEETING.

I KNOW YOU'LL BE N TOP OF IT.

>> WE SURE WILL.

>> ERIC: GOVERNOR WALZ ANNOUNCED AN END TO THE STATE'S PEACETIME EMERGENCY FOR WILDFIRES IN AND AROUND THE BOUNDARY WATERS THIS WEEK.

DOZENS OF BUSINESS OWNERS ARE STILL URGING AN ECONOMIC RELIEF PACKAGE FROM STATE LEADERS.

MEANWHILE, MORE ENTRY POINTS HAVE OPENED FOR OVERNIGHT USE.

OUR OWN KAOMI LEE TRAVELED TO ELY TO TALK WITH SOME BUSINESS OWNERS AND CAMPERS RETURNING TO THE AREA.

>> Kaomi: ON A RECENT MORGUE, A GROUP OF SIX MEN GATHERED AT ELY OUTFITTING COMPANY.

THERE WERE THERE FOR A FOUR-DAY CANOE TRIP NTO THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

>> I'M HERE WITH MY BROTHER-IN-LAWS AND MY DAD AND MINNEAPOLIS UNCLE AND WE ARE HEADING OUT INTO THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

>> Kaomi: THEY WERE THE FIRST GROUP THE OUTFITTERS HAD SEEN IN WEEKS.

>> THIS IS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SUMMER FOR THE BUSINESS.

>> Kaomi: WHICH SHOULD BE SUMMER OF CELEBRATION HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT.

>> WE'RE JUST STARTING TO GET CAUGHT UP ON OUR TRIP CANCELLATIONS.

>> Kaomi: NORMALLY AT THIS POINT OF YEAR, THE RENTAL GEAR IS NEARLY ALL OUT THE DOOR.

THIS YEAR, THE SHELVES ARE FULL.

>> THIS SHOULD BE THE BUSIEST TIME OF OUR BUSY SEASON.

YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT OUR JULY YEAR OVER YEAR, AND OUR JULY, LAST I LOOKED WAS DOWN 65% IN SALES OVER LAST YEAR.

IT'S FAIR TO CALL IT AN ECONOMIC CRISIS FOR ELY BUSINESSES.

>> Kaomi: LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE STILL REELING FROM WEEKS OF LOST REVENUE FROM THE JULY 7TH LIGHTNING FIRES.

THE FIRES ENGULFED NEARLY 65,000 ACRES IN THE U.S.

THAT'S NEARLY TWO TIMES THE SIZE OF THE CITY OF ST.

PAUL.

AUTHORITIES CLOSED THE ENTIRE BWCA FOR TWO WEEKS IN JULY.

SOME PARTS HAVE JUST REOPENED.

FIRE EXPERTS CALL THIS ONE -- >> PERSISTENT, NAGGING ALMOST MAYBE.

SO SOME SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OVER THE 13, 4, 15TH TIME FRAME.

BASICALLY THE FOOTPRINT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW.

WE'VE NOT SEEN A LOT OF FIRE SPREAD SINCE.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF HEAT OUT THERE.

>> Kaomi: AT THE PEAK, MORE THAN A THOUSAND FIREFIGHTERS AND INTERAGENCY PERSONNEL WERE ON THE CENE.

GONZALEZ SAYS A SPRING DROUGHT AND A LAYER OF DRY UNDERBRUSH MADE FOR VULNERABLE CONDITIONS.

AND IT'S NOT OVER.

>> THIS COULD LIKELY BE ANOTHER MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF, TWO MONTHS OF HAVING TO WATCH THIS THING.

>> Kaomi: LAST WEEK'S TEMPORARY COOLDOWN AND RAIN HELPED.

70-YEAR-OLD BEAVER SEA PLAN STATIONED IN ELY ALSO SAW ACTION.

THEY HELPED MILLIONS OF GALLONS F WATER.

HOT SHOT CREWS TOOK PART IN RISKY OPERATIONS GOING DEEP INTO THE WILDERNESS WITH CANOES.

HUNDREDS LEARN TO CANOE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

>> THESE ARE VERY UNIQUE TOOLS.

THEY PROVIDE US A LOT OF ACTEDS TO DO THINGS THAT GROUND RESOURCES ACCOUNTS.

>> MORE THAN $40 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE ENTIRE OPERATION.

NEARLY A THOUSAND STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN TREATED FOR PROTECTION.

RESIDENTS REGROUPED INTO ZONES, READY, SET AND GO.

>> WE'RE NOT A NON-PROFIT.

WE'RE NOT A BUSINESS.

WE