Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Articles written by Larry Holcombe


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  • Iron County voters turn out to polls

    Larry Holcombe|Apr 4, 2024

    While Mercer voters approved a school bond proposal, several incumbents in various local races across Iron County lost in Tuesday's election. The Mercer School District asked voters to approve a bond proposal to raise $800,000 a year beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, through the 2028-2029 school year for maintaining operations, programs and facilities. The measure passed 455 to 286, or 61% to 39%. A similar proposal failed last year 393-365 (52%-48%). Also in Mercer, Tanner Hiller...

  • Kennedy in Hurley

    Larry Holcombe|Nov 22, 2023

    HURLEY - President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 60 years ago today on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas. The 35th president of the United States was shot as he rode through downtown Dallas on what was essentially an early campaign trip for the coming 1964 election, looking to shore up his southern support. A little more than three and a half years before, Kennedy, then a young U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, was running for president and made a campaign stop in downtown Hurley on March 17, 1960. A...

  • Final resting place

    Larry Holcombe|Nov 9, 2023

    HONOLULU - U.S. Navy Ensign William M. Finnegan, a Bessemer native who died in the attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, was finally laid to rest on Sept. 7 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. He was among the 429 sailors aboard the USS Oklahoma who were killed that day, but also among the 388 of those who were left unaccounted for, according to a release from the Bureau of Navy Personnel. The remains of the 388 unidentified personnel were first interred as...

  • Wisconsin voters head to polls Tuesday

    Larry Holcombe|Mar 30, 2023

    Tuesday is Election Day in Wisconsin. A race for an open seat on the state Supreme Court will appear on ballots statewide, but there are local contests and ballot initiatives across the state, including here in Iron County. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Former state Supreme Court justice Daniel Kelly and Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz are battling for a 10-year term on the state’s high court in a race that will decide the ideological balance of the court. The vacancy comes from Justice Patience Roggensack’s retirement as hi...

  • Ironwood City Commission looks ahead to projects

    Larry Holcombe|Feb 16, 2023

    IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission approved vacating the alley south of the 400 and 500 blocks of East Birch Street, as well as Deane Street between the two blocks, at its meeting Monday evening. Michael and Greta Erm requested the move, as they plan to build a home there on Birch Street. Commissioner Jim Mildren said it was exciting to have someone building a new home in the city. A brief public hearing on the matter was held before the meeting, at which no one spoke. City Manager Paul Anderson told the commission there is opportunity t...

  • Ironwood City Commission OKs Zoning Ordinance update

    Larry Holcombe|Dec 15, 2022

    IRONWOOD – The Ironwood City Commission passed a resolution Monday updating the city’s Zoning Ordinance through a series of amendments. Community Development Director Tom Bergman said the update was a longtime coming, something they had been working on for a number of years. He said the Planning Commission held public hearings in December 2021 and July 2022 on the matter. “The City Commission and Planning Commission met multiple times to hold workshops on specific aspects, specifically the general provisions in regards to medical marij...

  • Chilstrom, ELCA's first bishop, dies at age 88

    Larry Holcombe|Feb 1, 2020

    GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. - The Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom, 88, the first presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, died Jan. 19 at his home in Green Valley. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Corinne (Hansen), also a Lutheran pastor; a daughter, Mary Cress of Mesa; a son, Christopher Holt of Baltimore; and four sisters. He was preceded in death by his son, Andrew; as well as a brother and two sisters. Chilstrom was born in Litchfield, Minnesota, on Oct. 18, 1931. He was a...

  • Iron County ballots set for April 7 election

    Larry Holcombe|Jan 9, 2020

    Ballots are set for the spring election in Iron County after Tuesday’s filing deadline. Besides the county board of supervisors, there are also elections on April 7 for mayor and city council seats in Hurley and Montreal, the Mercer town board and the Hurley and Mercer school boards. The April 7 ballot will also include voting in Wisconsin’s presidential primary. While most members of the county board are running unopposed for reelection, there will be a few new people on the board. In District 1 (Hurley) newcomer Kathleen Byrns is running uno...

  • Wisconsin heads to polls Tuesday

    Larry Holcombe|Apr 1, 2019

    Tuesday is election day in Wisconsin with many candidates across the state running for local offices. In Iron County, the elections are for town offices and school boards, as well as a pair of seats on the Montreal city council. There’s also a referendum on the Mercer ballot concerning the approval of an application for a half percent tax Premiere Resort Area Tax. Approval of the referendum is just one step in the process of creating the new tax, according to Iron County Clerk Mike Saari. The only other items on the ballots here are a pair o...

  • 'Star' born again at HIT

    Larry Holcombe|Jan 5, 2019

    IRONWOOD - Before there was Lady Gaga, there was Barbra Streisand. And before there was Streisand there was Judy Garland; and before there was Garland, there was Janet Gaynor. All four starlets have shown brightly in their own versions of the movie "A Star is Born," but it was Gaynor's turn on the silver screen Friday night as the Historic Ironwood Theatre presented the original 1937 version of the film with co-star Fredric March. The presentation was part of the theater's First Friday film seri...

  • Area schools prepare holiday concerts

    Larry Holcombe|Dec 1, 2018

    One of the highlights for any school music program is the annual holiday concert. Whatever the name - Christmas program, holiday performance or winter concert - it's a great time to make music as multiple generations of family members gather in auditoriums and gymnasiums across the region. Area school districts have planned 16 holiday concerts in 16 days. Ironwood's elementary holiday concert is first on the calendar on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. in the Luther L. Wright K-12 School's second...

  • Bessemer, MDOT officials plan public hearing on proposal to change lanes

    Larry Holcombe|Nov 17, 2018

    BESSEMER - Three lanes or four? The Michigan Department of Transportation is planning to reconstruct U.S. 2 across the city of Bessemer in 2021 and city officials have planned a public hearing on the issue of how many lanes there should be when it's done. The hearing will be held Monday, Nov. 26, at 6 p.m. in the city hall auditorium. There are currently four lanes of traffic through the city, but MDOT officials have pitched the idea of three lanes - one for eastbound traffic, one for westbound...

  • Dianda calls on Snyder to halt Ojibway closure

    Larry Holcombe|Aug 18, 2018

    State Rep. Scott Dianda said he has sent a letter to Gov. Rick Snyder asking that the Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco remain open. The state this week said it would close Ojibway on Dec. 1. On Friday Dianda, D-Calumet, sent a letter to Snyder asking him to stay his decision and reconsider the future of the facility because of the hardship the closure will cause for communities, workers and their families. Dianda issued the following statement: “My western U.P. communities and constituents directly affected by the closure of O...

  • Ironwood native finds outlet for fitness passion

    Larry Holcombe|Sep 16, 2017

    GREEN BAY, Wis. - Ironwood native Nik Patrick has a passion and job that fit well together - crossfit training and working at Titletown Crossfit in Green Bay, where he is director of operations and head coach. "I fell in love with crossfit. It was something I could be competitive in," said Patrick. The 2006 Luther L. Wright High School graduate played basketball at Gogebic Community College and graduated from there in 2008. He transferred to Finlandia University in Hancock and played basketball...

  • Honor Flight's mission brings veterans to Washington

    Larry Holcombe|Jun 23, 2017

    WASHINGTON - The idea was simple, if not brilliant - once the National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, so began an effort to have as many aging WWII veterans see it as possible. "What better way to honor the service of what many have called the Greatest Generation?" said Mike Thompson, co-founder of the northcentral Wisconsin's Never Forgotten Honor Flight. It is one of 133 Honor Flights across the country that were formed to provide a one-day quick trip to the nation's capital -...

  • HOPE Animal Shelter celebrates 25 years by looking to future

    Larry Holcombe|Apr 8, 2017

    IRONWOOD - HOPE Animal Shelter is celebrating its 25th anniversary by looking forward. Randy Kirchhoff, director of the Help Orphaned Pets Everywhere shelter located in the Ironwood Industrial Park, said, "We have all sorts of things planned for the coming year, including fundraisers. We'll be at Festival Ironwood with a food booth. We'll be at both the Gogebic and Iron county fairs." More immediately, the shelter just moved back into the eastern half of its 2,800-square foot building this week...

  • Hurley residents no longer without grocery store

    Larry Holcombe|Dec 17, 2016

    HURLEY - After a wait of 1,014 days, Hurley finally has a grocery store again. The wait was just a little longer Friday, as final preparations pushed a 10 a.m. store opening to 1:30 p.m., but a good-sized crowd flowed through the doors and check-out lanes. Store manager Rich Friederichs, of Hurley, said business had been going real good about two hours after they opened. Standing at the front door greeting customers as they came in and thanking them as they left, Friederichs said they'd had a...

  • A survivor's journey

    Larry Holcombe|Oct 15, 2016

    IRONWOOD - Meghan Movrich had a plan for the fall, like many other young adults, to head back to school. Those who know the active 27-year-old mother of a 3-year-old daughter aren't surprised she has a bachelor's degree in health promotion and wellness. She's a former Bessemer high school and Gogebic Community College basketball player and now an activities director at Westgate Nursing Home in Ironwood. But she saw career opportunities in the field of occupational therapy. Over the summer, she h...

  • Mount Zion adds adaptive ski equipment

    Larry Holcombe|Oct 8, 2016

    IRONWOOD — Mount Zion ski hill has expanded its opportunities this winter to those who need adaptive equipment to ski. The Gogebic Community College Board approved an $8,000 purchase of two adaptive sit-skis that will allow paraplegic and quadriplegic individuals to ski at Mount Zion. The college purchased two sit skis — one for an adult from 140 to 250 pounds, and the other for a child from 50 to 140 pounds. The college’s ski area management director, Jim Vanderspoel, said the idea of the purchase grew from a request of a parent of an Ironwood...

  • Voters to decide county, local ballot measures Tuesday

    Larry Holcombe and Richard Jenkins|Jul 29, 2016

    When Gogebic County voters head to the polls Tuesday, they will not only be casting their ballots for state and local primary races, they will also be decided a number of area ballot proposals. A total of six proposals will be on area ballots, although the total number of proposals an individual voter will cast a vote on varies depending on where the voter lives. The ballot features a total of three county-wide measures, one millage renewal for Bessemer Township residents, a millage renewal for voters in the Ironwood Area School District and a...

  • Officials discuss storm assistance programs

    Larry Holcombe|Jul 23, 2016

    HURLEY - Fifteen officials from various state agencies met with nine Iron County and local town officials Friday to discuss assistance programs and other information in the wake of the July 11-12 storm and flooding. Jerry Mentzel, of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, said there are many avenues and agencies to help for the affected areas across the seven-county disaster area. Three other regional WDOT officials spoke about their work in Iron County and willingness to continue to work...

  • July Fourth celebrations bring 50-50 winners

    Larry Holcombe|Jul 6, 2016

    As the smoke clears from the fireworks and people begin to wind down and clean up from the big Fourth of July weekend, many are checking their 50-50 tickets bought at various community celebrations across the Gogebic Range in recent days. Bessemer’s Fourth of July Committee set a record again upping its sales to build a prize of $33,490. The winning ticket is 11622 and was drawn just before Monday’s parade began. No official word has come about a winner, but a committee member told the Daily Globe Tuesday afternoon he had been in touch wit...

  • Students seek career leads at job fair

    Larry Holcombe|Sep 24, 2015

    By LARRY HOLCOMBE lholcombe@yourdailyglobe.com EWEN - Ewen-Trout Creek hosted a job fair for its junior and senior high school students Wednesday. Superintendent/principal Alan Tulppo said the "career and college fair" was the first of its kind at E-TC and he hopes to do it again. "The goal was to introduce our students to the different careers they could have in this area. We're encouraging them to go on and get a degree, get some training beyond high school - whether it's a four-year, a...

  • GCC Foundation hosts Taste of Gogebic

    Larry Holcombe|Apr 28, 2015

    IRONWOOD - A dozen area restaurants offered their finest fare to nearly 200 people at the Gogebic Community College's sixth annual Taste of the Gogebic Range fundraiser at the Lindquist Center Monday evening. The event annually raises money for the foundation's scholarship and other activities which support the college's mission, said foundation director Kelly Marczak. "The foundation really does an excellent job of supporting all of our operations, supporting our students," said GCC president...

  • Wausau flys 28 World War II veterans to be honored in Washington

    Larry Holcombe|Apr 25, 2015

    WAUSAU, Wis. — Mercer’s Joseph Aski and Norbert Brossmer will be among the honored passengers on a Never Forgotten Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Monday. The Never Forgotten Honor Flight organization based in Wausau will fly 28 World War II veterans, 49 Korean War veterans and five Vietnam War veterans from central and northern Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials that honor their service on a one-day trip. Aski is a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1946 in the Pacific Theater. He was a machinist mate in...

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