Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 393
BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday agreed to call for bids on a new roof on the annex to the courthouse. The building and grounds committee recommended seeking bids. The bid opening will be on March 23, according to Tom Laabs, of Ironwood, chair of the committee. Laabs said it could be around a $100,000 project, with funding possibly to come from the delinquent tax fund. He said the project would extend from May to around June 15, with the old roof being torn off and replaced. In other business Wednesday, the c... Full story
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY — There have been eight cases of head lice in the past few weeks in the Hurley School District. Zona Wick, of the Iron County Health Department, said precautions are being taken to hold down the number of students contacting lice at the K-12 school. She said the cases have been occurring in the lower elementary students, from kindergarten through third grade. “The smaller children like to touch and hug each other and it's commonly found in the lower grades because they have so much direct contac... Full story
MERCER, Wis. - Ten degrees. Some welcome splashes of sunshine. Plenty of food and beverages. All systems were go for the Mercer Lions annual Ice Fishing Jamboree Saturday on Grand Portage Lake, conducted from the Carow Park pavilion on County J. Max Ackerman, Mercer Lions Club event chairman, said more fish were being registered than a year ago, when the weather was bad. As of 2:30 p.m., 11 fish had been registered, with a 21.6-inch northern pike caught by Nick Pinzl holding the lead, but... Full story
SAXON, Wis. - The Iron County Sheriff's Department was investigating a Wednesday morning fire that destroyed the former Jack Steinmetz residence on Carlson Road in Saxon. A deputy said the fire was fully engulfed when the Saxon Fire Department responded around 8:30 a.m. in minus-11 degree temperatures. No one was believed to be living in the house, which is at the end of a gravel road, about a mile south of U.S. 2. There are no other nearby houses. A large wooden barn-type building across the... Full story
IRONWOOD - All household belongings and four pets were lost in a 7:54 p.m. Sunday fire that lit up the neighborhood at 206 Southwest St. A wood stove located in the basement caught on fire, the homeowner, Tracy Sedin, told Ironwood Public Safety Department Director Andrew DiGiorgio. "The homeowner stated that the basement was fully engulfed when she opened the basement door," DiGiorgio said. When firefighters arrived, smoke was coming from the entire structure and it hung over the Bonnie... Full story
IRONWOOD - The Ironwood City Commission honored Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officer Grant Emery, of Bessemer, Monday for his role in thinning the deer herd in the city. Ironwood has conducted bow hunts in the city for the past nine years and Emery has been instrumental in the "implementation and development" of the city bow hunt, noted city clerk Karen Gullan. Every fall, the city issues deer kill tags that are filled through the cooperation of bow hunters who set up... Full story
After a horrid November produced numerous snowstorms, the Gogebic Range has settled into a relatively normal winter. In fact, January's snowfall of 21.6 inches in Ironwood was about half the long-term norm of 44.2 inches for the month. The average temperature for January was 18.5 degrees, below Ironwood's long-term average of 20.3. The National Weather Service station at the Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Treatment Plant off Cloverland Drive recorded 2.2 inches of snow for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m.... Full story
IRONWOOD - Many Upper Peninsula residents aren't hunting anymore because they fear their dogs will be killed by wolves, state Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, said Wednesday. Casperson presided at a Michigan Senate Natural Resources Committee hearing and Gogebic County area residents offered their input via a vidoeconference set-up at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood. At the end of the session, the Senate committee advanced the legislation on a 4-1 vote. About 30 people were in attendance... Full story
HURLEY - A 30-year-old Juneau, Wis., man received an eight-year prison sentence Monday in Iron County Court for sexually assaulting a young child on several occasions. Brett Myhre was sentenced by Judge Patrick Madden, who also ordered eight years of extended supervision after completion of the prison sentence. Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske had recommended 60 years of prison and 20 years of parole. "Short of murder, this is as bad as it gets," Lipske said. Lipske read a long... Full story
MARQUETTE - While headlines over the past two weeks point out 2014 was the warmest year on record in terms of global temperatures, Upper Peninsula communities posted some of their coldest readings in the past 110 years. A northwest flow of air and numerous cold air masses from Canada "were frequent visitors to the upper Great Lakes," said Kevin Crupi, of the National Weather Service's Marquette office. He released a 2014 summary of readings from weather stations across the U.P. Ironwood's averag... Full story
HURLEY - A Weston, Wis., woman was sentenced to nine months in jail and seven years of probation Wednesday on two charges that resulted from a heated 2013 confrontation at a proposed iron mine site near Upson. Katie Kloth, 27, had previously entered a guilty plea in Iron County Court to felony robbery by use of force and misdemeanor malicious destruction or property. Acting Judge Douglas Fox, from Price County, noted he could have sentenced Kloth to a maximum of 15 years and nine months in... Full story
Thousands of anglers took advantage of Wisconsin's third annual winter free fishing weekend Saturday and Sunday. Ice shacks and snowmobiles dotted the Gile Flowage on Saturday morning, where temperatures in the mid-20s were welcome, but a stiff south wind wasn't. There was some slush on the flowage on top of a solid ice base. Brad Strand, of Ironwood, fishing with a group of a half-dozen fishermen, had landed a small walleye as the tip-ups were being set up in around 24 feet of water. They were... Full story
Remember those predictions a few years back that the price of gas might reach $5 to $6 a gallon in the United States by 2015? Those predictions are proving to be hollow as a gallon was selling for $1.99 at many northern Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula locations on Friday. While Hurley and Ironwood stations were at $1.99, the lowest local price was $1.92 at Lac du Flambeau, according to gasbuddy.com, which tracks gas prices throughout the nation. The most expensive gas locally in the Upper... Full story
Blowing snow, combined with wind chill readings of 40 below, closed Gogebic Range schools for the second time this week on Wednesday. Visibility was poor and traffic was light on Wednesday morning. Overnight winds of up to 30 mph were reported throughout the area. The sun popped out in Ironwood around 10 a.m. Wednesday, but the downtown temperature still stood at minus 9 around noon and the thermometer wasn't predicted to hit positive numbers until today. At the Luther L. Wright School in... Full story
IRONWOOD — A lake-effect snow advisory extended to noon today for the Ironwood area, according to the National Weather Service. From 2 to 7 inches of snow was possible, with the winds changing from the south to the north Tuesday night and into this morning, peaking at 20 to 30 mph, creating precipitation off Lake Superior. Wind chill readings from minus 25 to minus 35 were forecast along the lake. Today’s high for Ironwood was predicted at minus 5. The weather service warned the blowing snow could create hazardous driving conditions for the... Full story
Wind chill readings that dipped to minus 40 degrees and lower canceled school across the Gogebic Range Monday and wiped out Sunday's Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus races. The official low for Ironwood for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Monday was minus 20 at the wastewater treatment plant off Cloverland Drive. The 100-year low for Jan. 5 of minus 30 was recorded in 1981, according to Ironwood statistics kept by the National Weather Service office in Marquette. Wind whipped snow on Sunday, creating... Full story
IRONWOOD - The Deep Freeze of last winter will continue to affect Gogebic Range communities for years to come. The coldest winter on record in Ironwood drove the frost deep and ruptured pipes and watermains, creating an estimated $3 million damage in Gogebic County. Ironwood pegged damages from the coldest winter in the past 110 years at $1.7 million. Infrastructure repairs will continue throughout 2015. It was so cold during the winter that although there was ample snow, windchill readings as... Full story
IRONWOOD — Near zero temperatures that arrived on Monday on the Gogebic Range are helping firm snowmobile trails, according to area groomers. The wet spots under the snow are beginning to freeze, setting a solid base for grooming the trails. The more than five feet of snowfall in November insulated water in low spots on the trails. The low for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Monday in Ironwood was 2 degrees. The snow that fell in Ironwood over the weekend, totaling 6.4 inches, helps the snowmobile trails and ski hills during the busiest time of t... Full story
IRONWOOD — While 2014 marked an extremely busy year in Ironwood, city manager Scott Erickson said it will pale in comparison to 2015. Recently, Erickson quickly ticked off to the city commission a list of some of the 24 projects ahead for next year. Completion of the second half of the reconstruction of U.S. 2 and the related infrastructure work involved is included, as are funding for trails and parks, fencing around abandoned mine-shafts and continuation of the city’s blight fight, including demolition of additional eyesores. Also, con... Full story
BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board couldn’t decide whether to support House or Senate transportation legislation on Wednesday, but commissioners agreed there somehow should be an increase in funding for roads. Gogebic County Road Commission Engineer-Director Darren Pionk told the board the effort to change transportation funding, including the way gas tax money is distributed, is in the “11th hour” because this is the last week state legislators will convene. There’s legislation in both the House and Senate pertaining to transportation, and co... Full story
BESSEMER - The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on a 5-1 vote approved a letter of "strong" support Wednesday for plans to develop a convention center-casino at Indianhead Mountain in Wakefield. The action came after a motion from commissioner George Peterson, of Watersmeet. The lone dissenting vote was from Joe Bonovetz, of Bessemer, who said he would like to see a copy of the letter of support before voting on it. The board was urged to support the project by Wakefield Township Chairman... Full story
Lake Superior continues to rise, as above average precipitation has returned the level above long-term averages. The lake continued its trend of above-normal water levels in November, although it dropped a typical 2 inches for the month. That's average for November, according to the International Lake Superior Board of Control. The lake remained around 9 inches above its level of a year ago, thanks in large part to 11 straight months of above-normal water supply to the lake from increased... Full story
IRONWOOD - A Tuesday morning raid of a residence in Ironwood's Norrie Location led to five people being taken away in handcuffs in a bust involving heroin and other drugs. The Gogebic-Iron Area Narcotics Team raid at 251 Oak St. occurred around 8 a.m. Interviews were continuing into the afternoon at the Ironwood Public Safety Department office. According to a GIANT press release, a search warrant was executed and three men and two women were arrested. They were incarcerated in the Gogebic... Full story
IRONWOOD - November will long be remembered as one of the most brutal weather months in Ironwood's history. Statistics from the National Weather Service point out just how severe it turned out to be. The month ended on a quiet note on Sunday, giving way to below-zero temperatures on Monday in Ironwood and a biting wind. The November snowfall total of 89.2 inches set a record. It compares to the long-term average for the month of 24.5 inches. The average temperature of 21.9 degrees fell short of... Full story
IRONWOOD - Lake Superior continued to blanket the Gogebic Range on Thanksgiving, as the new November snowfall record grew. The 9.6 inches of lake-effect snow that fell through 7 a.m. Thursday brought the November total to 87.9 inches and the seasonal mark to 89.9 inches. It snowed heavily after 7 a.m. Thursday, sending Ironwood closer to the 100-inch total for autumn. The stuff that fell Thursday was fluffy and light, unlike the sticky snow that arrived earlier in the month. The 9.6 inches... Full story
