Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 133
WATERSMEET - Thirteen Nimrods walked across the stage and received their high school diplomas during Watersmeet Township School District's graduation ceremony on Friday. The school's gymnasium was full of graduates' friends and families there to witness commencement for the class of 2014. Hayley Garrison, class secretary, gave the valedictorian address and said not every high school student is lucky enough to know all of their classmates, but she was. After listing the fond memories she shared...
IRONWOOD - The Ironwood Public Safety Department has placed a speed trailer along McLeod Avenue to help insure drivers respect the posted speed limit of 25 mph on the U.S. 2 detour route. Lt. Mike Rimkus of IPSD said officers are monitoring drivers' speeds along the route using both moving and stationary radar. "We're proactive, with our officers out in marked squads patrolling the detour frequently," he said. The IPSD has had some complaints of speeders along the route, but Rimkus said...
IRONWOOD - Gogebic Community College's Board of Trustees heard that a number of schools in the Copper Country are showing interest in its Early College program during an update at its meeting on Tuesday. Calumet School District is completing its first year of the program, with about 85 students participating at GCC's Copper Country Center. Stacy Crouch, director of off- campus operations at GCC, told board members that several other schools in the Copper Country, as well as Ironwood High...
IRONWOOD - With construction along U.S. 2 diverting traffic on a detour through downtown, local emergency responders are coordinating with road construction crews and other agencies to insure response times aren't effected. Beacon Ambulance Service provides services to Gogebic and Iron counties, and parts of Ontonagon County. Drivers also provide transfers for Aspirus Grand View Hospital, which is located east of Beacon's Ironwood station on U.S. 2. Though construction has redirected eastbound...
BESSEMER - The Bessemer Area School District's Board of Education went into closed session for about 45 minutes at its meeting Tuesday to discuss personnel issues. Board member Bill McDonald was arrested last week by Michigan State Police on three counts of misdemeanor warrants for aiding and abetting in the fraudulent signing of voter petitions that were circulated regarding consolidating the school with nearby Wakefield-Marenisco. Following the closed session, board member Dave Osier read a...
BESSEMER - Residents gathered at Hillcrest Cemetery on Monday to honor the nation's service members during a ceremony hosted by the Bessemer VFW Post 3673 and the American Legion Post 27. The event began with the U.S. flag being raised and the A.D. Johnston High School Band performing the "Star Spangled Banner," under the direction of Stephen Boniface. Mary Ann Bolich, a Watersmeet graduate who served with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War in 1966 and '67, gave the ceremony's main...
IRONWOOD - Friends of the Miners Memorial Heritage Park gave a tour to around 30 graduate students and faculty members from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Culture, History and Environment on Tuesday. For the past eight years the center has taken annual trips to various destinations that reflect each year's theme. This year's being, "Landscapes of Extraction," the group visited a number of mining locations. "On this trip we're really interested in sites that could both document...
IRONWOOD - Normal traffic patterns will remain on U.S. 2 for another week as delays push the starting reconstruction date back to May 27. Dean Aberly, transportation technician with the Michigan Department of Transportation, said the delay in construction was due partly to weather-related issues and acquiring materials. "We had some typical construction type delays with these early starting jobs," he said. "And with this spring being unusual, and a lengthy spring, it has affected road...
BESSEMER - Members of the Bessemer City Council approved a five-year contract with Eagle Waste & Recycling, Inc., to handle all of the city's trash and recycling services at their meeting Monday. Eagle Waste & Recycling, Inc., will provide each eligible Bessemer household with a 64-gallon cart for trash and a 96-gallon recycling cart for a combined cost of a little more than $16 per month. Mayor Butch Semmerling stated his support of the contract. "The cost here per month or so between doing it...
IRONWOOD - The Ironwood Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the city and Michigan Department of Transportation to propose alternate detour routes through the city for the U.S. 2 construction project. Peter Grewe, chamber president, said the alternate routes will work hand-in-hand with the existing detour and direct people through downtown and out to U.S. 2 as well. "As the chamber of commerce, we're invested in the businesses in Ironwood," he said. Grewe said the chamber was concerned that...
BESSEMER - Mark and Jane Bale have three children of their own, but have been foster parents to 45 kids over the years. The month of May was first declared Foster Care Awareness month in 1988, but the Bales got involved with the cause when they read an article in the newspaper more than 32 years ago. "Actually we misread the article," Jane said. "They were having support groups for foster parents and I just remember we misread something about it and thought it invited us – anybody who was i...
HURLEY - The Aging Unit of Iron County Board of Directors appointed members to committees, installed a new member, and further discussed its bylaws during its meeting on Thursday. Following confusion over election rules at a previous meeting, the Board of Directors was unable to fill an empty position. During a previous meeting the board held two separate votes for two separate positions without first announcing it. Vic Ouimette, of Mercer, spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting...
BESSEMER - Members of the Bessemer Downtown Development Authority heard an update about the Ethnic Commons project and agreed to partner with the city and fund one of three seasonal employees. City Manager Mike Uskiewicz said the city was going to hire two seasonal workers and asked the DDA if they would fund the third position, which would perform mowing, trash pickup and other duties specifically in the downtown area. The DDA agreed to fund the position at a cost of about $3,500 for 90 days....
BESSEMER — The Woman’s Club of Bessemer hosted the 2014 Senior Tea to honor Bessemer Area School’s graduating seniors, and award a scholarship to one student seeking to further their education at Gogebic Community College. Sue Abelman, president of the Woman’s Club, said in a small community members of the organization know many of the students. And if they don’t, they know the parents or the grandparents of students. “We appreciate the students and really wish them the best,” she said, adding...
BESSEMER — Members of the Bessemer City Planning Commission discussed how the city can make use of its land by creating new recreational trails and selling some for commercial development during its meeting on Wednesday. One portion of land that was discussed at the meeting is located near the southwest border of the city. The area was described as being mostly wetlands, but because of higher elevation in certain parts, commission chairman John Turkal proposed the creation of a public trail. H...
Individuals and students searching for employment, a career change or information on future career choices will benefit by attending the Rangewide Job/Career Fair set for Saturday. Velda Sclafani, community development coordinator of the Gogebic Ontonagon Community Action Agency, and Jon Parker, of State Farm Insurance Agency, organized the event. A lot of times people aren’t actively searching for new jobs, or employers aren’t advertising open positions, Sclafani said, but when a job fair is held people “come out of the woodwork.” Sclafani wor...
HURLEY - More than 200 people came to run, walk or stroll the ninth annual Brian Nasi Memorial Heart Run/Walk in Hurley on Saturday. The event was held at the Hurley K-12 School. Many red balloons were purchased in memory of others and were released in the sky prior to the starting of the race. There was also face painting and a clown. Ginger Nasi's husband, Brian, passed away in 2005 from a heart attack. The race was created in his honor and also to educate the community on the importance of...
IRONWOOD - Friends of the Library hosted its annual spring book fair at the Ironwood Memorial Building on Saturday to offer bookworms great deals on used books and raise money for the Ironwood Carnegie Library. "People donate books from the community, and then they come and buy books," said Gayle True, a member of Friends of the Library. "It's just like a big old recycling of books." True said the Friends have been hosting the book fair for many years. "It seems to be real popular and people...
WAKEFIELD - The days of the old police car with the CB radio and spotlight are over. The radio and spotlight are still there, but Sgt. Glenn Gauthier, of the Michigan State Police Wakefield Post, said the role of a state trooper is becoming more mobile, and the vehicle is making that a reality. "This is a trooper's office," he said motioning to the dark blue Dodge Charger with the red cherry button-light on top. The vehicle is loaded to the dome-light with technology, some of which has been...
IRONWOOD - It's not every day that a father and son dress up in green gowns and walk a stage in front of hundreds of people, but that's exactly what happened at Gogebic Community College's commencement ceremony on Friday. Jim Chiapuzio, 51, graduated with an associate of applied technology degree, and his son, Jordy, 20, graduated with an associate of arts degree in criminal justice. "I'm glad to be done," Jim Chiapuzio said. "It was hard, though. After being out 33 years and then having to do...
OMA, Wis. - About 25 people attended a tourism workshop on Thursday to raise awareness of the industry's importance to the Iron County area. The workshop was organized by the Iron County Development Zone and the Hurley and Mercer chambers of commerce. The first speaker was Cindy Burzinski, director of Vilas County Tourism and Publicity, who also sits on Gov. Scott Walker's Council on Tourism. Burzinski discussed the economic impacts of tourism for Iron County, customer service statistics and...
BESSEMER – Some students head south during their spring breaks to get away from the cold. Others use the time off to recuperate and relax. But 20 students who have taken a German language class at Bessemer's A.D. Johnston High-Middle School took a trip to learn firsthand about European culture. "In history class, right now, they're studying the Cold War," said teacher Tracy Rowe. "Here we are in the middle of Berlin; you talk about being in the Cold War, we're right there." Rowe, who teaches mat...
BESSMER - Residents of the Bessemer Area School district rejected a $4.98 million bond referendum to improve the district's two buildings on Tuesday by a slim margin of 62 votes. 33 percent of the 2,800 registered voters in the city and township came to the polls, which were held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bessemer City and Township halls. The BAS bond referendum failed by a vote of 431-493. Dave Radovich, BAS district administrator, had been spearheading the bond proposal, and was less than...
BESSEMER - City officials officially ended the water let-run for Bessemer residents on Wednesday. The order has been in effect since January, with about 450 people told to keep their water running. The city provides water services for around 1,100 customers. Neal Nelson, foreman for the city's water department, said the center of the city has been the biggest problem because many of the water mains aren't very deep. Though the pipes are about 5 feet in the ground, Nelson said pipes that were 6...
IRONWOOD - Spring really is on its way, and nothing shows it better than the blooming of flowers. If the winter weather ever subsides, the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority plans to hang flower baskets again this year in the downtown area near Memorial Day. With the installation of new lights and planting of trees last year, as well as improved parking, the flower baskets were like the "crowning touch" for a fresh downtown appeal, DIDA chairman Tom Williams said. According to Williams,...
