Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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MONTREAL, Wis. - The Montreal Post Office is one of 13,000 small branch offices throughout the nation that may have its hours of operation reduced under the U.S. Postal Service's "POST Plan." The plan was introduced in 2012 to help the USPS restructure its service network and save costs. The USPS has sent out letters and surveys to Montreal residents asking for community input to help determine the best method for providing services to the community. According to the letter sent to customers wri...
IRONWOOD - A bridging unit of the Michigan National Guard made a pit stop at Luther L. Wright High School in Ironwood on Friday on its way to Camp Ripley in Minnesota. Capt. Alek Willson said the Engineering 1437th, a multi-role bridge company out of Sault Ste. Marie, was passing through on its way to Minnesota to complete three weeks of "fast-water training." Willson said the training is part of the ARMY Force Generation Cycle, which rotates on a five-year loop. Each year, military forces are...
BESSEMER - Gogebic County is one of five counties in Michigan expecting grant monies from the state to help remove a few of its blighted properties. Gogebic County Treasurer Sue Pertile said she hasn't officially received documentation, but she's heard from officials in Marquette County, the county acting as lead agent on the grant proposal, that it's going through. There are three blighted properties, two in Ironwood and one in Bessemer, that officials are hoping to eliminate with a grant...
BESSEMER - There's about 7.1 acres of city-owned property to the north and west of Steiger's Field that's raising concerns among a few Bessemer citizens. A couple residents want to purchase the land for their own use, but others say it should be part of the city's park system because of its frequent use for snowshoeing. The City Council sent the issue to the Planning Commission for its recommendation, but the commission decided at its meeting on Wednesday to hold-off any decisions until its...
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - The Gogebic-Iron County Airport is once again open for commercial travel after months without during a transition from one air service provider to another. The first flight through the new provider, Air Choice One, took off at 4:40 a.m. Monday for Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Officials with Air Choice One could not provide information on the number of passengers, but the eight-passenger, single-propeller plane landed back in Ironwood around 10:30 a.m., making for...
RAMSAY - The Bessemer Township-Ramsay Fourth of July Committee hosted a day for the community to gather for live music, food and beverages, and the chance to enjoy more fireworks on Saturday. Though flashes of lightning and dark clouds in the sky threatened to cancel the event, the fireworks went off without a hitch right around 10 p.m. The event did see a little rain earlier in the evening, but the drops stopped falling well before the fireworks were set. The moisture, however, did bring the...
GURNEY, Wis. - The little town of Gurney, Wis., celebrated its 100th birthday on Saturday with a parade, games, food and other activities for all to enjoy at its community park. Penny Rowe, chair of the Gurney Centennial Committee, said the event caused people to search through their own dusty storage spaces to shed a little light on the 100-year-old town's history. "This has sparked a really high energy feeling amongst people," Rowe said. "They have just been digging and digging in their attics...
BESSEMER — Bessemer Blast 2014 came to a close Friday night with a spectacular “Thunder on the Mountain” fireworks show that lasted about 40 minutes and attracted quite the crowd. Before the fireworks display, Marty’s Goldenaires Senior Drum and Bugle Corps held a performance at Massie Field. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were packed elbow-to-elbow along Sophie Street and the rest of the route to watch the parade, which featured a number of floats, marching bands and other attractions th...
WAKEFIELD - The Wakefield Historical Society hosted its Hometown Variety Show that drew a crowd of around 100 people to the Wakefield-Marenisco High School music room-auditorium on Wednesday. Denise Haas, a member of the historical society, was master of ceremonies for the event. She also performed a solo song, as well as part of an a cappella group called the Tamster Trio. "This is a benefit for the museum," Haas said of the variety show. "All the proceeds and all the donations go to the...
BESSEMER - People excited to see the 23rd Annual Domino Fall, a Bessemer Blast attraction that draws a crowd every year, approached the doors of the A.D. Johnston High School gymnasium on Wednesday only to find out that the event was cancelled because of some pesky varmints. Turns out a family of raccoons had set up their home inside the trailer where the dominoes were being stored. But they didn't just snuggle up for a few nights of rest and relaxation. Event officials said they were probably...
IRONWOOD - Sixth through eighth grade members of the Valley Community Presbyterian Church of Golden Valley, Minn., came to the area to offer a helping hand. On Thursday afternoon, the group of kids was washing the Ironwood Public Safety Department's fire trucks. "We're here doing missionary work and helping out the city," said Andrew Gillett, a member of the Minnesota church and chaperone on the trip. Gillett said the group of junior high schoolers and chaperones arrived in town Wednesday night...
BESSEMER - The Bessemer Area Schools Board of Education approved its budget for next year, which officials say is moving the district's finances in the right direction. "Property taxes came in higher than budgeted, because the property values have gone up in Bessemer," Christine Bergquist, business manager, said. "So that really helped our budget." The 2013-14 general fund came in at about $88,000 under budget. That increased the assigned fund balance, which is used to pay off long-term debt, by...
HURLEY - Little Finland held its midsummer festival on Saturday and celebrated with a little dancing, some food and a bonfire at its cultural center and gift shop near Hurley. "Midsummer's day is a holiday celebrated in Finland, and we celebrate it here by lighting a bonfire; in Finnish it's called a kokko tuli," Virginia Benninghoff said. Benninghoff has been a member of Little Finland since 2000, when she moved back to Wisconsin from California. She was born and raised in Oma, Wis. "Oma is a...
By RYAN JARVI [email protected] BESSEMER - After a four-hour Gogebic County Court hearing Friday on the Aug. 5 consolidation question between Bessemer and Wakefield-Marenisco school districts, a consent judgment was approved to have it removed from the ballot. Judge Charles Goodman, of Houghton, approved the preliminary injunctive order after hearing testimony from both sides. "This is a unique and, for lack of a more educational way to say it, odd situation," Goodman said. "Courts have...
HURLEY - The Aging Unit of Iron County's board of directors heard that its financial books are in good shape Thursday. Dean Beaudoin, certified public accountant of Makela, Pollack & Ahonen, PLLC, spoke to board members about the Aging Unit's audit. "The books are fairly accurate," Beaudoin said. "That's what you want every year. ... to live within your means." Beaudoin said the unit's financial situation received a "clean opinion," meaning revenues and expenditures broke just about even so far...
IRONWOOD - John Salazar spends most days as an employee at a manufacturing company in Ironwood, but this weekend he will fight in armored combat for the honor of his shire, Hvitskogar, as Lord Marcial de Salas. The shire of Hvitskogar lies within the boundary of the Kingdom of Northshield. The area is more commonly known as North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, as well as Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario in Canada. Salazar is a member of the Ironwood...
By RYAN JARVI [email protected] IRONWOOD - Inspiration can com from anywhere at anytime. For Diana Oman, an Ironwood native who currently works as a holistic practitioner in Marquette, Mich., inspiration kept her awake at night. Or was it inspiration that put her to sleep? "It started by simply doing the alphabet in my head and saying a good-feeling word with each letter to help me fall asleep," Oman said. "And it worked. It really helped me to fall asleep. And then I found myself waking...
IRONWOOD - Aspirus Grand View Hospital in Ironwood is finishing up its renovation project on a new emergency department that will allow for care of more patients and more convenience for staff. The new emergency department is phase two of a three-part project that began September 2013. The first phase, which was completed in May, brought a new pharmacy and outpatient lab, used for procedures like drawing blood and urine analysis The second phase is the hospital's new emergency department, and...
BESSEMER - The Bessemer Area Sewer Authority's wastewater treatment plant will receive a roof replacement this summer. BASA approved a bid on Thursday with Erickson Roofing in Bessemer to replace the plant's shingles and make other upgrades for $45,000. An evaluation of the facility was conducted on May 22, and it was determined that a new roof was needed. There was no structural damage to the building. The project is expected to begin shortly after July 4 and be finished by the end of the...
BESSEMER TOWNSHIP - A handful of people came to an informal open house at the township hall in Ramsay on Tuesday to provide their input on how the Bessemer Township Board should spend money on recreation. The board is planning to create a parks and recreation plan and submit it with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources so that the township can eventually seek grant funding for the project. "The next step will be continue to collect surveys," said township supervisor Jeff Randall. "Then,...
IRONWOOD - The Gogebic County 4-H will be hosting a training program aimed at safety for youngsters looking to gain some experience shooting rifles. Students of the program will learn how to aim and shoot with .22-caliber rifles, as well as BB and pellet guns. Gary Kusz, the instructor of the training program and president of the Superior Range Shooting Club, said the program has been going on for about seven or eight years now. "We emphasize safety and marksman training with the rifle, and do a...
BESSEMER - The saying goes, "Revenge is a dish best served cold," but students at Bessemer's Washington Elementary School didn't even wait until school was out for summer to get revenge on teachers and administrators. Students were able to purchase tickets for 50 cents each that were entered into a raffle. When the tickets were drawn, the lucky students got the revenge they were looking for by tossing a plate of whipped cream at their educators. Overall, the students raised $187 that will be...
BESSEMER - Bessemer's Downtown Development Authority officially dedicated its Ethnic Commons Park and Trailhead during a ceremony on Wednesday that drew a crowd of hundreds. The event also celebrated the 200th anniversary of "The Star Spangled Banner," and had a 17-by-25-feet replica of the garrison flag from Fort McHenry. The original flag, which has 15 stars and 15 stripes, and inspired Francis Scott Key's writing of the anthem, is in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. The replica was...
BESSEMER - The Bessemer City Council unanimously approved contractor Angelo Luppino, Inc. to complete needed repairs along U.S. 2 at its meeting Monday. Luppino contractors will repair a patch on U.S. 2 near Beecher Street measured 13-by-12-feet, replace 11 feet of curbing and 14 feet of sidewalk. The bid submitted for the small project was $3,859. Neal Nelson, leadman at the city's Department of Public Works, said the damage to the road was caused from this past winter's harsh temperatures, so...
BESSEMER - After a five-year process, the Bessemer Downtown Development Authority will formally dedicate the city's new Ethnic Commons Park and Trailhead on Wednesday. The Gogebic Range Concert Band will play "The Star Spangled Banner" while the A.D. Johnston Choir sing the lyrics. In addition to dedicating the new park, the event will also celebrate the 200th anniversary of "The Star Spangled Banner," written by Francis Scott Key. A 17-by-25-feet replica of the garrison flag from Fort McHenry...
