Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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GILE, Wis. - The Hurley Fire Department wants to help make childrens birthdays a little more fun as they remain relatively home-bound during the coronavirus pandemic. The department will be part of birthdays for kids ages 3 to 6 in the city of Hurley, for the duration of the shutdown order when kids can get out and visit people again, said HFD Chief Mike Sejbl. "We're going to continue that until things get back to somewhat normal," Sejbl said. Several HFD trucks and some personnel will stop at...
IRONWOOD — With all the information going around about how to boost the immune system during the coronavirus pandemic, it is the balanced diet that still works best, according to a local nutrition specialist. There are misconceptions about fitness, nutrition and prevention priorities during this pandemic, according to Anna Mooi, manager of nutrition and education at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital. “A lot of people are worried about gaining weight while staying at home,” Mooi said. The stay at home order is really not the time for restrictive diets...
MERCER, Wis. - The town of Mercer Board of Supervisors on Friday approved its COVID-19 emergency plan during a special meeting on Friday, to include additional support for first responders. The board held its first electronic meeting after determining on Thursday that an electronic meeting that provides public notification and access via phone or computer is compliant with open meeting laws during for the duration of the COVID-19 state and national emergency. The board 4-0 approved the Mercer CO...
IRONWOOD — The city of Ironwood is providing support and resources for businesses that are struggling through the coronavirus pandemic. There are grants, zero-interest loans and other support out there and it’s changing all the time, said Tom Bergman, director of community development for the city of Ironwood. The city is sending out email updates a few times a week to business owners to help them with their own search for resources, he said. “This is just to let them know what opportunities are there in terms of disaster relief and other...
HURLEY, Wis. - With the spirit of the drive-in restaurants the staff of the Hurley Senior Center are enjoying the switch to takeout lunches. On Monday the Iron County congregate meal sites in Hurley, Saxon, Iron Belt, Mercer and Springstead were closed until further notice. The kitchen staff instead are brown-bagging the lunches and handing them off to seniors as they driving into the parking lots for the takeout orders from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. "It's just our second day and our numbers are...
HURLEY, Wis. — Wisconsin follows Michigan in ordering bars and restaurants to close at 5 p.m. Tuesday along with other restrictions on gatherings in light of efforts to slow the pandemic spread of coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19. Gov. Tony Evers directed the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to issue the closure order for restaurants and bars other than to offer take-out or delivery. The order followed news COVID-19 cases involving people who were exposed locally and not while traveling abroad were increasing in the state. ...
HURLEY, Wis. - The new coronavirus pandemic that causes coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) was the central topic the Hurley Public School Board meeting on Monday. Two Iron County Health Department staff, Katie Hampston, public health officer, and Melissa Geach, public health nurse, were present at the meeting to answer board questions. The two said the prevention efforts that encourage isolation and bans the congregating of people are to "flatten the curve" of the number of people who are infected at...
IRONWOOD — First Friday events in downtown Ironwood today will have a Valentine’s Day theme of “Sweet, Sweet North,” according to the city of Ironwood Community Development office. The “All things sweet in Downtown Ironwood” First Friday will run from 5 to 7 p.m. in downtown Ironwood. More than 20 downtown businesses have posted that they will be open until 7 p.m. or later. The shops will have sweet treats for shoppers and Valentine date night couples. The treats include artisan bakery, ice cream, coffee drinks and more. For more information...
IRONWOOD — An Ironwood couple didn’t realize they had been scammed until the mail stopped coming. According to a Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office report a possible fraudulent activity complaint was made on Jan. 24 from the couple. One of the couple noticed that mail had stopped arriving a few weeks earlier and contacted the U.S. Postal Service. The couple learned that someone had successfully completed an address change online. The mail was now forwarding to an address in Delta Beach, Florida. The one piece of mail that did arrive was an accou...
IRONWOOD — The first draft with architectural renderings of the Downtown City Square Project was presented at the Ironwood City Commission meeting Monday. Mike Foley, a project manager with Coleman Engineering, said the draft completed last week was the result of stakeholder meetings of local residents, city staff and engineers who all provided input for the project design. The two-phase project has not been finalized but it is close, he said. “There have been many iterations but this is what is boils down to,” Foley said. A complete desig...
BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved 7-0 a new attorney to provide legal counsel for the ongoing retirement funds issue with the Western Upper Peninsula Manpower Consortium. Wendy Marcotte of Marquette, will provide counsel regarding the county’s legal and legislative efforts over five years to recoup more than $900,000 in funds in a rule transition for retirement legacy costs with the Western Upper Peninsula Manpower Consortium in 2015. The previous attorney, Steven Pence, announced his retirement effectiv...
IRONWOOD — The ordinance regarding marihuana establishments will have a public workshop before revisions are considered in the new year, according to business of the Ironwood City Commission meeting on Monday. The commission 3-0 approved an amendment that changed the sunset date of Article I, Marihuana Establishments, Sec. 36-6 of the current Ordinance No. 521, Book 5 from Jan. 31 to March 31, 2020. City Commissioners Rick Semo and Joseph Cayer were not present with excused absences. The reason for the amendment is to allow for a workshop with...
HURLEY, Wis. - Volunteers kept kids busy with holiday arts and crafts while parents waited for them in line at the annual meet Santa event on Sunday. The meet Santa event is sponsored each year by Gogebic-Iron Range Chapter 529 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. For nearly 20 years approximately 130 to 150 kids come from around the region to the event at the Iron County Memorial Building. "Our group chapter have been doing this for years," said Mike Peterson, a member of Chapter 529 VVA. "We...
IRONWOOD - The Claudettes were still featured performers of the Community Christmas shows this weekend but the dancing group has turned over production of the annual show to new direction for the first time in over a decade. This year the show was co-produced by Theatre North and the Historic Ironwood Theatre. Bethany Ann Hellen Basso directed the show as a dance choreographer and member of the HIT programming committee. Maggie Hill took on the musical direction as a volunteer with Theatre...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission on Monday 4-0 approved a preliminary engineering report for the city’s pump station and water filtration improvements. Commissioner Joseph Cayer was not present with an excused absence. SEH (Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.) of Minneapolis, was awarded a $45,000 contract as the recommended firm among five engineering firms that specialize in water infrastructure and that replied to the request for proposals, said city manager Scott Erickson. The proposals amo...
BESSEMER - The Gogebic County Canvasing Board approved Tuesday's general election results on Wednesday. There were 16 election items to review from the cities of Ironwood, Bessemer, Wakefield, Marenisco Township and Bessemer Public School District. The review board found that polling stations and election officials in each municipality were certified and the election ballots matched the number of scanned ballots. Gerry Pelissero, clerk of court and register of deeds for Gogebic County,...
MERCER, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said it will delay reassigning fisheries staff to Ashland by a year. The Wisconsin DNR said in October that programmatic changes would eventually transition permanent staff positions from field offices to service centers around the state. Two full-time fisheries biologists who currently work out of Mercer, agreed voluntarily to move to the Ashland service center early after learning the positions would be moved there after they retired or left. That timeline has been updated based o...
IRONWOOD — The composition of the Ironwood City Commission will remain the same for the next two years, according to unofficial voting totals Tuesday night. There were nine candidates in all vying for the five open seats on the city commission. All five incumbents were running along with four challengers in Tuesday’s election. Mayor Annette Burchell received the most votes with 447 to win a third term. The remaining four incumbent commissioners were also reelected with Kim Corcoran receiving 430 votes, followed by Joseph Cayer with 404, Ric...
IRONWOOD - Walter Kellett is now at eternal rest in the family plot at Riverside Cemetery in Ironwood. The 12,500-mile journey came 77 years after military historians say Kellett died at the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp in the Philippines on July 19, 1942. The last mile of his journey was a drizzly cool morning drive in a funeral coach from the McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home to the cemetery, where people gathered along the route to pay respects. The hearse entered the cemetery gate underneath...
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - Members of the Ironwood Township Fire Department attended a training on Tuesday to familiarize the firefighters with a new fire truck at Gogebic-Iron County Airport. Michael Harma, airport manager, along with other staff, walked the firefighters through the features of the Oshkosh brand Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle, which is designed for an airport ground emergency involving fires and even possible rescues of passengers and flight crews. The 2019 model...
IRONWOOD - Just how fast can nine people pull a semi truck and trailer a distance of 20 feet? In what may have looked like a physics experiment or a Friday training for the Commercial Motor Vehicle Licensing (CDL) program at Gogebic Community College, was actually nine teams competing in the third annual "18 legs versus 18 wheels" competition and fundraiser for the GCC service learning program trip to Guatemala from May 16-24, 2020. "We put the fun back into fundraising," said Janie Williams,...
MERCER, Wis. — The Town of Mercer Board of Supervisors is one step away from finalizing a new fireworks ordinance that will include a permitting process. The board held a hearing prior to its regular meeting on Thursday, where the supervisors reviewed ordinances of seven other Wisconsin cities and towns. The board directed Fritz Schellgell, legal counsel for the township, to draft the ordinance for consideration at the next regular meeting. Schellgell said the ordinances are not complicated but clearly state what is permissible under W...
IRONWOOD - A top gun event Saturday was a way to showcase new features at Superior Range Shooter's Club, said Gary Kusz, president. Mike Drier won the Top Gun event and received a trophy. Gary Lowe won second and Kusz won third - also receiving trophies. The organization started in 1978 and the new 34 acre pistol, rifle and trapshooting range opened on Black River Road near Copper Peak in 2004, he said. In 15 years the club has used grants and loans to build a $90,000 education center with...
GILE, Wis. - It was perfect softball weather but organizers were playing with pain with the loss of Deloris Baross on the eve of Saturday's ninth annual Danny B Jack and Jill softball tournament. Baross was the mother of Danny Baross, the 31-year-old Erwin Township man for whom the tournament was named by friends who wanted to remember him after his death by suicide in 2009. She died on Friday. "Danny and my mom are watching from up above," said Lori Baross, a sister of Danny. "The only reason...
IRONWOOD — A second round of manganese testing showed residential levels below levels of concern but an infant health advisory remains in effect for the cities of Ironwood and Hurley, Wisconsin. Testing conducted just over a week ago by the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department was sent to White Water Associates, a state of Michigan approved testing facility. Manganese levels remain below adult and infant health advisory levels but the cities are maintaining the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services advisory that recommends h...
