Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Ironwood City Commission rejected a request to rename its 52-foot Hiawatha statue but agreed to authorize plans to develop an educational display at the site. The action at the commission's Monday evening meeting was in response to a request from the city's Human Relations and Equity Committee. "We were approached a year ago by people who felt it was time to correct the situation," said Carol Erickson, who leads the committee....
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Gogebic Community College 90th commencement ceremony was held on Friday in the Lindquist Student and Conference Center gymnasium. The ceremony began with a welcome from GCC President Chris Patritto. This was Patritto's first graduation ceremony as the president of GCC, and he made it memorable, talking about various experiences he had in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. This year's commencement address was by GCC alumni Ian Lewis. L...
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Reconstruction at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds is moving closer to reality, thanks to action taken at a May 8 meeting of the county’s Economic Development and Capital Improvements Committee. Committee members voted to advise engineers and the county’s insurer to collaborate on preparing plans to rebuild a 4-H horse barn, a hay barn and a grandstands structure. All three were lost to fire nearly eight months ago. The Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority is the county’s insurer...
By D. Lang [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council approved on Monday evening a resolution supporting a 2024-25 fiscal year budget of $4,211,574. The city’s new fiscal year will run from July 1 of this year until June 30 of 2025. The general fund millage will be 17.3564 mills, and the Bessemer Public Library millage will be 1 mill. General and library millages are expected to raise $580,000 and $35,000, respectively. Estimates of expenditures are as follows: General Fund, $1,608,763.00; Major Streets, $404,700; Local Str...
By D. LANG [email protected] The Wakefield City Council voted on Monday evening to retain professional services in relation to $350,000 that the city received last fall in grant and loan funds for the city’s water project. In October of 2023, Wakefield was informed that it would be granted a $175,000 loan and a $175,000 grant from the Lead Service Line Replacement Program of the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. “State law requires municipal entities that receive funds from the (DWSRF), which are in the form of bonds, to retai...
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] Members of the Gogebic County Personnel and Negotiations Committee on May 8 tabled action in relation to county fairground winter storage. The motion recognized the associated need to gather additional information from Marlene Saari-Mieloszyk, former fairground coordinator. An as-yet-undated letter signed by Daniel Siirila, committee chairman, includes a list of questions in relation to how fairground storage has been managed. He already had sent a letter of similar questions to Thomas Hampston, a...
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners received a clean audit for the fiscal year of 2022-23. CPA Joe Verlin of Gabridge and Company of Grand Rapids provided the related report at the board's May 8 meeting. "Everything came back clean as of Sept. 30, 2023," said Verlin in the virtual presentation. "Your numbers were verifiable." Verlin said that county staff members were able to provide "accurate financial statements" and other related data. "Is...
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on May 8 approved revised bylaws for the county Fair Board. The action followed a recommendation by the board’s Personnel and Negotiations Committee, which met just prior to the board meeting. No related discussion occurred in either meeting, but revisions made by James Lorenson were included within committee agenda materials. Lorenson chairs the county board and also is a member of the Fair Board. The first change reads as follows, under Article 1 Name, P...
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] HURLEY — The U.S. 51 utility reconstruction project, which began on April 29, is entering its second phase, and construction officials are reporting positive results so far. “Things are going well,” said Jeff Seamandel, project manager, at a Tuesday evening meeting of the Hurley City Council. Seamandel, who is employed by MSA Professional Services in Rhinelander, said that sanitary sewer and water utilities have been replaced on the highway stretch from Silver to Copper streets. The next phase...
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission on Monday adopted a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Gogebic County Council of Veterans Affairs. Effective July 1, the agreement says that the city will provide its traditional proportion of cost to the county’s Veterans Services Office “as budget appropriations allow.” The action was in response to a request from John Frello, the county’s Veterans Services officer, who in turn was responding to the city’s claim earlier this year that s...
By Megan Hughes [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Friends of the Ironwood Carnegie Library spring book sale was a big hit, according to Library Director Lynne Wiercinski, with almost $2,000 being raised over the two-day event that was held at the Ironwood Memorial Building. The sale is a tradition that is maintained year to year by the Friends of the Ironwood Carnegie Library, with members working together to sort through the mountains of donated books each year to pick out those that are...
By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] The Bessemer City Council took steps on May 8 to create a new position for a director of community development. Council members asked interim city manager Mandy Lake, with the assistance of other office staff, to create a rough draft of an application form for the pending new position, which may result as either part time or full time. Council members first questioned what title and responsibilities to associate with a new role. “I think it has to include economic development,” said councilman Ada...
BESSEMER, Mich. - Nancy Lee Gutowski, 87, of Bessemer, passed away peacefully Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at the Aspirus Ironwood Hospital, in Ironwood, with her loving family at her side. The former Nancy Buehler was born April 29, 1937, in Chelsea, Michigan, a daughter of the late William C. and Leona G. (Culhane) Buehler. On May 13, 1956, Nancy married the love of her life, Donald Wayne Gutowski, in Angola, Indiana. They were blessed with four children. Donald preceded her in death on Feb. 26,...
IRONWOOD, Mich. - Richard "Dick" Grenfell, of Ironwood, took his last breath on earth and his first breath in heaven with family by his side on a May morning. Dick was a lifelong resident of the area and was well liked in the community. As a child, he was introduced to the art of business at the local bakery-exchanging his sweeping skills for fresh donuts! He married the girl next door and the love of his life, Georgene. The wedding was at St. Ambrose Church, now known as Our Lady of Peace...
WAKEFIELD, Mich. - Richard A. "Dick" Pikka, 72, a longtime resident of Wakefield, passed away on Monday, May 6, 2024, at the Friendly Village Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Dick was born on Feb. 29, 1952, in Wakefield, a son of the late Herbert Tauno and Betty Irene (Stonelake) Pikka. He grew up on a hillside farm with his parents and brother, Dave. Dick attended Wakefield High School and graduated in 1970. During the winter months, he was employed as a lift operato...
BUFFALO, Minn. - David Daniel DeVowe, 61, of Buffalo, Minnesota, the son of Jon David and Leona A. (Kananen) DeVowe, formerly of Bergland, Michigan, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2024, after a long illness with cancer. David is survived by his father, Jon David; his stepmother, Ann; three sisters, Debra (Wally) Rankin, Lori (Mark) Niemi and Cathy (Larry) Moses; and several children, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nephews, a niece and cousins. He was preceded in death by his mother, Leona, on...
FLORENCE, Wis. - June Marie Pauliot, 77, of Florence, passed away on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at her home, with her two daughters and a granddaughter by her side. She was born on September 14, 1946, in Stambaugh, Mich., to the late Walter and Bethel (Schultz) Clements. June, also known as "June Bug," grew up in Stambaugh, graduating from Stambaugh High School in 1965. After graduation, she moved to Milwaukee, where she got her certification as a nurse's aide. June later moved back to the Upper...
IRONWOOD, Mich. - James "Mugga" Magdziak, 67, of Ironwood, passed away on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at the Aspirus Ironwood Hospital. James was born on May 29, 1956, to Frank and Lillian (Gallo) Magdziak in Ironwood. He was employed at Action Floors in Mercer before retiring in 2018. Mugga enjoyed spending time at the camp, going hunting or fishing, and playing cribbage or Smear. He is survived by his brother, Joe (Karen) Magdziak of Ironwood; sister-in-law, Karen Magdziak of Lafayette, Indiana;...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, May 16 Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency food commodity distribution for seniors, Bergland, Lake Gogebic Senior Center, 9:25-9:40 a.m. EDT; White Pine, Carp Lake Township Hall, 10-10:15 a.m. EDT; Ontonagon, Holy Family Catholic Church, 11-11:30 a.m. EDT; Mass City Resource Center, 12:30-1 p.m. EDT. Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Ironwood St. Vin...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] BESSEMER --- Bessemer’s Tommy Trudgeon put his name in one record book Thursday and he’s hoping to rewrite a couple more before his senior season is finished. His time of 11.60 seconds was the fastest 100-meter dash in the history of Bessemer’s Marcy Bracket Invitational. “It was on my radar,” Trudgeon said. “I still got the school record to beat.” The old record was 11.62 seconds, set by South Shore-Washburn’s Brett Bulovsky in 2014. “It’s awesome, I am so happy for him,” Bessemer coach Valerie Aijala...
HURLEY --- The Hurley baseball team avenged an early-season loss with a 6-5 victory over Washburn Wednesday, May 8. “Great win tonight,” Hurley coach Bart Innes said. Carter Hall tripled to tie the game in the fifth inning and he scored the go-ahead run on a single by Jayden Zaleski. Hall picked up the win on the mound. He struck out 11 in a complete-game effort with two walks, five hits and five runs (four earned) allowed. “Carter pitched another dandy,” Innes said. Devin Soltis finished with two triples and Hall, Jack Caudill and Zaleski...
IRONWOOD --- The host Ironwood boys and girls both won the first Jim LaBlonde Memorial track-and-field invite Saturday. The school started the meet to honor LaBlonde, a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame who died five years ago. The 1997 graduate still holds the school records in the 100 and 200 dashes with times of 11.13 and 22.78 seconds, respectively. His parents, Jim and Marlene and his sister Dena Lundin and brother-in-law Dave Lundin attended the meet. “The LaBlonde Invite was more than just a typical track meet; it was a celebr...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD --- The Ontonagon girls won the large Ironwood golf invite Wednesday, May 8 at Gogebic Country Club. The Gladiators’ Madyson Pantti earned medalist honors with a score of 108. She led the Gladiators to a team title with Drummond finishing second. Pantti finished fourth at U.P. Finals last year and the junior is having a strong season as Ontonagon’s top golfer with the graduation of last year’s U.P. champion, Emmy Bobula. “She’s always been a very good golfer,” Ontonagon coach Jim Jessup said. “S...
