Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 4126
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees finalized a land sale to the city of Ironwood including and surrounding the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center. The civic center has been located on campus for 25 years on land that had been leased to the city. “The civic center has been operating on that property with really no lease since 2007,” said the college’s Vice President of Business Services Chad Lashua. He said city officials are looking for funding to replace the ice making equipment...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners took action on several issues relating to public safety at the most recent March 13 meeting. Commissioners voted to approve a resolution that authorizes the continuation of a surcharge to fund 911 services. “It will take effect on July 1,” said Heidi DeRosso, the county’s Emergency Services/911 coordinator. DeRosso said that the county’s 911 Committee recommended continuing the same charge that is currently in effect. According to the resolutio...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted last week to approve a resolution that commits to a multi-county approach to materials management planning. The action followed a report by Commissioner Joseph Bonovetz, who is this county’s representative on the commission for the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region in Hancock. Jerald Wuorenmaa, WUPPDR’s executive director, told county commissioners several months ago of the state-driven movement to upgrade each...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Gogebic County 4-H Knapsack program received a $1,500 donation this past week from Republic Services to go toward purchasing of food for students in need during holiday breaks. Tyler Jacobson, municipal sales manager for the Northern Wisconsin branch of Republic Services presented the donation on their behalf. According to Gogebic County 4-H program coordinator Ashley Dennis, the donation will be able to feed approximately 100 families,...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, March 21 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. 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. Ironwood St....
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners’ Economic Development and Capital Improvements Committee learned last week that the county fairgrounds are positioned for progress on various counts. They also voted to authorize the county’s insurer — the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority — to negotiate with U.P. Engineers and Architects in Houghton on costs relating to continuing plans to replace the 4-H horse barn and the hay barn. “MMRMA said today they would like to negotiat...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic-Iron County Airport voted Monday at its regular monthly meeting to replace the airport’s water pump, which failed earlier in the day, leaving the airport without access to water in the main buildings. Airport manage Jeremy Busch said that with the lack of access to water, the bathrooms were unusable, and in the meantime the airport called in for portable toilets to be brought to the site until repairs could be made. “The capacitor went bad,” said Busch. “His suggestion was to re...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Construction continues on the city of Ironwood's new water treatment facility near its well fields in Ironwood Township. On Monday, the city commission approved a Rural Development package for $375,134 for the ongoing Phase 1 of the project. $343,045 of that was to CD Smith Construction, with remainder going to engineering services, said city manager Paul Anderson. Anderson said the mild winter has helped construction and the company continues to do numerous wall pours as the concrete...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners’ Personnel and Negotiations Committee explored last week the possibility of hiring a temporary coordinator for the county fair. The fair coordinator position has remained open since Marlene Saari resigned from that role late last year. The committee’s informal discussion centered around whether the fairgrounds might be better served by a fairground administrator with a broader range of duties regarding the fairgrounds at large. “What are you...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, March 14 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Ironwood St. Vincent de Paul, food pantry and financial assistance, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., located behind Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. 906-932-4325. Gogebic County Veterans Service Officer, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Wakefield City Hall; 1-2 p.m., Watersmeet Township; 2:45-3:15 p.m., Marenisco Township. 906-667-1110....
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Pat O’Donnell Civic Center may be the site of this year’s Gogebic County Fair in Ironwood. County Fair Board members voted on Monday evening to have board member Linda Nelson prepare a related proposal to submit to the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners in time for that board’s March 13 meeting. Board member Thomas Hampston opposed the vote, but all others voted aye. Before the vote, Nelson said she already had spoken with Jay Kivisto, Civic Center manager, and said that he and his ass...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] Three community hubs in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties were recipients of Michigan Community Centers grant funds announced last week by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and are now planning for the future in which they can use these funds. Local recipients included the Ironwood Carnegie Library, the Historic Ironwood Theatre, and the Lake Gogebic Senior Citizens Club in Bergland. The Michigan Community Centers grant funds of $64...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] In what has been called a no-snow or low-snow winter, area ski hills are ending a short season early. In Wisconsin, Whitecap Mountains Resort in Upson closed on March 1. In Gogebic County, Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort and Mt. Zion Ski Hill closed on Sunday. The latter is on the campus of Gogebic Community College. In Ontonagon County, the Porcupine Mountains Ski Area and Adventure Mountain - due to their reliance only on natural snow - have each been ope...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — At their most recent meeting last week, the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners delivered a hard no to any attempts to retain the 2024 fair at the county fairgrounds. The agenda included two items: 1. Reconsideration of the board’s Oct. 11, 2023, vote to close this year’s fair at the fairgrounds, along with any other major events there; and 2. Subsequent action to consider a revised proposal by county Fair Board members, who have been pushing for a smaller version of the fair that would...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Finance, Budgeting and Auditing Committee of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted last week to accept and file a written proposal to help initiate a new drug treatment and mental health center in the U.P. Commissioner Joseph Bonovetz said the proposal that Houghton County Administrator Ben Larson submitted to the Upper Peninsula Coalition for Area Progress. Larson’s proposal says that there is U.P.-wide support to establish a U.P. Drug Treatment and Mental Health Cri...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — A variety of improvements are now in store for the Gogebic County Jail, thanks to a vote last week by county officials to fund $1.5 million for the listed projects. Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners’ Finance, Budgeting and Auditing Committee discussed and recommended the action, which the board later approved. The vote specified that funds will be allocated from the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund. The U.S. Department of Treasury defines that fund as “a gener...
IRONWOOD, Mich. - Jacqueline L. Milewski, 85, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. Jackie is survived by her husband, Eugene "Geno" Milewski; three daughters, Diana (Jim) Alexandroni, Donna Milewski-Dorner and Debbie (Jeff) Lekies; grandchildren, Barbie Esterline, Robby Lampart, Nicki (Chris) Hudson, Janelle "Jelly" Lekies, Carissa VanVonderen and Alesha Dorner; and many adoring nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Flavella...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, March 7 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Ironwood St. Vincent de Paul, food pantry and financial assistance, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., located behind Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. 906-932-4325. Gogebic County Veterans Service Officer, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Wakefield City Hall; 1-2 p.m., Watersmeet Township; 2:45-3:15 p.m., Marenisco Township. 906-667-1110....
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission spent time looking forward at its meeting Monday evening, approving a list of goals and hiring a firm to update the city Comprehensive Plan. Commissioners previously pared down a list of goals and then voted on the 12 remaining. City Manager Paul Anderson reported the results on Monday, listing them in a chart titled Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Goals. They included: 1. New Civic Center ice making system, 2. Coordinate, communicate and expand city recreational s...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were the winners of Tuesday’s Michigan Presidential primary. Locally, results mirrored the statewide count. Biden won the Democrat primary with 81.1% of the statewide vote, followed by 13.3% of voters choosing “Uncommitted.” According the Associated Press, Biden gained 86 of the state’s 117 available delegates to this summer’s national convention. On the Republican ticket, Trump garnered 68.2% of the vote, compared to 26.5% for former South Car...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Following a recommendation by the city’s new Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Wakefield City Council voted Monday evening to authorize the city manager to develop and release a Request for Proposal for preliminary costs of two regulation sand volleyball courts in Eddy Park. Funds received by the city from the American Rescue Plan Act are expected to cover the expense. In a related agenda report, City Manager Robert Brown Jr. said that a regulation volleyball court is 52 feet, 6 inc...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood Area School Board discussed the amended budget for the 2023-2024 school year, and heard an update from Superintendent Travis Powell about the status of the Josephson’s property at its meeting Monday. The former Josephson’s Nursing Home property was purchased by the school and the district would like to use the land for an addition to the school for young elementary students, but that plan still remains for the future, according to Powell. “I was informed this week that the Land Ba...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Bessemer City Council voted Monday evening to approve qualifications for the position of code enforcement officer. The role is sometimes referred to, colloquially, as a blight officer. The vote included two contingencies requested by Councilman Adam Zak: 1. Allow, but do not require, the officer to use his or her laptop on the job, and 2. Reduce the expected weekly hours from 20 to 15, with the added freedom to adjust hours to suit the officer’s schedule. The code officer’s calen...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, Feb. 29 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Ironwood St. Vincent de Paul, food pantry and financial assistance, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., located behind Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. 906-932-4325. Gogebic County Veterans Service Officer, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Wakefield City Hall; 1-2 p.m., Watersmeet Township; 2:45-3:15 p.m., Marenisco Township. 906-667-1110....
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] BESSEMER - Tuesday is Election Day in Michigan as voters statewide will head to the polls to cast a ballot in the Presidential Primary. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting was is full swing on this past Tuesday at the Gogebic County Courthouse in Bessemer. A new Michigan law provides for nine days of early voting before all state and federal elections. The nine city and township clerks in the county worked with County Clerk Ramona...