Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 287
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] RAMSAY — Recent disruption of garbage pickup to six municipalities has led to the dismissal of two drivers and hiring of their replacements, according to the supervisor’s report of the Bessemer Township Board on Monday. “We have two new hires,” said Jeffery Randall, supervisor of Bessemer Township. “They will be officially sanctioned at a special board meeting Thursday night.” The two former drivers were dismissed from the Gogebic Range Solid Waste Management Authority, the garbage pickup firm...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Recent low copper prices appear to be slowing progress toward the long-anticipated resurgence of copper mining in Wakefield and Ironwood townships, according to a report during Tuesday evening's Wakefield Township board meeting. As of the end of Tuesday afternoon, Wakefield Township supervisor John Cox said the price of copper was at $2.67 per pound. "They got to have $3.20 per pound to make money," he added. Area residents had renewed their...
PENCE, Wis. - Christopher Alan Thomas, 50, of Pence, passed away unexpectedly on May 26, 2019. He was born on April 6, 1969, in Portsmouth, Va. In 1980, he moved to Wisconsin with his family. He graduated from the Hurley High School in 1987, and from there he then went on to join the U.S. Navy. After four years in the service, he was honorably discharged with a rank of petty officer second class. Following his years in the Navy, he was employed at the White Pine Mine until they closed in 1995....
ASHLAND, Wis.– Sue Spencer, born Emilie Marie Spencer, 71, of Ashland, died on May 23, 2019. She was born on June 1, 1947, to Gerald and Emily Eifolla in Ironwood, Mich. She graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in Ironwood in 1965 and married James D. Spencer of Wakefield, Mich., on May 25, 1968. In 1975, she settled in Bayfield and became an active member of Betheseda Lutheran Church. During this time she changed her middle name from Marie to Sue and that was her commonly known a...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] WAKEFIELD - People hit the slopes at Indianhead Mountain on Saturday trying to squeeze in a few more runs before the ski resort closed for the season. B.J. Westfahl, from Fox Point, Wis., said he and his family traveled about five hours to ski the final weekend. "It's nice to get the last run in before winter ends," he said. Westfahl said the snowfall this week kind of "pushed" them "over the edge" which helped their decision to make the trek a...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Music lovers from the Midwest flocked for the annual Mountain Top Music Festival held at Indianhead and Blackjack Mountain Big Snow Resorts over the weekend. Festival coordinator Bob Weigandt said he hasn't checked the numbers yet, but believes about 400 people showed up. "When the roof starts vibrating a little bit, that's what I look for," he said as he looked up and watched the ceiling bounce to the beat. Starting as a small festival...
By STEVE NEWMAN [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Even with below-zero temperatures, the atmosphere in the Wakefield VFW was jumping Saturday morning as the Gogebic Range Trail Authority held its inaugural pancake breakfast for hungry residents and snowmobilers. Cooks Chris Umland and Scott Segel flipped pancakes in the kitchen, along with eggs and sausage as other volunteers took orders and brought plates to customers. Chris and Melissa Umland and vice-president Jerry Nezworski “spearheaded” the event, according to GRTA president Steve...
HURLEY - Mercer used its slower pace of play to slow Hurley and it kept them in the game for awhile. But Hurley pulled away for a 53-29 Indianhead Conference win Friday night. The Midgettes led 29-18 at the half and Bailey Thompson hit a 3 to make it an eight-point game right away in the second half. But Hurley responded with a 16-2 run to push the lead to 22, 45-23. "They slowed it down on us a little bit, they ran their offense methodically and got it to their big girls underneath in the...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY - The Hurley School Board Monday agreed to seek bids for expanding the K-12 school. The school board could act on accepting bids at its February meeting. District administrator Chris Patritto was instructed to get the ball rolling to solicit bids. "This could be a catalyst for people wanting to stay here," school board president Joe Simonich, of Kimball, said of the potential of the expansion area. "This gets my support 100 percent," he said. The...
WAKEFIELD, Mich. — Norma A. (Mattson) LaMaide, 65, a lifelong resident of Wakefield, passed away Wednesday morning, Dec. 12, 2018, at her residence, surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous battle with cancer. Norma was born on Feb. 20, 1953, in Bessemer Township, the daughter of Verner H. and Lois Jean (Lake Jarvenpaa) Mattson. She attended Wakefield High School and graduated in 1971. On June 28, 1986, Norma was united in marriage to Maxin G. LaMaide Jr., at All Saints Lutheran Church in Wakefield. Her hobbies included scroll saw a...
WAKEFIELD, Mich. - Richard L. "Rich" Giackino, 81, of Wakefield, passed away Saturday morning, Dec. 8, 2018. Rich was born on Aug. 24, 1937, in Ironwood, a son of Louis and Fanny W. (Kahila) Giackino. He attended Ramsay School and A.D. Johnston High School in Bessemer and graduated in 1955. On Jan. 18, 1958, Rich was united in marriage to the love of his life, Jeanne E. Jarvela, in Ramsay. Since he was an avid outdoorsman and deer hunter, Rich absolutely loved going to camp. His other hobbies...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD - The 4.5-inch snowfall that fell for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Tuesday in Ironwood has been typical for the month. With more than a week left in November, Ironwood has received 31 inches of snow this month and there was 14 inches on the ground Tuesday at the National Weather Service station site at the Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Treatment Plant on the Montreal River. Typical monthly snowfall through Nov. 20 is 13.3 inches. Snow continued to...
IRONWOOD, Mich. - Bernard J. McKevitt, 84, a lifelong Ironwood resident, died unexpectedly on Oct. 2, 2018, at his home. Bernie was born on July 15, 1934, in Ironwood to Bernard and Francis (Banovetz) McKevitt. He was employed with Bessemer Auto, Schult Mobile Homes and with Ski Patrol at Indianhead. Bernie was an avid sports fan. He especially loved NASCAR and the Green Bay Packers. He and his sister, Pat, had quite the sibling rivalry, as she was a Vikings fan. He enjoyed auto shows and was a...
KALISPELL, Mont. - Clay Ora Thomason, 91, lived life to the fullest and died, Sept. 3, 2018, as he lived his life, looking forward to his next adventures. His bucket list was never ending! Coming up next was his wish to combine wheat on the farm in North Dakota and visit the new locks of the Panama Canal in 2019. Clay was born in Eugene, Ore., to Chester Clay and Ethel Mae Thomason on Feb. 2, 1927. He joined a brother, Bill; and sister, Helen. He graduated from Eugene High School where he was a...
EVANSTON, Ill. - Frances Ann DeSautelle, 92, died Aug. 28, 2018, in Evanston. She was born on Jan. 18, 1926, in Bessemer, Mich. Fran was a graduate of A.D. Johnston High School in Bessemer. After working briefly in Chicago, she returned to the Bessemer-Ironwood area and worked for Cherne Contracting Corporation and subsequently at Indianhead Mountain Ski Resort. She went on to receive her Associate Degree from Gogebic Community College, Bachelor of Arts Degree from Northland College and Master...
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Mayme G. (Ferratto) Jarvi Calabro, 90, of Green Bay, formerly a long-time resident of Wakefield, Mich., passed away peacefully Saturday afternoon, July 28, 2018, at Woodside Manor in Green Bay, surrounded by her loving family. Mayme was born on May 18, 1928, in Wakefield, a daughter of John and Madeline (Bates) Ferratto. She attended Wakefield High School and graduated in 1946. Mayme continued her education and earned a nursing degree at St. Mary of Nazareth School of Nursing...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP — The Wakefield Township board of trustees on Tuesday expressed its continued support for Highland Copper’s effort to develop a mine in the township. Wakefield Township Supervisor John Cox said the support will extend to the upcoming Michigan Department of Environmental Quality public hearing regarding several permits for the company’s Copperwood Project in northern Ironwood and Wakefield townships. “All five of our board members will be there and we’ll be standing together....
HURLEY, Wis. - Walter I. Hess, 86, of 308 Iron St., Hurley, passed away on Sunday, July 1, 2018, following a brief illness. Walt was born on May 11, 1932, in Chicago, Ill., son of the late Irwin and Catherine (Bruen) Hess. He attended schools in the Chicago area before enlisting and serving in the U.S. Army from 1953 to November 1955. After his honorable discharge from the Army, he was employed by Motorola in both the Chicago and Schaumburg, Ill., areas for 33 years, retiring in 1988. Walt was...
IRONWOOD, Mich. - James Kermit Nordling Jr., 82, passed away on May 7, 2018, at his home. He was born Sept. 20, 1935, in Ironwood, to James K. Nordling Sr. and Judith (Liljestrom) Nordling. He attended Norrie School and graduated from Luther L. Wright in 1953 and went on to Gogebic Community College until 1955. He then spent 2 years working at Connor Forest Industries. After that, he completed his teaching degree at Superior State Teacher's College in 1959. He taught in Grand Marais, Minn. and...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO — The Wakefield-Marenisco Board of Education voted to accept resignations from one teacher and two coaches at its Monday meeting at the Marenisco Town Hall. The board meets twice a year in Marenisco, with the next meeting in that community on Oct. 22. Connie Hellman, the district’s high school special education teacher, submitted her resignation for reasons of retirement. In a letter to the board, Hellman said her job has been “a pleasure” and offered to help train her replacement if needed....
IRONWOOD — Last year’s Kiwanis Border Bash all-star basketball game wasn’t going to be easy to top, not with members of the three-time state champion North Central boys team filling the Lindquist Center gym and leading Northern Michigan to a victory. “That’s what everybody was telling me, but I think we got close” for this year’s games, event director Russ Maki said. “We should pack that gym again.” Ewen-Trout Creek standout Jake Witt headlines a talented group that pits many of the top boys and girls basketball players in the Upper Peninsu...
HURLEY - Iron County Emergency Management hosted Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College at the Oma Fire Hall for ice rescue training on Saturday, April 7. Twenty-three firefighters representing five local fire departments and the Wisconsin DNR were in attendance. "With the growth in winter outdoor recreation, including snowmobiles, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing, I recognized the need for formal ice rescue training for the firefighters," said Stacy Ofstad, Iron County Emergen...
