Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1008 - 1032 of 9848
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] MONTREAL, Wis. - Northern Iron County Engaged Residents and the Penokee Rangers Trail Corps are planning the fourth annual Hygge Hike by candlelight at the Historic Montreal Ski Trails from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 26. According to NICER, the organizers decided to continue with the candlelight snowshoe theme of the hike following the success of last year's event. A 1.5-mile portion of the Montreal Ski Trails will be lined with luminaria, bonfires and...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The city of Bessemer is purchasing a new dump truck. The city council approved the purchase for $128,000 during its meeting on Monday after some discussion on the two possible trucks, opting for the one that cost $4,000 more. According to City Manager Charly Loper, the city’s department of public works lead-man Neal Nelson said that both trucks would meet the city’s needs. She said that Nelson said the more expensive truck would be able to be used for plowing, but would be a little long...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] RAMSAY - The Bessemer Township Fire Department now has a working and upgraded set of Jaws of Life tools to assist with emergency situations thanks to a generous donation from a fire department in lower Michigan and the coordinating efforts of Specialist Tpr. Jason Berg of the Michigan State Police Fire Investigation Unit in Negaunee. "It's a big game-changer for the fire department," said Berg. "Now they are able to have equipment that is going to...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - Gogebic Community College has partnered once again with the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District to host five summer camp classes for youth ages 11-14. "It is really exciting. It's the second year we have tried to do some programing targeting middle school students," said Glen Ackerman-Behr, director of workforce development at GCC. "Last year, we had one camp in Gogebic County and one camp in Ontonagon County, both focusing on manu...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Comprehensive Planning/Land and Zoning Committee considered a request from Wayne Riebe, of Mercer, to change the definition of a lot in Iron County’s shoreland ordinance at its meeting Tuesday. Riebe wants to expand his property, the Gateway Lodge and Resort, past a public right-of-way in Mercer. However, the county defines a lot as a continuous parcel of land not divided by a public right-of-way. Land and Zoning Administrator Erika Roeder said that if Riebe makes this expans...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood Public Safety Department presented its annual report to the Ironwood City Commission at their regular meeting on Monday. Department director Andrew DiGiorgio identified three partnerships between the public safety department and other organizations in the last year that stood out to him, with the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action and the Gogebic County office of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The public s...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield City Council filled two vacancies on the library board during its regular council meeting on Monday night. Alicia D. Riley was selected by Mayor Dale White to fill a full-term vacancy on the library board. The council approved the nomination unanimously. Riley’s term will end on Jan. 31, 2027. “I’m so thankful for the different libraries I have had access to through my life,” Riley said in her letter of interest. “My children and I have greatly benefited from the Wakefield P...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Anderson Bluffs and River Trails Foundation held its second annual Project Connect Fun Nordic Relay on Saturday. Skiers had the opportunity to use special trail connections between ABR, Wolverine, Miners Memorial Park and Iron Belle trails. The event did not have a start or a finish line and was not a competition. Relay participants formed teams and conducted a relay event of their choosing utilizing as much or as little of each of the...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] HURLEY — Pancakes were served into the afternoon at St. Mary of the Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Hurley on Sunday. The event provided students in the church’s confirmation class with a service learning opportunity. “We use it to help our kids learn to serve other people,” said Irene Lardinois, one of the religion instructors. With the focus on service, the breakfast was not billed as a fundraiser, but patrons were able to make a donation to the religious education department if they chose. Lardino...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HANCOCK — The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department reported one death in Gogebic and two deaths in Houghton in the last seven days, making this the 10th week in a row at least three people in the western U.P. died with COVID-19. Since the last weekly update on Feb. 2, there were 35 new COVID-19 cases in Baraga County, 45 new cases in Gogebic, 106 new cases in Houghton, eight new cases in Keweenaw and 14 new cases in Ontonagon, for a total of 208 new cases. As of Wednesday, there have been a t...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER - Students at A.D. Johnson High School now have a new weightlifting and cardio room. It is open for training before and after school, as well as certain classes. The new training room is located under the bleachers on the north side of the gymnasium, directly across from its former location, in a room that was the old wood shop and was originally a bus garage many years ago, according to superintendent Dan Niemi. "We needed more space," said Ni...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] BESSEMER — Troy Cumings from the Grand Rapids-based corporate law firm Warner Norcross & Judd appeared at the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday via Zoom regarding American Rescue Plan Act monies. Cumings said the firm has provided legal counsel on ARPA to several clients in the Upper Peninsula including Marquette, Menomonie, Baraga and Ontonagon counties and was interested in working with Gogebic County as well. Warner Norcross & Judd have been helping the counties find e...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley City Council decided not to apply for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program this year at their meeting on Tuesday. The city was considering applying for a CDBG this year for work on 2nd Avenue. At their last meeting in January, Jeff Seamandel from the consulting firm MSA Professional Services informed the council that this will be the last year that they can apply for the CDBG program in its current form. In 2023, the cit...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] MONTREAL, Wis. — Since the inauguration of new mayor Kelly Traczyk, the city of Montreal has applied for grant funding for several projects, some of which were discussed at the common council meeting on Tuesday. Traczyk said that they have applied for the Wisconsin Department of Transport’s Local Road Improvement Plan program for funds to improve three roads: Bessemer Street, Michigan Avenue and Minnesota Avenue. She said that it is not guaranteed they will receive funds through this program bec...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] IRONWOOD — In a combined work session of the Ironwood City Commission and the Ironwood Planning Commission on Monday, Director of Community Development Tom Bergman walked through five different options for regulating medical marijuana caregivers in the city and some of the pros and cons of each approach. Bergman said that caregivers grow medical marijuana for a limit of five patients registered with the state. He said that historically, caregivers have been the biggest sources of public nuisance r...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Several employees at Gogebic Community College are being given a chance to assist with upper management level projects as a result of a recent call for help by the board and college president George McNulty. “Gogebic Community College’s decision to invest in the development of their current staff is welcomed,” said Glen Ackerman-Behr, GCC’s director of workforce development. “It demonstrates the current leadership’s willingness to hear feedback and provide opportunities for staff to grow...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] IRONWOOD — The city of Ironwood’s parks and recreation committee approved its goals moving into 2022 and beyond on Monday. The goals identified on the agenda were opening a cemetery historical walk, updating their forest management plan, continuing to improve volunteer coordination with the Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce and opening a lighted ski trail in Miners Memorial Heritage Park. The committee also approved two more goals that they discussed during the meeting: adding more pickleball and ten...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The MECCA Trails Winterfest was live and in-person on Saturday, for the first time since 2020. Thirty-five people participated in the live events, which included the Flowage 15k skate, the Flowage 15k classic, and the 5k Claire D’ Loon Race. “It was just enough to make it an exciting event and some camaraderie. People enjoyed seeing each other,” said Mike Shouldice, president of the MECCA Trails Association. According to Shouldi...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Volunteers of all ages gathered at the St. Joseph Room at the Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Ironwood over the weekend to make and distribute spaghetti dinners for the 47th annual La Rosa spaghetti dinner fundraiser. The event raises money for the church’s religious education programming which includes classes for preschool age children, catechism and confirmation classes, Right of Christian Initiation for Adults classes and numerous retreats offered throughout the year and speakers th...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] MERCER, Wis — The town of Mercer board of supervisors considered appointments to the Mercer Tourism Commission and ongoing issues with tourist rooming houses at its regular meeting on Thursday. Chairman John Sendra presented for approval his recommended appointments to the Mercer Tourism Commission. These appointments were: Brian Weinkopf as a resort owner located on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage, Tom Ziegler as a resort owner not located on the flowage, Tina Pemble as a motel owner, Hank Joustra as a...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER - The Bessemer Recreation Committee is in the process of having stands built for the little libraries that will be placed around the community. The committee discussed options for the stands, which will be built by North Country Welding in Bessemer. Committee member Trevor Jackovich took one of the libraries to the welding shop on Thursday so they could come up with some ideas for the stands. "They thought of either creating a base and burying...
