Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1112 - 1136 of 9848
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College has had vacancies in key administrative roles for nearly a year. The college hired the Association of Community College Trustees to assist with its search to fill the vacancies of vice president of student services and athletics, and vice president of businesses services in October. The positions were formerly held by Erik Guenard, who resigned as vice president of business services in October; Jeanne Graham, who retired as vice president of student services in D...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Comprehensive Planning/Land and Zoning Committee met on Tuesday to discuss bringing accessory buildings into compliance with county ordinances. Assistant Administrator Gerry Nasi said some residents have applied for permits for accessory buildings such as garages and converted them into living spaces after constructing them. He said that these buildings are not being taxed properly because their owners are still paying for accessory buildings rather than residential d...
ONTONAGON — The difficulty in finding substitute teachers on often short notice is a problem faced by many school districts. In an attempt to solve this problem in Ontonagon, the Ontonagon Area School Board this week decided to add to the staff a long-term substitute teacher. Superintendent Jim Bobula was authorized to hire a long-term sub who would assist with ninth grade and be available for other needs as they arise. Bobula said he or she would cover any class. Tuesday’s board meeting opened with the swearing in of a new member, Joshua Yak...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] BESSEMER - Ross Solberg was appointed to be the next Gogebic County sheriff on Wednesday by Prosecutor Nick Jacobs and District Court Judge Anna Talaska, effective Jan. 1. The date of the swearing-in ceremony has not yet been determined. "(I) want nothing but the best for the sheriff's office and the citizens of the county," Solberg said. "I will work hard at maintaining a strong working criminal justice system. I will keep the sheriff's office up to...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a resident to run a flower shop in her home at 3507 E. Pierce St. during its regular meeting on Tuesday. Ashley Radowski spoke with the board about her plans for the businesses and answered questions. She said her plans for the business have changed and she no longer plans to operate a general flower shop with a store front. Instead, she will focus on floral arrangements for weddings and private events. City manager R...
BESSEMER — Washington Elementary students will have an opportunity to get their COVID-19 vaccines on Friday. The school is hosting a vaccine clinic for its students to get their first dose from 9 a.m. to noon. The clinic is offered in conjunction with the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District and the Western U.P. Health Department, which will be on site to administer the vaccine to the students. Principal Mark Switzer said it is not required for anyone, but if they want to get vaccinated, they can with parental permission. “I’m not s...
IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission approved a special water rate for the Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus, a water and sewer infrastructure project and bids for a new portable generator at a lift station at its regular meeting on Monday. The city commission approved a request from the Friends of the Gogebic County Fair for a special water rate for their 2021-2022 Snowmobile Olympus being held at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds on Dec. 31 and Jan. 7-9. The town offers a 50% water rate to events that bring people to the community to help s...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The MECCA Trails system will be ready for its second annual Winterfest on Feb. 5, according to a release from organizers. This year’s events will be held in person on Feb. 5 with virtual options between Dec. 18 and Feb. 18. Cross-country skiers will have three races to choose from, including the Flowage 15K Freestyle, the Clair d’ Loon 5K and the Turtle River Pursuit. The Flowage 15K Freestyle showcases most of the MECCA Trails system and is rated moderate to advanced with numer...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College will soon offer a mechatronics program. Two courses will be available starting in spring 2022, one in basic operations and one in robot system operations, according to the college’s workforce development director Glen Ackerman-Behr. According to Ackerman-Behr, mechatronics is where mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information technology intersect and is seen in companies that use automation in production and distribution. He said that the amo...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HANCOCK — According to the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, the western U.P. surpassed 10,000 total COVID-19 cases and reached 200 total deaths this week. From Dec. 1 to Wednesday, there were 47 new COVID-19 cases in Gogebic County, 11 new cases in Ontonagon, 19 new cases in Baraga County, 168 new cases in Houghton and 21 new cases in Keweenaw. There was one death in each of the five counties besides Keweenaw. The health department posted its first COVID-19 update on April 7, 2020, and h...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER - The Christmas Belles have struck again, delivering Christmas gifts for more than 100 children under the care of the state of Michigan to case workers at the state's Department of Health and Human Services Gogebic County office in Bessemer early Friday Morning. Thirty-five women and their husbands drove in from Watersmeet to represent the Belles. The group of 143 women from eastern Gogebic County and the Land O'Lakes area form annually to purc...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from a policy consulting firm on the spending of American Rescue Plan Act funds at their regular meeting in the Gogebic County Courthouse on Wednesday. Tim Dempsey, vice president of Public Sector Consultants, a public policy consulting firm in Lansing, attended the regular meeting virtually and answered board members’ questions on the federal stimulus bill. He said that two unique aspects of ARPA that stand out: there is mon...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - Parents and guardians of children in low-income families were able to pick out Christmas gifts for their kids at the Gogebic County fairgrounds on Wednesday afternoon. The gifts were provided through the Santa's Headquarters annual event, which is a cooperative effort of several local non-profit groups including the Michigan State University Extension office, St. Vincent DePaul, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer city council is considering an ordinance to regulate use of temporary, portable generators as a result of a recent house fire. “As you all may or may not be aware, we had a house burn down because of a temporary generator used for about two years and so the council has been exploring whether or not we need to have some sort of ordinance,” city manager Charly Loper said to the council during Monday’s regular meeting. According to city attorney Ray O’Dea, the city does not need...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Historic Ironwood Theatre is offering its annual Christmas show this weekend, celebrating a “historic HIT Christmas” with screenings of the 1910 silent film adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” followed by a concert of seasonal songs by local musicians. The first performance will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and a Sunday matinee is planned for 2 p.m. The movie will be accompanied by frequent organist at the theater, Tim Mesun, who will perform his specially composed, original score for...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] The Iron County snowmobile and winter ATV trails will open on Monday at 8 a.m. after the conclusion of the four-day antlerless deer hunt in Wisconsin. "Early season riding conditions can change rapidly. Riders need to use caution as low snow conditions, open water or icy conditions may exist," Iron County Forest Administrator Eric Peterson said. Iron County has more than 500 miles of snowmobile and winter ATV trails. The trails are maintained by...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council continues to study the implementation of a special assessment tax to help ease pressure on the city’s budget, while ensuring continued services to the citizens. The council tabled a decision on the special assessment tax at its meeting Monday to get more information. The council has been considering implementing the tax for a few months to help pay for police and fire services and thus free up money in the general fund. “The money that we had put in the gener...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — The 2021 Jack Frost Parade was the “biggest ever,” according to Ironwood Chamber director Michael Meyer. Saturday night’s parade along Aurora Street in downtown Ironwood had 42 parade entries, said Meyer. The event brought a large crowd, as Aurora Street was lined with people on both sides. Meyer said he believes the parade was so popular because it was the first Jack Frost parade in two years, as the event had been canceled in 2020 because o...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] The Midwest Snocross Series scheduled at Mt. Zion at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood has been moved to Salem, Wisconsin. Pending confirmation from the local ambulance service, the races will now be held at Digger Doug Gust’s facility in Salem on Saturday and Sunday. The decision was announced to the Daily Globe in an Sunday email. Race advisor Rudy Grbavcich said that the venue change was due to a pump failure that prevented Mt. Zion from producing artificial snow. Owing to supply chain i...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] Iron County Human Services, with the help of the Iron County Fire Association and Northern Iron County Engaged Residents (NICER), is working to see that every child in the county has something under the tree on Christmas. “It’s all about the kids,” said Diane Schmidtke, of the Iron County Human Services Department. “Thanks to the community for their great response.” Each year the Human Services staff start identifying families in the fall and distribute forms to gather information about the age,...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Salvation Army is in need of volunteers who are willing to combat the cold to ring a bell and gather donations this Christmas season for its annual Red Kettle campaign. Local Salvation Army Director Jamie Stiffarm said they are "really behind in donations this year." She said the only red kettle they have out this year is inside the Walgreens in Ironwood. Stiffarm said she wishes she could have a kettle up inside Walmart, but the...
