Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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Businesses in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties have received more than $175,000 in grant money through the Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program, the state recently announced. Twenty-five businesses in Gogebic County received a total of $125,876 in grant funding, according to information from InvestUP, and eight Ontonagon County businesses received a total of $52,250. InvestUP was the economic development organization responsible for administering the grants in the Upper Peninsula. “The Michigan Small Businesses Survival Grant Program p...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic County Fair Board on Monday approved a change to the days that harness racing will occur due to scheduling issues with other fairs. Harness racing is among the most popular events of the county fair and has been held for many years, said Jim Lorenson, board chair. The harness racing was typically held on Thursday and Friday during the fair, but will now be held at 1 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. Saturday, he said. The United States Trotting Association reached out to the fair b...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The city of Bessemer has received clearance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development for this year’s water and sewer project and is proceeding with the bidding process, Darren Pionk of C2AE, an engineering company, told the city council Monday. After hearing of the clearance, Pionk said they called for bids from contractors. Pionk said as of Monday, eight contractors have expressed interest in bidding on the project. Those companies have obtained copies of the plans for the...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - Students in the TRIO program at Gogebic Community College, didn't let harsh winds, icy conditions and a broken part on the tow rope put a damper on their fun Friday night when they took advantage of the tubing hill at Mount Zion. Twenty-five students participated in the event, put on by the program which is designed to support and encourage students that are either low income, disabled, or first-generation college students. "We had a lot of...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MONTREAL, Wis. - The full moon may have been behind clouds for most of the night, but it was just about the only thing that stayed away from the Montreal Ski Trails Saturday night as the third annual Hygge Hike drew record crowds. "(We're) beyond pleased, we never expected to have this big of a turnout," said Rebecca Holm, one of the Northern Iron County Engaged Residents members who helped organize the hike. "Coming off of having the first Hygge...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Utilities crews continued on Monday to seek the source of a water line break that occurred Friday, according to Scott Erickson, Ironwood city manager. The investigation started after multiple callers reported discolored water at homes and businesses on early Friday morning, according to a city announcement. The cause of the discoloration was believed to be from a water main break and work started to search for the source. “The break has not yet been discovered,” Erickson said Monda...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — The city of Wakefield is recommending a boil advisory for its residents after a Sunday pump station error created problems with water clarity and pressure and — in some cases — a loss of service. “While under the advisory, residents should not drink the water without boiling the water first,” said City Manager Robert Brown Jr. in a Monday press release. He added, “During times of low water pressure, groundwater has the potential to infiltrate the city’s old water system, which is why a precaut...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Seven areas around Ironwood will be included in summer sewer and water projects, according to Scott Erickson, Ironwood city manager. The work includes a major reconstruction on Lake Avenue, along with projects on Van Buskirk Road, East Ayer Street, downtown, and Lake Street, he said. Work schedules will be announced after contractor bids are awarded. “There is a combination of sewer, storm sewer and water line work in this summer’s projects,” Erickson said. The largest portion with th...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon Village Council, in a special meeting Wednesday, terminated the employment of Village Manager Joe Erickson on a split 3-2 vote. The number met quorum requirements, Village President Tony Smydra said, as two members Mike Morgon and Mike Rebholz — who were appointed to village trustee vacancies — will not be sworn in until the March meeting of the council. The motion to release Erickson from his contract came following a discussion of the submission of a contract with the state conce...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — Four students at Washington Elementary have been placed on quarantine after a classmate tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. “They are in a cohort group so the kids that were sitting next to the (infected) student, we’re having them just go virtual,” said Dan Niemi, superintendent of the Bessemer Area School District. Niemi said that contact tracing was done and, upon the recommendation of the health department, those four students will be out of the building until March 8. “This has beco...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday acted to draft a letter expressing concerns about how COVID-19 rules and regulations are established for border counties. The board 7-0 approved a letter to be drafted by board chair James Lorenson, to be submitted to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The concerns of Gogebic County to be expressed are how the pandemic rules do not consider the unique nature of the western-most point of the Upper Peninsula with shared borders to Iron a...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — A member of the Mercer School Board has resigned for personal reasons, according to a letter presented to the board at Monday’s school board meeting. The school board 4-0 approved the resignation announcement of board member Jeff Nehring. Nehring, who was not present, is a recently retired dentist, who was reelected to a three year term on the school board in the April 7, 2020, election following an earlier appointment to the board. In a letter from Nehring to School Board President...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Members of the Wakefield City Council voted Monday evening to approve the start of an engineering study in relation to a pending sewer upgrade at the Eddy Park Campground on Sunday Lake. The Escanaba office of C2AE will conduct the study, for which its project engineer, Darren Pionk, presented a $7,000 estimate. City Manager Robert Brown, Jr. said that costs of materials are not yet factored in, and he added that the city also will contribute in-house labor expense. He added that the grand t...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — There may be a local referendum issue on the ballot next year after the Iron County Board of Supervisors discussed sending a proposal raising the county’s levy limit to voters Tuesday. Based on the discussion Tuesday, any ballot measure would likely be for the April 2022 election. Iron County Clerk Mike Saari said the measure would save money in the long run as the county takes out loans to cover needed expenses because those can be added above the levy cap and passed onto taxpayers. The...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MERCER — The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has officially closed the Fund 80 oversight case against the Mercer School District, according to reports at Monday’s school board meeting. A letter to the Mercer School District from Daniel Bush, director of School Financial Services for the DPI, stated that documentation was submitted on time for both years and the SFS team review is now complete. The review was a requirement of the May 8, 2019 settlement agreement with the DPI, con...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer Area School District is in the beginning stages of re-forming a friends and alumni foundation. Superintendent Dan Niemi updated the board of education on the progress at its meeting Monday. “It’s a 501(c)(3) where people can make contributions or donations to the school,” said Niemi. According to Niemi the foundation will be similar to the one in place at Ironwood Area Schools. The district previously had a foundation, but for some reason it lapsed, Niemi said. Tracy Rowe, w...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — All Ironwood students who have signed up for in-person learning are now attending the Luther L. Wright K-12 School five days a week after the district completed its transition away from a hybrid model for its upper grades this week. Part of the district’s plan for teaching during the coronavirus pandemic was to have its 7-12 grade students who signed up for in-person learning attend school on a hybrid model where the grades were split into two groups that alternated between going to the...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] UPSON, Wis. - Whitecap Mountains Ski Resort has stepped up its game in offering free stylers some challenges this season with its first terrain park. "Flightcap 1," a new slope-style freestyle terrain park toward the end of the bottom of St. Moritz hill near the ski rental shack and lift, was built during the recent extreme cold snap and has been open to riders for about a week. It was designed and continues to be improved by assistant manager Ben...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The city of Ironwood is moving ahead with securing the best possible grants and low-interest loans possible for a water filtration system project, according to engineers at the city commission meeting Monday. The commission unanimously approved a letter of intent that the city intends to move forward with closing financing for an estimated $9.7 million concrete, gravity filtered water treatment plant and pump station to better address manganese and iron water quality issues and discolora...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - A little later was a lot better when it came to the annual holiday tree bonfire on Sunday. The 12th annual "Light up the Night" was later than the typical January event but was larger than usual, said Steve Lehto, president of the Norrie Amateur Sports Club, the Ironwood organization that organizes the bonfire celebration behind their Aspen Street clubhouse. The evening temperatures cooled but the heat generated by 452 discarded...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] ERWIN TOWNSHIP — A fun ski relay was conducted on Saturday from Erwin Township to Ramsay in Bessemer Township, by connecting several of the various trails, according to Scott Anderson, Anderson Bluff and River Trail Foundation director. “One of our big visions with the foundation is to better connect ABR with the big trails,” Anderson told the Daily Globe in a phone interview. “This is a demonstration relay to show what that takes.” The relay started at 9 a.m. on Saturday with Eric Anderson and Angel...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] PENCE, Wis. — Cross country skiers can now go from the ski trails in the city of Montreal to the Uller trail system in the town of Anderson after the Penokee Rangers recently opened a new segment of trail. A skier can ski from the western end of the Montreal trail system to Wisconsin 77 in Pence, take their skis off to cross the highway and continue on the new connector trail north of the highway to the Uller Trails. “So you could technically ski from Weber Lake all the way on to the Montreal tra...
