Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1287 - 1311 of 9873
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HURLEY, Wis. - Construction crews started renovations on the Iron County Historical Museum in Hurley on Monday. They will replace the roof of the building and close the arches in the clock tower. Jeff Musselman, a volunteer with the Iron County Historical Society, said that renovations were on the books for four or five years. The museum was worried that they would be unable to pay the price for the renovations, but they were made possible by a...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The new water treatment plant for the city of Ironwood is on schedule but there is concern about increased costs of materials and construction, according to a project update to the city commission on Monday. The design phase for the concrete, gravity filtered water treatment plant and pump station to remove manganese and iron from the city water supply is about 60% complete with final design expected to be completed by early December, according to Chris Larson, the project manager with H...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP - A 20-year effort to dedicate a State Line "SL" ORV Trail segment in Wakefield Township, culminated with a dedication ceremony on Wednesday. Members of the Michigan Trails and Recreation Alliance of Land and Environment, the Gogebic Range Trail Authority, the North Country Snowmobile Club, private landowners and city officials joined the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in opening a 38-foot bridge and three-mile trail segment....
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley City Council on Tuesday authorized the department of public works to transition the city from automatic meter reading systems to the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system. The city council approved a finance committee recommendation of $246,967 to Dakota Supply Group for the AMI meters and another $70,560 to HydroCorp for installation, based on information from finance committee chair Joanne Bruneau at the meeting. The project will be funded from $150,000 in local f...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] MONTREAL, Wis. — The Montreal Common Council appointed council member Kelly Traczyk as the city’s first female mayor at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday. Traczyk’s appointment will be effective Oct. 1. “I’m very excited. I was elected (as council member) in April and I’ve been working for the city ever since. I think we made a lot of progress since then and I think I will do a lot for the greater good,” Tracyzk said. Tracyzk will step into a position as Mayor Erik Guenard had submitted his...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — Mercer School District officials decided Monday night to close school for the rest of this week because of an increase in COVID-19 cases. Classes will be held virtually until in-person learning returns next week, District Administrator Sheri Kopka said. “Due to the uptick of cases, both at school and in the community, we are electing to move all pre-K to 12 students to virtual learning, beginning (Tuesday). The two- and three-year-old program will also be closed. The health, saf...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Members of the Michigan State Police, The Fraternal Order of Police and the Michigan Department of Corrections were joined by members of the community as they ran around Sunday Lake on Monday morning to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics and people with developmental disorders. The run in Wakefield was one of several smaller, local runs planned by the MSP, FOP and MDC to raise awareness and funds, as three teams of officers...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD - Locals gathered with their furry friends on Sunday morning to participate in the 10th annual Hound Dog Hike on the Miner Memorial Park Heritage Park trails in Ironwood. The event, which celebrated its 10th hike in 11 years, saw over a dozen canine participants, joined by one or more owners. According to HOPE Animal Shelter treasurer Colleen Sachs, early registration was down this year compared to two years ago, but some opted to register the day...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — The Ambulance Committee of the Gogebic County Board will conduct outreach in October for the purpose of explaining the ambulance millage renewal that voters will consider in the Nov. 2 general election. According to information at the county board meeting on Thursday, committee members are planning to schedule two presentations for government leaders in early October. The presentations would be adapted to the needs of each municipality. The committee also plans to hold public events star...
WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP — Members of the Wakefield Township Board of Trustees voted on Tuesday evening to refuse an offer to take over the Indianhead Mountain water system. “My thoughts are that we don’t have a water operator,” said Supervisor Mandy Lake. Moreover, she added, “Billing — we’re not set up for that.” In short, she stated, “We are not in a position to take it over right now.” Treasurer Denise Laessig and Trustee Michael Heikkila voiced support for Lake’s views before the unanimous vote was taken. While summarizing an Aug. 12 meeting of...
IRONWOOD — The 10th annual Hound Dog Hike will be held at the Miners Memorial Heritage Park in Ironwood on Sunday morning. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the hiking begins at 9 from the Iron King Dog Park, on the corner of Ayer Street and Bonnie Road. The dog park is located in the northeast corner of the MMHP. The event continues through noon. Proceeds from the event will benefit the dog park, which is a collaboration of HOPE Animal Shelter, the Friends of the MMHP and the city of Ironwood. “Walkers don’t have to start at 9. It’s me...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] IRONWOOD - As the world's first mass-produced automobile, the Ford Model T was built to be durable. The passage of time has made Model Ts that are still in working condition an unusual sight but Etrayu FitzGerald, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, enjoys keeping his Model T on the road as part of an ongoing family tradition. FitzGerald and his friend Bo Jacison, of Minneapolis, who is originally from Ironwood, rolled into the area this week for an annual...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley Finance Committee on Monday will consider the cost of an environmental study to supplement future project proposals to improve Range View Drive. The study proposal was introduced to the Hurley Public Works Committee on Wednesday by public works director Scott Santini. The study would be submitted with a grant application to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, he said. Public works committee chair Robert Lanctoe and members Jamey Francis and Tom Conhartoski deferred t...
IRONWOOD — A strong epoxy smell will prevent people from performing other work at the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center for the duration of ice rink floor painting. In her report to the Civic Center board on Wednesday, manager Michelle Rigoni-Sivula said a company specializing in painting rink floors has completed the initial three coats. There is some paint separation in a few areas that will need to be redone prior to the painting of the lines and circles of the hockey rink. “It has to cure for a week,” she said. The goal is to be completed for a g...
BESSEMER — A policy to reimburse residents some of the cost for freezing water lines was enacted, and an ordinance dealing with the same issues was repealed, following a public hearing during Tuesday’s Bessemer City Council meeting. The new policy will reimburse residents for 50% of their expenses to thaw frozen water lines, up to $100. In order to qualify for the reimbursement, the property owner must have observed any let-run directives, have a structure that is heated and regularly inspected, and left snow above the water line. The pol...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY - The Hurley K-12 Science Lab may be ready a few months sooner than anticipated after an equipment supplier said that back orders are expected to arrive in December rather than the anticipated April 2022 delivery. The science furniture is scheduled to be shipped on Dec. 6, and should be installed over the winter break, said Kevin Genisot, school district administrator. The initial phase of the science lab should be ready for staff and...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Gogebic County Community Mental Health will aim to end the stigma associated with mental health issues as it hosts the ninth annual Walk a Mile in My Shoes rally on Sept. 15 at the Wakefield VFW Post 9084. “They main goal is to raise awareness (for mental health)” said Angel Robles, GCCMH quality improvement coordinator and community liason. Robles said they want to educate the public and legislators as to why mental health matters, end stigma related to mental illness and intellectual/deve...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] HURLEY - Saturday's Festival Italiano filled Hurley with activity as people relished a return after last year's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Great weather helped Silver Street to hop with visitors who roamed around open-shopping options and filled up on a variety of food and spirits. It wasn't just any food, as the festival included tradtional Italian fare such as pasta-covered meatballs, as evident in the Banca Club stall, where Shane...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] ONTONAGON — Despite a sprinkling of rain during a Sunday parade, the Ontonagon Labor Day Festival was a huge success, with viewers briefly using umbrellas as the show proceeded without a hitch. The 65th annual event drew a happy, hardy crowd to the third and busiest day of the activities. After being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was back in full force with a long and lively parade along River Street. People came from near and far to watch this year’s parade, including She...
MERCER, Wis. — The Mercer Board of Supervisors discussed the federal stimulus bill, essential worker compensation and a bond for broadband services in the county on Thursday. Chairman John Sendra said the town recently received $72,272 in funds from the federal government as part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act. They will receive the same amount again in a second installment of the stimulus bill in June 2022 for a total of $144,545. The town was also provided money from the state of Wisconsin to compensate essential workers who...
BESSEMER — The Bessemer Recreation Commission discussed ongoing plans for a new trailhead for the Iron Belle Trail behind city hall on Thursday evening. The commission heard from city manager Charly Loper that the Bessemer Area Historical Society and Tom Kangas, a resident historian, had agreed to help draft a letter of the historical significance of the railway to the area and the importance of preserving it with the trailhead. The letter will be used as part of a Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund application. “We just need a let...
