Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1891 - 1915 of 9747
By CHARITY SMITH by [email protected] BESSEMER - The city of Bessemer and the Michigan Department of Transportation will be having a virtual public hearing at 5 p.m. on Sept. 21 to discuss the proposed detour route for U.S. 2 traffic heading through the city's downtown district, during the reconstruction of the highway during in the summer of 2022. "We've looked at numerous routes and this is the best route we've found. It's by no means perfect," said city manager Charly Loper, of...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO — As of the end of August, Marenisco Township has been short a police chief, but Supervisor Richard Bouvette hopes that a new person will soon take on the role. Former Police Chief Bruce Mahler is no longer in charge, as he left the job at the end of August after giving several months of prior notice. Bouvette said Tuesday that Mahler now is taking a break before he assumes the reins as township supervisor. Having won the Aug. 4 primary unopposed, he will take over the job when Bouvette r...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — The Most Rev. John Doerfler, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Marquette, in a letter to the five Catholic churches of Ontonagon County, informed parishioners of a change in some Masses in Rockland and White Pine coming in October. Doerfler said he has been concerned about the workload of Father Michael Jacobus with five weekend Masses and the amount of travel it entails. Besides Rockland and White Pine, Jacobus serves churches in Ontonagon, Ewen and Bergland. “At the same time,” Doerfler wrote...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - The classrooms of the Luther L. Wright K-12 School were filled with students for the first time since the switch to distance learning last spring in response to the coronavirus pandemic as the Ironwood Area Schools kicked off the 2020-2021 school year Tuesday. "We had a smooth start. We had lots of help as the kids got off the buses and into their classrooms," K-12 Principal Melissa Nigh said. "I don't know if it could have come any...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — Public health officials say that getting the most people vaccinated with a flu shot as possible by October will hopefully avoid the “twindemic” potential of both influenza and COVID-19. The Iron County Health Department has received its first shipment of influenza vaccine for the 2020-2021 flu season. The department guidelines are to distribute vaccines as soon as possible with the goal of vaccinating the community by the end of October. “We don’t want to confuse the flu season with the CO...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — A Wisconsin man has been arraigned on a felony charge related to a stabbing in Ironwood earlier this month. Benjamin Allen Bozile, 30, of Gillett, Wisconsin, is charged with one count of assault with intent to commit murder. The charge carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. The charge steps from an incident at an Ironwood motel in the 400 block of West Cloverland Drive on Sept. 1, according to a news release from the Ironwood Public Safety Department. Officers responding...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] RAMSAY - Labor Day weekend is traditionally a time when family and friends gather for games, barbecues and an opportunity to enjoy each other's company before the winter season creeps in. Sunday afternoon was no exception as people came from near and far to indulge in the many new park amenities at Ramsay Memorial Park, made possible by a $400,000 renovation. Also ready just in time as an additional route to get there was the recently finished Iron Belle...
BESSEMER — Although a ceremony is planned later this week to formalize the event, the newest local segment of the non-motorized Iron Belle Trail is now open. The segment extending the trail from Moore Street in Bessemer to Ramsay opened Friday. Prior to the segment’s completion the local trail ran from the Hurley trailhead between U.S. 51 and the Montreal River in Wisconsin into Michigan to the Moore Street trailhead. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Thursday in Ramsay to mark the trail opening. Due to COVID, this is an invite-only eve...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Members of an emerging band said a lot of firsts were realized at the First Friday live streaming concert, Friday. For most of the members of Myron Elkins and the Dying Breed it was the first time to the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. It was also their first opportunity to live-stream a concert. “It feels nice to be up here,” said Myron Elkins, the lead singer, who also works as a welder in Kalamazoo. “Down where I’m from everyone is just 100 miles per hour all the time.” The band formed...
MERCER, Wis. — The Mercer Town Board of Supervisors on Thursday approved a change to health insurance coverage to a another agency for the duration of an application period to an insurance cooperative for municipalities known as Spectrum Employer Group Co-op. The 4-0 vote, with board member Eric Snow not present, will switch coverage for eight of the town employees from the current insurer to a second insurer from October through Jan. 1, 2021. The action also designates Vic Ouimette, a town board supervisor who works in the insurance industry,...
IRONWOOD - The Ironwood City Commission approved expenditures for enhancements to the Pat O'Donnell Civic Center replacement building during a special meeting on Monday. The commission 5-0 approved $123,303 of civic center funds to be invested that are not included with the insurance company's funds to replace the structure. There are also $50,000 in individual donations for the enhancements. "The city's insurance company only pays for what was there before," said Scott Erickson, city manager....
BESSEMER — The city of Bessemer mailed a survey to all residents on Tuesday to gain their input for the city’s master plan, according to city manager Charly Loper. This three-question survey is designed to help the city figure out the “why” portion of the master plan, said Loper, aiming to answer, “Why we work to continue the improvement of our community.” The questions include: — “What worries you the most about our future as a community?” — “What excites you the most about our future as a community?” and — “What are unique and special thin...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - A project to extend decorative lighting poles on the U.S. business route from downtown Ironwood to Hurley in the west and to Douglas Boulevard in the north is nearly complete. There are around 18 new lights in all, said Tim Erickson, community development specialist for the city of Ironwood. Nine new lights are installed along the stretch of Silver Street on the Michigan side that now meet up with existing lighting that extends from downt...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The majority of Bessemer students have elected to go for in-person education, with only 10% of the student population choosing to go for virtual education. “Kids are finding that it is easier for them to come in to school,” said superintendent Dan Niemi. The remote learning program is run on the same time line as the in-person classes, according to Niemi. He said if a student has a homeroom at 8 a.m., they must log in to the class at 8 a.m. This helps the school keep track of atten...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] LANSING — The Gogebic Range’s two representatives in Lansing have introduced legislation that would allow the state to sell the former Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco. Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, and Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, issued a joint statement announcing the legislation Wednesday. “The surprise closure of the Ojibway Correctional Facility was a loss to the people of Marenisco and Gogebic County,” McBroom said in the statement. “The impact of the prison’s closure ha...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Friday, Sept. 4 Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency quarterly food commodity distribution for registered families, Fairview Apartments, 9 a.m. Hillcrest Apartments, 9:30 a.m. Sunset Manor Apartments, 10 a.m. Riverview Apartments, 10:30 a.m. (Home deliveries for Meals on Wheels recipients in Bessemer and Wakefield will follow). Mill Trace Apartments, 11:30 a.m. to noon. Wildwood Manor Apartments, 12:15 to 12:30 p.m. Pioneer Park...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - HOPE Animal Shelter received a new handmade entrance sign on Aug. 23, from Sabastian Yaeger, of Hurley, an Eagle Scout candidate. In order to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts, Yaeger had to develop and carry out a service project to benefit his community. The sign is the completion of that project. "I chose to help HOPE with their sign because my family has two dogs we've adopted from them. I wanted to show how much...
IRONWOOD — A suspect is in custody in connection to an alleged stabbing Tuesday in Ironwood. The Ironwood Public Safety Department was dispatched to an address on the 400 block of West Cloverland Drive at roughly 11 p.m. Tuesday. Initial reports were that a man had been assaulted and was on the ground, bleeding heavily, according to an IPSD news release. It was determined the man had been stabbed multiple times, according to the release, and was transported to Aspirus Ironwood via ambulance. Witnesses told responding officers the suspect had f...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Health Department released its latest two exposure sites Tuesday where people may have come in contact with someone who had COVID-19. According to the announcement, the department can confirm there were positive cases at the Around the Corner Pub in Mercer on the evening of Aug. 27 and at the Antlers Pub in Mercer on the evenings of Aug. 26 and Aug. 27. Other than “evening,” no times were listed in the health department’s announcement. “If a person (who) tested positive for...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission on Monday extended its opt-out ordinance for adult-use marijuana until November. The 3-0 approval with Mayor Annette Burchell and Commissioner Rick Semo not present, was to ensure the existing ordinance would not expire on Tuesday, Sept. 1, with its sunset clause. The extension will run through Monday, Nov. 9, the date of the first city commission meeting for the month. Mayor Pro Tem Kim Corcoran first inquired if there would be penalties from the state of M...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Seventy-five years ago today, representatives from the Japanese government signed surrender documents, formally ending World War II. Hurley native Tom DeCarlo had a front-row seat to this moment in history. DeCarlo served aboard the USS Thetis Bay, which was anchored close to the USS Missouri where the surrender ceremony was held. DeCarlo recalls leaving the ship's engine room on the way to eat and seeing the Missouri in Toyko Bay. "I...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Cosmetology Academy at Gogebic Community College reopened to the public on Tuesday, having been closed since the pandemic abruptly shuttered its doors in March. The salon allows advanced students with at least 350 hours of experience working on mannequins and each other, to “fine-tune” their skills and become “salon-ready,” by working on members of the public under the supervision of a licensed stylist. Program Director Nicole Hocking and instructor Laura Erickson guide their students. ...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] ERWIN - Members of the Gogebic County Chapter of the Michigan Townships Association got a lesson in election rules at their meeting last week outside of the Erwin Township Hall. Gerry Pelissero, Gogebic County Clerk and Register of Deeds, provided the rundown as guest speaker of the evening. His aim was to provide procedural clarity in the wake of several changes that Michigan has undergone in recent years. He said he also, ultimately, wants to "see every...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — A shoplifting complaint at a local store has led to the arrest of three people on local drug charges. The Michigan State Police and Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department responded to a shoplifting complaint at the Ironwood Walmart on Aug. 17 involving two people — a man who was arrested on the scene and a second who had fled on foot. During the investigation, law enforcement personnel learned both individuals were staying at an Ironwood motel, according to a Gogebic Iron Area Narco...
