Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1626 - 1650 of 9679
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MONTREAL, Wis. -- After 18 years as clerk/treasurer for the city of Montreal, Sue Lesky is planning to retire this spring. “Working with you and the rest of the staff has been a highly fulfilling experience for me and I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be with the city of Montreal for the last 18 years,” Lesky wrote in a letter to Mayor Erik Guenard and the city’s common council announcing her decision. “This year has certainly been a challenge and has made me realize it’s time to spend m...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — As the winter weather approaches so does the planning to build sliding hills and an outdoor ice rink, according to action at the Ironwood Parks and Recreation Committee meeting on Monday. The committee 7-0 approved a request from member Tom Kangas to build a “simple ice rink” by flooding the volleyball court at the Historic Depot Park once the air temperatures permit. The term simple rink followed discussion that the rink would not have boards and only a snow border to contain the water...
Editor’s note: This is a first in a series of stories on homelessness in the region. By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — Local leaders described a recent virtual town hall meeting on rural homelessness as “eye opening” after hearing how the problem is less visible but as significant in the smaller communities as it is in urban centers. The virtual town hall is a regular series that involves leadership of area cities and townships. The Nov. 24 town hall on homelessness was attended by Wakefield Mayor Dale White, Ironwood Ma...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MERCER, Wis. - It was different but the town of Mercer still celebrated its Northwoods Winter Wonderland with a stationary drive-thru parade on Saturday. Residents and visitors drove along U.S. 51 south of town in front of the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce office and Claire de Loon statue. The nice weather canceled an ice-skating rink near the Mercer Community Center but the mild temperatures also brought a lot of people to the other outdoor...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD – An ice carving contest in Ironwood’s new Downtown City Square over the weekend only drew two participants, but organizers called it a success. The event was part of the Ironwood’s First Friday and continued on Saturday, drawing a few dozen spectators stopping by to watch the creations take shape. “I thought we would have gotten more sign ups since it would be easy to socially distance for ice carving, but I think this is just a weird year and we are just not getting the kind of activit...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] HURLEY — This year, many parades have had a new look due to social distancing concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. So, as organizers of Hurley’s inaugural Holiday Parade made plans for their first such event, they settled on a “reverse parade” for Saturday. Floats, displays, and even Santa Claus himself were at a standstill, taking up stationary positions along the parade route through the industrial park — as parade-goers were the ones on the move, driving by each of the floats, taking in...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — A Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board recommendation will add more than 4,000 acres to Gogebic County forest land, according to a Thursday announcement. The Gogebic County Forest Expansion Project was among 26 acquisition grant recommendations from the Trust Fund Board totaling $27.2 million. The county application requested $3,225,300 to add approximately 4,007.3 acres with the county budgeting for a 26% local match. This acquisition of unique forestland consists of many s...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - The "Tree of Love" and "Celebration Tree" at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital were lit for the holiday season Tuesday, but without the ceremony that traditionally accompanies the tree lighting. A maintenance man simply flipped a switch at exactly 4 p.m. to light the trees, without an audience and as nearby staff continued with their work. "We aren't having the ceremony this year. We are doing a virtual video," said Alicia Cook, the liason for the As...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — The effort to make safety improvements to West Range View Drive, the only road access to Hurley K-12 School, is again moving forward with a possible state grant, according to reports at the Hurley Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday. Hurley Street Commissioner Scott Santini, and Jeff Seamandel, an engineer with MSA Professional Services, the city’s engineering company, addressed the board regarding the plan to widen a section of West Range View Drive from 10th Avenue to the mai...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Around 1,500 Xcel Energy customers were without power for about an hour Wednesday morning following an equipment failure at a local substation. An 8:41 a.m. a power regulator failure at the Ayer Street substation, at the intersection of Easy Street in Ironwood, was the cause of the outage, said Christine Ouellette, senior media relations representative for Xcel Energy's Michigan and Wisconsin office in Eau Claire. Technicians immediately...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The annual gingerbread house event at the Bessemer library is being held virtually this year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In years past, residents would come to the library and build their gingerbread houses on a specific day. However, this year the library is providing gingerbread house kits and families are instructed to build their gingerbread houses at home and then submit a photo of their completed project to the library, so that it can be posted on the library's Facebook page...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley Police Department will support the Iron County Health Department and Wisconsin National Guard in conducting a public COVID-19 drive-thru testing event at the Hurley Fire Department on Tuesday, Dec. 8. In his report to the Police Fire and License Committee at its Monday meeting, HPD Sgt. Justin Colossaco said that the department provided support for a previous testing event. People will drive through the fire hall truck bay from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for testing in their vehicles a...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer Planning Commission approved the site plan for a new Dollar General store during its regular meeting on Tuesday. The approval of the site plan is contingent upon the store receiving all necessary permits. The Dollar General is set to replace the Travelers Motel, which is located at the east end of the city, off of U.S. 2. The motel will remain open until the sale of the property is finalized, according to owner Donna Maslanka. Maslanka has owned and operated the motel for 30 y...
BY TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The December First Friday event will feature an ice-sculpting contest followed by a holiday market on Saturday in Ironwood. Planning for the Dec. 4 First Friday event in downtown Ironwood was adjusted to avoid the possible congestion of people at any given time at the downtown city square where artists will carve ice sculptures over a 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday in a competition for the best work with the “Winter Wonderland” theme. Similar efforts were made for the third...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - An Ironwood family received an early Christmas present Tuesday after a family friend showed up on their doorstep with a Christmas tree he purchased as a surprise for the single mother of three and her kids. "Oh my goodness. Oh my God, wow," Jackie Little exclaimed as her friend Richard Little surprised her with a Christmas Tree. She said that she was just blown away with his gesture. Richard had intended to deliver the tree on foot, but was g...
TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Area food pantries say the number of people in need is stable or growing depending on the types of services provided. There has been a steady increase in demand for food and other services since the coronavirus pandemic in spring of 2019 and there does not appear to be signs of any federal relief in the near future, said the Rev. Roger Kolehmainen, program director and manager of Union Station, the food pantry ran by Restoration of the Branc...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] Firefighters throughout Iron County will be collecting toys and other gifts for area children in need on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. The collection effort is part of the Iron County Firefighters Association’s Christmas is for Kids campaign. “Years ago the fire association (Iron County) was looking for a way to give back to the kids and to needy families in the area,” said Stacy Ofstad, treasurer of the association. “We know that when kids lose everything that it’s devastating. So it’s just our wa...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon Area School Board rated Superintendent Jim Bobula as “highly effective” after an evaluation following a special board meeting Monday. The evaluation was conducted using the Michigan Association of School’s Superintendent Evaluation Instrument. “Jim Bobula’s financial stewardship, especially during this time of COVID 19, have proven to be outstanding. Under Jim’s guidance, the district continues to move forward, in spite of the challenges during the pandemic,” the board said in a writt...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] ESCANABA - Tom Casperson, who represented Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in Lansing for seven years as a state senator, died this weekend at the age of 61. Casperson, a Republican from Escanaba, died Sunday. He had been diagnosed with cancer. Fellow Republicans in the Senate called Casperson a "titan of the Upper Peninsula." State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, who succeeded Casperson in representing the western end of the Upper Penisula as p...
TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER - After years of pulling borrowed groomers with an old snowmobile, a volunteer has new equipment to help step up the frequency and quality of Iron Belle Trail conditions for cross country skiers and snowshoers this winter season. Randy Ahnen, who is vice president of the nonprofit Wolverine Nordic Trails, also lives adjacent to the Bessemer trailhead of the Iron Belle Trail, and has volunteered his time and equipment to groom the trail since t...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — A total of 37 people are dead in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in connection with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with another 13 deaths in Iron County, Wisconsin, related to COVID-19. As of Saturday, a total of 23 people had died in Gogebic County over the course of the pandemic, according to data on the state’s coronavirus website. That’s up from the 21 deaths the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department reported last Monday. The county has had 567 confirmed cases of COVID...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Many Black Friday shoppers said they are sensitive to support local stores this holiday season after a tough financial year for small businesses. “Our goal is to always shop locally,” said Mark Schwanz, owner of the Yooper Girl brand and the former owner of Chelsea’s Corner. “I’m sure in these times it’s just critical to get out and spend dollars locally for the sake of the people that are trying to make a living.” Anna Suvanto, of Bessemer, said that because of the COVID-19 pandemic it seem...
TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MARENISCO - With Thanksgiving community events shut down from the pandemic this year a group of volunteer firefighters decided to pick up the torch and deliver meals to people from Marenisco to Ironwood on Thursday. Members of the Marenisco Township Volunteer Fire Department decided recently to step up and deliver meals to people who would otherwise be alone and not have the traditional holiday meal, along with other families who are trying to manage...
