Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1566 - 1590 of 9873
BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council approved a resolution to allow flexibility in meeting platforms during its first in-person meeting in over a year on Friday. The special meeting was called in order to address the issue of whether or not to meet in person in the future. “That’s the state of Michigan for you. It kind of contradicts the COVID-19 rules. I talked to our attorney and we have to have this meeting in person in order to decide whether Monday, and future meetings, will be in person,” said City Manager Charly Loper. Loper said th...
BESSEMER - Students at Washington Elementary got to pour slime on Mark Switzer, the school's dean of instruction, on Thursday, as a reward for the kids' fundraising efforts in the Kids Heart Challenge for the American Heart Association. The annual challenge encourages students to get at least 60 minutes of exercise a day, drink water instead of drinks with sugar, and show acts of kindness. The students set up profiles on the Kids Heart Challenge website and raised money for the American Heart...
MERCER, Wisc. — Town of Mercer voters will decide whether or not to pass a half-cent consumer tax to pay for roads and infrastructure spending in an Election Day referendum on Tuesday. Voters may choose yes or no to the ballet question, “Should the Town of Mercer levy 0.5% (one half cent on the dollar) sales tax on tourist related retailers, as described in Wisconsin State Statute 66.1113(1)(d) to pay for transportation and public safety infrastructure?” The question posed is a proposed Premier Resort Area Tax (PRAT) that Mercer is eligible to...
BESSEMER - Students and staff at A.D. Johnson Junior-Senior High School spent Thursday learning about autism in preparation for Autism Awareness Day today. "The theme for world wide autism is to also work with kindness," said teacher Jamie Stiffarm. "So, the acceptance and kindness towards others." To help educate students, the school held an hourly contest Thursday where questions on autism spectrum disorder were read every period and students had the time in between classes to drop their...
HURLEY — They may never need it, but Iron County will be able to build a new route to its communication tower on Germania Hill in Hurley after the Iron County Board of Supervisors voted 13-2 to approve a land purchase Tuesday. Supervisors Larry Youngs and Karl Krall voted against the measure. The board approved purchasing a pair of lots, including 127 Germania St., from Kenneth Tilton for $10,500. The purchase is viewed as a preventative measure, according to several board members, if there are further issues with a different property owner w...
IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College was singled out for having one of the best medical coding and billing degree programs in 2021 by intelligent.com, an online magazine that rates post-secondary education programs. GCC president George McNulty told board members at their Tuesday meeting that the program was also praised for being “academically rigorous.” He said the magazine provides “unbiased” research that helps students make decisions on higher education. GCC was selected from an assessment of 1,280 accredited college and universities, acco...
MERCER, Wis. - While the Mercer Library is open, the staff continues to offer a variety of online events as they are not hosting any in-person gatherings due to social distancing concerns. "We are trying to focus mostly on things that people can take home from the library to work on or online events," said library director Teresa Schmidt. The library gives out craft kits twice a month. The kits are appropriate for kids, families, and even adults, Schmidt said. The latest craft project kit was...
HURLEY — It appears the criminal case against a former chief of the Hurley Volunteer Fire Department is nearing a conclusion after a deferred prosecution agreement was accepted in the case Monday. Darrell J. Petrusha, 56, was charged with one count of identity theft related to his alleged improper use of a fire department credit card for personal expenses. Monday’s agreement means special prosecutor Allen Brey will dismiss the case if Petrusha meets certain requirements, including avoiding any new criminal charges for the next six months. It...
WAKEFIELD — Last summer, an expansion of the Iron Belle Trail linked Bessemer to Ramsay, meaning that the trail in Gogebic County now stretches from Hurley to Ramsay, with a paved trail for silent sports such as hiking and biking. A new hurdle now exists in how to continue the trail expansion from Ramsay to Wakefield — action highly anticipated by trail lovers and by business owners who might stand to gain sales from the added activity. The city of Wakefield now finds itself squarely in the midst of the effort because it is one of five own...
IRONWOOD — The First Friday Committee is planning one more virtual event for the pandemic with a seeding demonstration from master gardeners to help residents with planting in their gardens. “Seeds of Change” will be a Facebook Live First Friday event from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 2, at facebook.com/events/ 239335811206992. Members of Range Master Gardeners will live stream a demonstration on seed starting from Northwind Natural Foods Co-op. In his report to the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority on March 25, Tim Erickson, city commu...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY - The plan for this season's road work in Iron County, including the construction of the county's first roundabout, is beginning to take shape after the Wisconsin Department of Transportation released its first regional construction preview Thursday. Work replacing the existing interchange between U.S. 2 and U.S. 51 with a roundabout is scheduled to begin in May and run through November, with holiday work restrictions expected for the...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The goal of establishing a tax increment financing district (TIF) for the downtown looks to be delayed longer than anticipated, according to reports at Thursday’s meeting of the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority. Tom Bergman, director of community development for the city of Ironwood, said ongoing work with the zoning ordinance has created delays. This will require the city to adjust its TIF application to the revised Redevelopment Ready Communities “2.0” certification process...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College is considering three possible programs in search of adding one to enhance the school and utilize existing space at the Lindquist Center, according to college president George McNulty. The board of trustees held a workshop to discuss the options on Thursday afternoon. The programs under consideration are outdoor education, occupational therapy assistant, and physical therapy assistant. The outdoor recreational industry brought in $788 billion last year, according t...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — The work to provide faster response for ambulance service in the remote areas of Watersmeet Township area has slowed, according to information provided to the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday. The minutes from the Ambulance Committee noted a contract with an ambulance service in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin, continues to be on hold after the Gogebic Iron Medical Control Authority indicated issues, including the company is not licensed in Michigan. James Lorenson, com...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO TOWNSHIP — Members of the Marenisco Township Board of Trustees learned at their regular Monday evening meeting that Supervisor Bruce Mahler will post a new advertisement to invite applicants for the full-time position of Chief of Police. “Applicants must have current Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards certification and ability to be licensed to be considered for employment,” states the announcement shared by Mahler. It also states that the person hired as chief will work “a mi...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Three members of the Ironwood Public Safety Department were honored on Wednesday for work in the line of duty that led to saving lives in recent months. IPSD Lt. Michael Rimkus was presented with the department's Meritorious Conduct Award for his role in preventing a possible suicide. Officers Andrew Leiphart and Paul Rickard were presented with the Recognition of Life Saving Award for their role in performing CPR until medical teams...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - The former director of the Ironwood Public Safety Department will have to pay a fine and complete community service after being sentenced by videoconference in Gogebic County District Court Wednesday on a misdemeanor eavesdropping charge. Gregory Dean Klecker, 61, was ordered to pay a $600 fine and complete seven days of community service for attempted eavesdropping in relation to his use of a recorder to document a conversation between...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] RAMSAY — Some residents of Bessemer Township complained at Monday’s annual meeting of the township board of trustees about a proposed increase of $3,000 to the deputy treasurer’s wage. The request by township treasurer Hope Tarnaski would have increased deputy treasure Corine Johnston’s pay to $3,600. Residents voiced concerns with the increase. It was the first township meeting attended by members and residents in-person and via Zoom. Resident Jean Verbos questioned the need for the increase, when th...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MARQUETTE — This week of spring rain, light snow and seasonable temperatures is really an exception to an ongoing unseasonably warm and dry trend that will continue to impact the area, according to the National Weather Service in Marquette. The seasonal precipitation level since July 1, 2020 is slightly above normal at 25.7 inches, while the average is 25.01 inches, according to Ryan Connelly, meteorologist in Marquette. The observed measurements are recorded at the wastewater treatment facility i...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The annual city spring cleanup event is being planned to work within the current pandemic guidelines, according to reports at the Ironwood City Commission meeting Monday. Commissioner Kim Corcoran inquired as to whether the city’s spring cleanup would occur this year. The annual event was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. City Manager Scott Erickson said a one-day event with the high school Army JROTC program providing the labor would not be possible. The city is working to cre...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO — Members of the Marenisco Township Board of Trustees voted Monday evening to approve an ordinance allowing recreational marijuana enterprise within the limited area of the former Ojibway Correctional Facility. The unanimous vote, with all members present, included related action that will change zoning in that locale from Commercial 1 to Commercial 2. The vote followed a public hearing that drew fewer than 20 people to the community room of the Marenisco Township Hall, and inspired inquiries bu...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — Given that the township would likely be found responsible if the issue were contested, the Ironwood Township Board of Trustees voted Monday to pay the plumbing bill for a Jackson Road residence after sewage backed up into the property’s basement. The $262 bill came after the property owners called a plumber about the sewage backup and it was ultimately determined that the issue was with the township sewer line rather than the pipes the homeowner is responsible for. “I think we s...
