Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1859 - 1883 of 9883
HANCOCK — More than 20 people in Gogebic County have died related to the coronavirus pandemic, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department reported Monday, as local health officials continue to work to limit the spread of the virus. There have been a total of 21 deaths in the county related to COVID-19 since the virus was first detected locally in March, according to the WUPHD’s Monday update, with a total of 51 deaths in the five-county region the health department serves. Gogebic County has had 524 positive cases and an additional 207 pro...
HURLEY - Several local groups are partnering together to help provide Christmas gifts for those young people in Iron County in need. Northern Iron County Engaged Residents - along with the city of Hurley and the Iron County Human Services Department - have organized a giving tree where people can find out what gifts to donate. "Children in Iron County need Christmas gifts and this year has been difficult for many families. What are the youth asking for? Jeans, leggings, T-shirts and hats,...
BY TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — A drop in annual membership renewals to the Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce is a reflection of the pandemic impact on local businesses, according to chamber director Michael Meyer. Meyer spoke to the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority at its Thursday meeting. He said business owners are struggling to make ends meet. Renewal fees have not increased but businesses are under a great deal of stress right now, he said. “That is going to continue for a while,” Meyer said. “But I expec...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] MERCER, Wis. - Hunters gathered at the Northwoods Wildlife and Wetlands Club on Friday to sight-in their guns in preparation for deer season which began in Wisconsin on Saturday. Sight-in Day is a free annual event held by the club to give hunters the opportunity to ready their guns for the nine-day gun deer hunting season. "This is where you go to hunt (Mercer Area)," said Pete Wetzler, vice president of the NWWC. "It"s a nice service that is provided...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — Officials with MECCA Trails have announced they will host their first Winterfest fundraising event in collaboration with the Gogebic Range Health Foundation from Dec. 18 to Feb. 21, 2021. While the skiing will be real, the event will be virtual, as participants will have the better part of two months to complete races. Winterfest will include the third annual Turtle River Pursuit — made up of 11K classic and 11K freestyle races — as well as three other events on the trail system. “We a...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The town of Mercer’s Section 24 fire station recently went through some major reconstruction and received a brand new firetruck, according to Beth Wetzler, deputy town clerk in Mercer. Fire chief Steve Altman said the station is at least 70 years old and was need of repair. He said the roof leaked and the windows were only single pane. Altman said construction work on the station located on County Road FF was completed in September and included a new roof, windows, garage doors and fur...
By Charity Smith [email protected] IRONWOOD - The annual Jack Frost Festival tree lighting ceremony took place Thursday night in the park next to the Historic Ironwood Depot, without all the traditional fanfare. In years past, singers from the Ironwood Area Schools have performed carols, an organ played, and refreshments of hot cocoa and cookies were offered, according to Mike Meyer, president of the Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the event. However because of the...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved a contract with union and non-union employees in the court ouse, sheriff’s department and department heads. The three-year contract terms for courthouse employees provide a 35-cent an hour raise in the first year, 35 cents in the second year and 30 cents in the third year of the contract. The sheriff’s department contract employees receive 45 cents an hour more the first year and 40 cents more in each of the next two years. Depar...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood Area Schools’ board of education is expected to consider a request for a trail reroute at its meeting Monday after the district’s building and grounds committee forwarded the issue to the full board Wednesday. The Gogebic Range Trail Authority is requesting a land-use agreement with the district for part of the district’s property near its bus garage and the Miners Memorial Heritage Park for the development of a looped trail through Ironwood which the club is looking...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — Rob Coleman will once again be a member of the city council after the group voted 3-1 during its Monday meeting to fill an open seat. Lou Miskovich resigned from the city council last month. “I am honored that the city council appointed me. … Because of my experience on council I will be able to hit the ground running,” Coleman said. “I also want the residents of Bessemer to know that I have their best interests at heart. We all live in the same community and we all want to see it thrive....
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MONTREAL, Wis. — The local non-profit Northern Iron County Engaged Residents is continuing its efforts to develop a community garden in the city of Montreal. Along with its other fundraising efforts, such as pursuing grants and collecting cans from residents, NICER launched a crowdfunding campaign Sunday to help raise funds to start the garden. NICER is using seedmoney.org for its campaign, NICER secretary and garden committee chairwoman Kari Klemme said, explaining its a non-profit focused on s...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — Bessemer Area Schools has announced that all K-12 students will be learning remotely until Nov. 30 as a result of the order issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday. According to Superintendent Dan Niemi the order mandated the closure of in-person high school classes until Dec. 9, but left the decision for the method of learning for K-8 students up to the district. “It was a very difficult decision. Very, very difficult, because we know the kids need to be in...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Gogebic Range Trail Authority still wanted to recognize its supporters and volunteers for their contributions to maintaining the snowmobile trail system in western Gogebic County. Although the pandemic prevented the large gathering at the club's traditional banquet, GRTA officials had those being recognized gather at the GRTA grooming barn in the Bessemer Industrial Park Tuesday. The club...
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield-Marenisco Board of Education voted 4-1 Monday evening to keep all students of Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School in virtual learning through Dec. 8. The action — in which Board Secretary Stacie Rooni cast the dissenting vote — was taken in relation to a state mandate requiring students in grades 9-12 to adhere to virtual status throughout that time period. “The board weighed whether or not to move all students K-12 to virtual for the three-week period,” said Superintendent Jason Gustafson in a Tuesday press release. He ad...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley School Board approved a recommendation to keep learning in the classroom through December at its regular meeting on Monday The 4-0 vote will keep with the school district’s Return to School document that governs in-school and virtual education during the pandemic. School Board member Kathy Saari was not present. The recommendation from school district administrator Kevin Genisot came during his semester update regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the school communicates wit...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood Carnigee Library will continue to offer curbside services only through the end of the month, following the continued increase of COVID-19 in the area, according to library director Lynne Wiercinski. The library had originally planned on resuming in-person services on Monday. “When you’re looking at what are numbers are currently in this community, and the govenor’s statement on Sunday night discussing what the needs of Michigan are, we’re just going to continue to play it safe h...
MARENISCO - The Marenisco Township Board of Trustees addressed a list of agenda items at its Monday evening meeting, but the biggest news was that it was the final occasion for Supervisor Richard Bouvette to lead the charge. After nearly a quarter of a century leading the township, Bouvette - who will be 75 in January - wrote in his November newsletter column that he is "ready to transition from a position of some influence to obscurity as a cranky old man." After serving as the superintendent...
HURLEY — With its shipment of flu vaccines now delivered, the Iron County Health Department announced it is planning four flu vaccine clinics this month — including a pair of events in southern Iron County today. Health department officials are encouraging people to get their flu shots as the department works to prevent a flu outbreak from complicating the effort to stop the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “We don’t want to confuse the flu season with COVID-19,” said Zona Wick, a registered nurse and retired county health officer who returned...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Union Station food pantry has teamed up with Feeding America to offer Michigan residents a drive-thru food distribution at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The distribution is expected to include meat, produce, dairy and groceries, according to organizers. “This is a different arrangement than what we had before. What we did is we partnered with Feeding America from downstate, and we offered to administer and distribute food to the local people here,” said Roger Kolehmainen, a representative with...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Monday's return to in-person learning in several local school districts will be short-lived for some students as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's order closing high schools across the state is set to take effect Wednesday. The state order, which was announced Sunday, targets indoor social gatherings and other group activities as state officials look to curb rapidly raising COVID-19 infection rates. "In the spring, we listened to public health...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] Four years after helping prevent the loss of quality ambulance services in Gogebic County, a special committee continues to explore ways to address increasing costs, cross-border regulations and rural response times. The county had considered running its own ambulance service but it makes more sense to contract, financially speaking, said Jim Lorenson, chair of the county ambulance committee. The committee formed to find immediate and long-term solutions when Beacon Ambulance could not keep up...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Members of the American Legion Post 11 in Wakefield honored Franklin "Porky" Raymond, 88, at a Wednesday afternoon event in the Legion building. Commander Russ Korpi presented the "Recognition Award," along with Finance Officer Rudy Krznarich. "Your contribution was critical to our success," read a plaque that Raymond received. Korpi recalled that Raymond was on the Honor Guard for many years and also used his woodworking skills to make tables...
HURLEY — A pair of men are facing charges related to a number of burglaries in the region, including two in southern Iron County, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday. Larry J. Rush, 65, of Park Falls is charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of theft and two misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property in connection to alleged burglaries in the Mercer and Springstead areas. Steven G. Martin, 28, of Success, Arkansas, is charged with felony counts of burglary and theft, as well as a misdemeanor count of cri...
