Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 1977 - 2001 of 9883
BRUCE CROSSING - VFW members in Bruce Crossing recently erected a new sign in front of the post on M-28. The sign, which cost more than $1,000, according to Roger Anttilla, commander of the Henry A. Holappa VFW Post 9345, was placed in front of the post last week. "One night at a meeting I said, I don't like that old sign and we should do something about it and everyone agreed. It was as simple as that," said fellow member Jimbo Jorgensen, who Anttilla credits with getting the ball rolling on...
HURLEY — For much of their tenure, the teen members of the Iron County Youth Leadership Council who sit on the Iron County Board of Supervisors have taken a smaller role in meetings — listening to discussions and voting at the appropriate times. On Tuesday, however, the county board passed a statement the youth leadership council played a key role in developing. The Iron County Board of Supervisors Statement of Community Integrity and Respect highlights that Iron County is a great place and a community that takes pride in “small town values” su...
IRONWOOD - A new executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has theaters and bowling alleys preparing to open months before it was thought possible, along with more possibilities for outdoor events. Two executive orders signed on Sept. 25 will amend the MI Safe Start order to reopen theaters, cinemas and other performance venues starting Oct. 9. Other businesses in the statewide reopening orders include arcades, bingo halls, bowling centers, indoor climbing facilities and trampoline parks....
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission on Monday approved the date for the marijuana establishments ordinance to take effect. The commission 4-1 approved Nov. 10 as the date that applicants may file applications in a competitive licensure process for marijuana micro-businesses, retail, processors, various classes of growers, safety compliance facilities and secure transporters that operate within approved areas of the city. The action follows the commission’s 3-2 approval of the ordinance to reg...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — Although the details aren’t available yet, it appears a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit between several local municipalities and their insurance companies over the lost tax money connected to former Ironwood Township Treasurer Jyl Olson-DeRosso’s embezzlement case. During his supervisor’s report at Monday’s board of trustees meeting, Ironwood Township Supervisor Jim Simmons said the sides have reached a settlement, but he couldn’t release the specifics yet. “Details a...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON - The history of the Ontonagon area is depicted in a new 10-by-40-foot mural commissioned by the Ontonagon County Historical Society. It is on the wall of the museum facing the Ontonagon County Regional Inclusive Consumer Coalition Park and located between the museum and Aspirus fitness center. The colorful mural was done by Sue Martinsen of Ashland, Wisconsin, who has done numerous murals on buildings in Ashland. In Ontonagon, Martinsen's mural...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Ironwood’s First Friday celebration moves outdoors again for the first time since the monthly events went virtual last April due to the coronavirus pandemic. The October First Friday event will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, said Tim Erickson, community development specialist for the city of Ironwood and First Friday committee member in his report to the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority Board on Thursday. The farmers market will move from the Historic Ironwood Dep...
WATERSMEET - Several groups involved with the effort to protect Wildcat Fallson the Scott and Howe Creek near Watersmeet are declaring success with the acquisition of property that will put the area under a conservation program. In a Monday announcement, Joe Hovel of Northwoods Alliance Inc., and Partners in Forestry Cooperative, based in Conover Wisconsin, said the two organizations have worked to protect the Wildcat Falls area for more than 10 years. A recent conservation acquisition was...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HANCOCK — The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department confirmed Saturday that a third person in the region has died of complications surrounding COVID-19, as Baraga County had its first death tied to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Our heartfelt sympathies and prayers go out to the family and community who has lost their loved one,” WUPHD health officer Kate Beer said in a statement. “This is a sad reminder of the danger that COVID-19 continues to impose on our friends and families. We must...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Tuesday, Sept. 29 Community Pickleball, 9-noon, Patterson Tennis Court, weather permitting. Gogebic County Veterans Service Officer, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Ironwood Memorial Building. 906-667-1110. Alcoholics Anonymous, noon, Salem Lutheran Church, Ironwood. area74.org. Alcoholics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Sharon Lutheran Church, Bessemer. area74.org. Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Ironwood. area74.org....
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Area ski resort managers are optimistic that more regional skiers will stay closer to home this season and help boost the struggling pandemic economy in the new year. All the local ski hills and trails plan to be open with adjustments to operations that discourage crowds and lines. Area cross country ski events have gone virtual, were canceled or are still being considered. Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Ironwood Township is p...
BRUCE CROSSING — A traffic stop in Bruce Crossing Thursday that was part of an ongoing drug investigation has led to the seizure of alleged crystal methamphetamine and the execution of a search warrant in the city of Hancock, a spokesperson with the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team announced Friday. UPSET detectives received information regarding two individuals that were suspected of dealing meth who were traveling from Minnesota to Hancock with a large quantity of the drug, according to the UPSET announcement, and were able to l...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] LANSING — Gogebic County and other Upper Peninsula counties without active iron or copper mines for decades have had difficulty finding qualified candidates for elected mining inspectors. Legislation introduced to the Michigan Legislature would revise those requirements to help ensure safety and accountability, according to a Friday announcement. Senate Bill 1121 sponsor Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, and House Bill 6240 sponsor Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, are seeking to remove a sta...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The fate of a proposed water trail project may be with city, county and state collaborations, according to discussion at the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority meeting on Thursday. The phased Montreal River Water Trail project would add shoreline features from Norrie Park to downtown. These would include canoe and kayak landings and fishing docks that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In his updates to the DIDA board, Tom Bergman, director of Ironwood C...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — All fourth grade students were able to return to school on Thursday after a student in question tested negative for COVID-19. Students in one of the two fourth grade cohorts, along with their teacher and siblings, were sent home by the district after a student became ill with symptoms that could have potentially been COVID-19. Students in the elementary school are kept in cohort classes where they only interact with each-other and are isolated from other groups. As such, students are able t...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — The board of education for the Ironwood Area Schools approved new contracts for several district administrative positions Monday, as well as a change to the master administrator contract. Ironwood Superintendent Travis Powell said the two-year contracts for the K-12 principal, business manager, supervisor of special education and board secretary are all the same terms as their current contracts. “We’re in the process of making some district-wide changes and continuous improvement, so wh...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council tabled the approval of the detour route for the U.S. 2 project on Monday to allow ample time for those residents that were unable to attend Monday's public hearing to submit written comments and questions. Residents will have until Oct. 5 to offer their comments, questions and suggestions to city manager Charly Loper. The U.S. 2 project starts in 2021, however, the detours won’t be in place until 2022. Councilman Bill McDonald pushed for the tabling of the rou...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - Locals interested in canning foods got some assistance making sure their equipment was operating properly as Gogebic Community College hosted a pair of drive-thru events on Friday and Monday to allow those interested in pressure canning to have their gauges tested to make sure they are reading properly. Food that is not pressurized correctly can lead to many food-borne illnesses, such as botulism. The college worked in conjunction with the...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Health Department announced several additional drive-thru flu clinics Tuesday as department staff encourage residents to get immunized in an effort to avoid an influenza outbreak from happening while the coronavirus pandemic is still occurring. Along with the previously announced Sept. 29 event at the Mercer Community Center and the Oct. 7 event at the Iron County Highway Garage in Hurley; the department is also holding a drive-thru clinic from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 13 a...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — A survey in which 90% of teachers say there are insurmountable challenges with combining in-school and at-home learning prompted the Hurley K-12 School Board to unanimously approve ending the virtual option at the end of the semester. In about six weeks, all Hurley K-12 students will start the second quarter attending in-person. The only exception are the students who signed up for the third-party Odyssey online curriculum program that does not require a live video feed with classes. S...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Components of the Downtown City Square project are taking shape this week including the fountain-splash pad, pergola and bandshell canopy. Department of Public Works personnel of the city of Ironwood were on site Monday to receive training on the Vortex fountain-splash pad water jets and lighting. The digital system allows for programming 16 water jets and LED lighting in white, blue, green and red. There are two outside directional jets...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer Area Schools sent home a kindergarten and fourth-grade class Monday as a precaution against COVID-19 after a student in each of the classes became ill. Bessemer Superintendent Dan Niemi said the precaution went beyond what the district is required to do “Even though it is not required, we had to tighten the reins,” said Niemi. “I don’t want to have a pandemic breakout in our school system.” A letter to parents posted on the district’s Facebook page said testing for the kinde...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — A delay in the shipping of the vaccine means the Iron County Health Department is delaying one of its planned drive-thru flu vaccine clincs, the health department announced Friday. “The health department’s vaccine suppliers have notified the department that there are plenty of vaccines and there will not be a shortage this year, but shipments have been delayed until Sept. 30,” a department spokesperson said in the announcement. “Therefore, there will be a change to the upcoming fl...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] SAXON, Wis. - Sunday was a beautiful day to be out and about in Saxon, Wisconsin. Local farms had gotten together and organized their "Saxon Fall Farm Market Tour," which saw locals and visitors alike stopping by the three participating farms and getting a chance to win prizes, pet animals and pick a variety of goodies. "It started as a way to spread awareness to the community, to let them know that we are out here," said Deb Swartz, of the Swartz Family...
