Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 2108 - 2132 of 9797
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — With no information on how much state funding the district will receive next year, the Ironwood Area Schools’ board of education passed a budget Monday that mostly maintained the financial status quo while district officials await more information. “The budget the board just approved tonight, it assumes flat revenue — meaning no increase, no decrease — we know full well there will be some kind of change … and when that happens we’ll have to amend our budget accordingly,” Superintendent...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Construction crews broke ground Thursday to start the summer long project of building the Downtown City Square in Ironwood. Bordered by Aurora and Lowell streets and McLeod Avenue, the City Square is intended to be a year-round space to attract more people to the city and to the downtown, said Tom Bergman, director of community development for the city of Ironwood. It is also one part of the larger effort to create amenities that attract...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — Iron County health officials announced a third confirmed case of COVID-19 in the county Thursday. The department didn’t release any information regarding the person who tested positive, citing the patient’s privacy, but said the individual is in isolation. Health department officials are working with the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department to investigate who may have been in close contact with the person. “Based on (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines, a close c...
By TOM LAVENTURE tlaventure@yourdailyglobe MERCER, Wis. — After reports of progress and accomplishments were conveyed, the annual meeting of the town of Mercer Board of Supervisors on Tuesday reintroduced a tourist-driven tax idea to fund road paving and repair costs. The annual public meeting is scheduled for April but was delayed 60 days because of the COVID-19 shutdown order in place at the time. Around 25 electors were in attendance, including the five town board members, to discuss any issue raised in which the town has statutory a...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Ironwood Walmart store was evacuated briefly on Tuesday afternoon after maintenance work resulted in a clipped natural gas line behind the store. Ironwood Public Safety Department was dispatched at 1:10 p.m. as the contracted fire department for Walmart, according to IPSD Sgt. Matt Sterbenz. The first officers to arrive at 1:20 p.m., Andrew DiGiorgio, IPSD director, and Lt. Adam Clemens, determined that for safety reasons the store w...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Michigan’s fireworks laws allow for a wide variety of commercial grade aerial items, but the limited window for use is meant to reduce the amount of noise that can cause stress to other residents and pets, according to Andrew DiGiorgio, director of the Ironwood Public Safety Department. People buy fireworks and have to hold on to them for two weeks and that is frustrating for some people, he said. The IPSD will enforce the Michigan law that allows fireworks use from Monday, June 29 to...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The band shell on Massie Field will be getting a “makeover,” and just in time for the July 10 graduation ceremony at A.D. Johnston High School in Bessemer. The Bessemer Area School Board on Monday approved a band shell booster project to put new vinyl siding on the band shell as well as painting the interior. “So it’s getting a little facelift,” said Dan Niemi, school district superintendent and principal of A.D. Johnston High School. The project volunteers include Dick Matrella a school bo...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The city of Ironwood took the next step toward addressing manganese and water quality issues Monday by approving the go-ahead for grant applications for a proposed $9.7 million water treatment plant. The unanimous decision followed a public hearing where engineers who have studied Ironwood’s water system presented a preliminary engineering report that recommended a concrete, gravity filtered water treatment plant. “I recognize that this is a very expensive project but I think there...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER - A barber shop is often considered a centerpiece in the community conversation and a documentary film crew selected Misky's Haircuts in Bessemer to interview area residents on the topic of healthcare on Saturday. Filmmaker Christine Ryan Harland and her cinematographer James Q. Martin, of C'est Tout Films, based in Tuscon, Arizona, are traveling the country with University of Arizona physicians to record feedback from people in small...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood Area Schools continues to improve its bus fleet after the board of education approved purchasing two new buses and other equipment Monday. Along with the buses, the board approved purchasing a new radio repeater and three radios to help improve the district’s ability to communicate with its bus fleet. “The repeater, I’m really excited about,” Ironwood Superintendent Travis Powell said after the meeting. The district’s previous radio repeater died in 2007, according t...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MONTREAL, Wis. — A major water system project to improve water quality and capacity for the city of Montreal is nearly complete, according to Mayor Erik Guenard. “We are probably 90% complete with it,” he said. The project has so far come in under the $130,000 estimate, he said. The only major work left to complete is a mixer for the water tower. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is overseeing the project, he said. Everything was moving forward satisfactorily as of the most recen...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO - When towns and townships sponsor annual clean-up days, residents have the opportunity to clear their homes, garages and yards of any items deemed no longer useful to themselves or anyone else. Moreover, they can rid themselves of such clutter - sometimes by the truck-load - at no cost, thanks to local governments footing the bill. Although such events typically take place in the spring or early summer, concerns with COVID-19 caused many local g...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — Iron County is receiving over $92,000 in grant funding to pay for upgrades to the county's 911 system. The county was one of 24 projects the state’s Office of Emergency Communications selected to receive a share of $2.1 million in federal funds for 911 upgrades. Iron County's $92,967 grant will go towards a pair of projects, according to Stacy Ofstad, the county's emergency management director and 911 coordinator. “Our current system is roughly five years old and it runs off Windows 7. We...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — Finding a buyer for an old plow truck will bring the town of Mercer more funds than it would have received as trade-in value for a new truck. The town of Mercer Board of Supervisors 5-0 approved the $55,000 sale of a plow truck to Elcho, Wisconsin at its Thursday meeting. The sale is $7,000 more than the $48,000 the town expected to receive as trade-in value toward a new truck that the board approved a $161,787 loan to purchase in April for the town maintenance department. The s...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer Fourth of July fireworks display will begin at 10 p.m. according to a member of the Fourth of July Committee. “I am a firm believer that we need to have a time so that people can be ready,” said Linda Nelson who chairs the committee. The location of the fireworks will not be announced until hours before the show to reduce the potential of a crowd forming, in light of social distancing concerns. “Our goal is to make sure everyone is safe,” said Nelson. “We do not want any so...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HANCOCK — The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department announced a new positive COVID-19 case in Gogebic County Thursday afternoon — the first positive case locally since mid-May. No additional information was available Friday morning regarding the person who tested positive. Prior to the announcement of the latest case, WUPHD health officer Kate Beer told the Daily Globe her department has to walk a fine line between informing the community and protecting the privacy of those who test pos...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER - The Bessemer Area Schools Board of Education held a special meeting on Wednesday to approve a bid for the installation of new windows at Washington Elementary School. The lowest bid was $610,035 from Nasi Construction. Board secretary Beth Steiger said this will leave the district with less than $168,000 for other projects. "What that means ... is that if we approve these windows, which I think we all agreed at our last working session was...
WAKEFIELD — A COVID-19 drive thru test site will be available that will allow the community to be tested from the convenience of their own vehicle, according to a Michigan State Police Wakefield Post press release on Wednesday. The Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center and the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department have coordinated efforts to provide the drive-thru testing from 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (CDT) on Tuesday, June 23 at the MSP Wakefield Post, 100 Sunday Lake St. Drive-thru testing will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served b...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Board of Supervisors Finance Committee is hoping a change to the county’s employee handbook will save the county some money as it voted Thursday to recommend the full board consider changing the policy regarding retiree health care. Under the current policy, county employees can choose to pay to stay on the county’s health insurance policy after they retire until they become eligible for Medicare. The committee is recommending the policy be changed so that employees would n...
MARENISCO — At a Monday evening meeting of the Marenisco Board of Trustees, Supervisor Richard Bouvette announced that the pending retirement of Police Chief Bruce Mahler begs the question of whether to replace him. “Yeah!” answered Trustee Kelly Dunbar without hesitation. “Maybe,” said Trustee Dave Hagen, who added later that he would prefer the position to be part time. “What other options do we have?” asked Treasurer Diane Dean. Bouvette, who also chairs the board, said members can hire a replacement for Mahler or can contract services thro...
HURLEY — The Hurley City Council on Monday approved liquor and cigarette licenses in a special meeting. The council approved a class B beer license to Hurley Highlands Gas, LLC, at 510 2nd Ave. N., followed by approval of a cigarette license to the same business. The council then approved the purchase of 75 replacement banners for the decorative lighting poles on Silver Street. The cost is approximately $2,700. Robert Lanctoe, city alderman and member of the public works committee, said the current banners have been up since 2007 and are w...
ONTONAGON — The head of the union for the Ontonagon County Sheriff’s Department told the Ontonagon County Board Tuesday that union members have “serious concerns regarding the safety of our officers and inmates.” Ken Waldrop, union president, said the board at its last meeting voted to rescind the approval of hiring a correctional officer due to financial issues. Waldrop outlined the previous decision of the board to send two desk deputies to the academy for training and certification. He said, that while they were in training the board w...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The city of Bessemer will have a fireworks display on the Fourth of July. The city council granted the Fourth of July Committee a permit for the show at Monday’s council meeting. According to council member Linda Nelson, who spoke on behalf of the Fourth of July Committee, the exact location of the fireworks will not be disclosed until the evening of the show, as they don’t want a large crowd there because of social distancing. “Our goal is to make sure everyone is safe,” she said. “We do no...
