Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 2154 - 2178 of 9883
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY - The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iron County has now doubled in less than a week, as Iron County health department officials announced three new cases linked to the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday. The three cases bring the county's total to 20, with six cases considered recovered. The county health department's announcement Friday of one new case brought the county's total up to 10. Since then, the health department announced seven new cases Monday and three new cases Tuesday.... Full story
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley City Council on Tuesday approved a setback variance request that would allow construction of a non-conforming garage that is being planned by a city council member. The 4-0 approval follows recommendations from the city assessor Daniel Soine and the city planning and zoning committee to approve a conditional use permit for a homeowner to construct a second garage at 610 Oak St. The variance was necessary to allow a setback leeway that places the garage 6 feet from the alley a...
Charity Smith/Daily Globe Traffic is backed up onto U.S. 2 on Country Club Road on Wednesday morning, as a crew works to repave Country Club Road from U.S. 2 to Bonnie Road in Ironwood....
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The Mercer Public School Board approved contracts for the superintendent and special education director on Monday. Sheri Kopka, who has served as the interim school superintendent since June 2019, accepted a two-year contract offered from the board that is effective July 1 through June 30, 2022. The decision follows the resignation of former district administrator Erik Torkelson in June after a year on long-term medical leave. The board reached an agreement on a contract with K...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Members of the Wakefield City Council voted on Monday evening to approve a newly created policy for the disposition of city-owned surplus property. City Manager Rob Brown, who developed the new policy after studying similar plans by other municipalities, said the city has roughly 89 such properties on its roster. He added that many of them should be kept, but also assured that some of them could be sold. "We know our charter allows us to... Full story
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — The body of a missing Wisconsin woman has been recovered, ending a multi-day search after local authorities received reports she went over Rainbow Falls near Black River Harbor. Deputies with the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department recovered the body of Stephanie Narvaez, 22, of Watertown, at approximately 4:40 a.m. at the base of Rainbow Falls, Gogebic County Sheriff Pete Matonich said in a Tuesday news release. Narvaez had attempted to cross the Black River above the falls while hiking with Karl Nelson, 22, of Mil...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Andrew DiGiorgio, the director of Ironwood Public Safety Department, announced Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. The announcement came during the regular meeting of the Ironwood City Commission that DiGiorgio attended virtually. He let the commissioners know of his status during his COVID-19 report. “I will let you know that I’m positive with the coronavirus so I’m quarantined for 14 days,” DiGiorgio said during the meeting. DiGiorgio said in his discussions with the Weste...
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — The search continued on Monday for a missing Wisconsin visitor who reportedly fell into the Black River and was swept over Rainbow Falls on Saturday, according to a press release from Gogebic County Sheriff's Office. Stephanie Narvaez, 22, of Watertown, Wisconsin, and her companion, Karl Nelson, 22, of Milwaukee, were hiking in the area of Rainbow Falls on Saturday evening, according to the press release. Narvaez was attempting to cross the Black River just above the waterfall when she lost her footing, slipped into the r... Full story
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER - The A.D. Johnston High School class of 2020 may have lost out on many traditional senior rites of passage, but on Friday not only did they have a graduation ceremony, with all the pomp and circumstance allowed by COVID times, but became the first graduating class to have its ceremony outside on Massie Field. "We are the first class to graduate on Massie Field, this right now is history," said one of the class valedictorians, Eliza Stone, in...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - High school graduates of Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School had to wait until Friday evening for their graduation ceremony, but they were rewarded for their patience with perfect weather in an outdoor setting overlooking Sunday Lake. The ceremony - which normally would have taken place in the school gym in late May - was delayed due to COVID-19. Because of related concerns about enclosed spaces, this year's event was held on the north side of the...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Court of Appeals has upheld the sentences of one of the men convicted of killing a Lac du Flambeau man in Iron County two-and-a-half years ago. Following a six-day trial in August 2018, a jury found Joseph Lussier guilty of being one of the two shooters in the December 2017 murder of Wayne Valliere Jr., in a remote part of Iron County north of Mercer, convicting him of being a party to the crimes of first-degree intentional homicide by use of a dangerous weapon and hid... Full story
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Wakefield postmaster Drew Tikkanen has been named the "2019 Engagement Leader of the Year," for the Greater Michigan District of the U.S. Postal Service. "I was very shocked when this happened," Tikkanen said. "I was not expecting it. Especially one out of our whole district. I didn't know they had this kind of thing until they presented me with it." Tikkanen said she was presented the award Thursday via a surprise Zoom presentation from...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — A legislative attempt to reimburse Gogebic County’s ballooning liability with a retirement fund is still a priority, according to reports at the Gogebic County Commission meeting Wednesday. “We’re doing lots of work in Lansing,” said Justin Kasieta, legislative staff of Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, was present to update the commission on the activity at the state legislature. He said Markkanen will again introduce legislation to reimburse de-funded grant dollars to Gogebic County to...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] WAKEFIELD — The Michigan State Police Wakefield Post will be the site of a COVID-19 testing station on Thursday. The testing will be provided through a coordinated effort of the Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center and the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, and is available to all. Those who wish to be tested must pre-register in advance and schedule an appointment between 9:15 a.m. and 1 p.m. Registration and appointments are on a first-come first-served basis. The process of pre-registering... Full story
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] SAXON, Wis. - There's a light at the end of the tunnel for the rebuilding of Saxon Harbor, following its destruction in the July 2016 storm, as work on the campground nears completion. Iron County Forestry and Parks Administrator Eric Peterson said major construction on the campground project has been completed and work is continuing on the final items. "We are down to paving, seeding and mulching, they have some work to do in the bathroom ... and t...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — The Ironwood Township Board of Trustees heard good news recently as the township’s auditor said there were zero deficiencies or findings in the township’s 2019 audit. This marks the third year in a row with zero deficiencies or findings in the audits. Supervisor Jim Simmons credited the township employees who worked with auditor, Karl “Gus” Ahonen, with the Ironwood-based Makela, Pollack and Ahonen, for the result. “That’s been the fine work between Mary Segalin and Maria Gra...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP — An aide for Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, visited the Tuesday evening meeting of the Wakefield Township Board of Trustees and quickly heard complaints regarding delayed processing of unemployment claims. “We’re just making our way around and wanted to know if you have any concerns,” said Justin Kasieta, one of Markkanen’s aides, after being introduced by supervisor John Cox, who also chairs the board. The criticism of the state unemployment office — which also has occurred in... Full story
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] SAXON, Wis. - Drivers traveling on U.S. 2 near Saxon may notice some increased construction activity as work began on several culverts Wednesday. The $879,203 project centers around three culverts between Curry and Clement roads west of Saxon, according to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation construction update, and is expected to run through mid-September. Although no culverts will actually be replaced, according to the WisDOT update, two...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Human Services Board is recommending the county board pass a resolution changing who will handle certain legal processes involving children in the county. The resolution — which the human services board passed at the end of June — would move children in need of protection and services, and termination of parental rights proceedings from the district attorney’s office to the responsibility of the county’s corporation counsel, Tim Dean. Human Services Director Cally Kil...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HANCOCK — As local health officials report new cases connected to the coronavirus pandemic in Gogebic County, the Bayfield County Health Department is warning people attending a hockey tournament in Ashland in late June they may have been exposed to the virus. The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department reported three new positive COVID-19 cases in Gogebic County Monday, bringing the county’s total up to 10. The number of recovered cases in Gogebic County is at four as of Monday, according to... Full story
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER TOWNSHIP — Work continues on building the next segment of the non-motorized Iron Belle Trail, which will extend the existing trail from Moore Street in Bessemer to Ramsay. Construction on the segment started June 1 and the trail’s subgrade has been constructed, most of the necessary culverts have been installed and gravel has been put down on most of the trail. “We are hoping for paving by around Aug. 1 or so,” said Paul Anderson, a proje...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — As of Tuesday, the Hurley City Hall building was again closed to general entry until further notice. The announcement Monday on the social media pages of the Hurley Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Jay Aijala, was to “ensure the safety of our employees.” If entry into the building is necessary, it will be on an appointment basis and a face mask is required. The city of Hurley buildings were in a similar status throughout the early part of the coronavirus pandemic and reopened in May with...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MERCER, Wis. - With so many Fourth of July events canceled in the area, the Mercer community hosted a large crowd Saturday for its Fourth of July parade and activities. Melissa Biszak, executive director of the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce, said there were likely more people than usual but people were pretty spread out and not clustered in one area. "Everything went well," Biszak said. The day started early with the annual Run for a Vet... Full story
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HANCOCK — Ontonagon County has its first case of COVID-19, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department announced over the weekend. Department officials said they were notified of the positive test late Friday night and are investigating whether others have had close contact with the individual. “We will be closely monitoring any individuals who may have had direct, personal contact with the identified case, such as household contacts,” the department’s health officer, Kate Beer, said in a relea...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The city of Ironwood Planning Commission on Thursday directed community development staff to move forward with preparing a light industrial zone proposal to accommodate a local expansion. Burton Industries Inc. — a customized electronics manufacturer for original equipment manufacturers with its headquarters in Hazelhurst, Wisconsin, and the manufacturing division in the Ironwood Industrial Park — would like to expand into the former Lighthouse Church building at 777 E. Ayer Stree...
