Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 2299 - 2323 of 9883
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] Those voters in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District who haven’t already cast their absentee ballots head to polls today to decide who will represent them in Washington for the next term. Republican Tom Tiffany is facing off against Democrat Tricia Zunker in the contest to replace Sean Duffy, who represented the 7th District for nearly eight years before retiring this past September to spend more time with his family. The seat has been vacant since Duffy’s retirement. Tiffany, from Hazel...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College held its 86th annual commencement in a virtual style due to social distancing guidelines on Friday. “Although this may be a new experience for all of us, I can assure you that everyone here at GCC has worked very hard to find the best way to honor all you have accomplished here and to make this occasion very special,” instructor Maria Sokol said in her commencement address as part of the online presentation. The Governor’s stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus p...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — Qualifying Michigan families, including those enrolled in the Ironwood Area Schools, are expected to receive additional assistance with their grocery budgets in the coming weeks as the state distributes funds through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program. The EBT cards will go to families with children who qualify for free or reduced school meals, with eligible 18-26 year olds enrolled in special education programs also receiving funds. As Ironwood is one of the districts t...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Hundreds of short-term, vacation rental homes in the western Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin are facing a drop in anticipated early summer bookings from the coronavirus stay-at-home orders, but owners say the impact is not the same as on other small businesses. Most of the rentals are privately-owned homes or cabins that owners rent by the day, week or month when they are not present. They are marketed through online rental agencies, such as Airbnb, Vrbo or with a local m...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — In his COVID-19 update to the commission, Tom Bergman, director of Ironwood community development, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s changes to the stay-at-home order on Thursday include extending the state’s open meeting law that allows the city meetings to be held online using virtual meeting apps through the expiration of the order on May 28. In the meantime, the city offices are already planning a scaled return to normal service, he said. The staff are working at home and come in to co...
IRONWOOD — With the in-person school year ending abruptly in March due to the corornavirus pandemic, many Ironwood students were unable to clean out their lockers or say goodbye to teachers. The district is planning a series of collection events next week to allow families to get the items that were unexpectedly left at school until now. So far, three pick-up events are planned for Monday and Tuesday for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. “It’s been a long time, but our hands have been tied until this point,” K-12 Principal Melissa...
GILE, Wis. - The Hurley Fire Department wants to help make childrens birthdays a little more fun as they remain relatively home-bound during the coronavirus pandemic. The department will be part of birthdays for kids ages 3 to 6 in the city of Hurley, for the duration of the shutdown order when kids can get out and visit people again, said HFD Chief Mike Sejbl. "We're going to continue that until things get back to somewhat normal," Sejbl said. Several HFD trucks and some personnel will stop at...
BESSEMER - In response to a request from the Michigan Department of Transportation to take down the flashing light on U.S. 2 in Bessemer at Sophie Street, Mayor Adam Zak is asking MDOT for the right to place two signs pointing to the downtown district. "In this case they have to choose - deal with a sign or deal with a light. I know the sign is a lot less expensive for them," said Zak during a discussion on the issue at Monday's city council meeting. According to City Manager Charly Loper, MDOT has requested to remove the flashing light...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HANCOCK — A person visiting Gogebic County from an urban area has tested positive for COVID-19, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department announced Tuesday. Department officials said the person traveled to Gogebic County to visit family before seeking medical treatment locally. “We must continue to be diligent in our efforts to prevent a large outbreak,” said Kate Beer, the department’s health officer. “I urge you to continue limiting travel and practice good hygiene by washing your hands, st...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY - The Hurley School Board was unanimous in maintaining the planned virtual high school graduation ceremony at a special meeting Tuesday for the purpose of setting dates so staff can start formalizing a program. The decision included a board commitment to revisit a student-proposed plan for a second in-person ceremony at its June meeting. At that time the board anticipates the outlook for summer in terms of pandemic shutdown orders and bans...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — After some debate the Bessemer City Council gave the 4th of July Committee the OK to proceed Monday. “We are planning to move forward with our 4th of July. We have to have something to look forward to. We have to have something to hope for,” Linda Nelson said, as she addressed her fellow council members. Mayor pro tem Terry Kryshack expressed concerns the city could be held liable if someone got sick with coronavirus at the festival and cited the issue of liability is being debated in Congr...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — With students learning from home for the rest of the year, the effect of the coronavirus has already been felt by schools across Michigan. However, it remains unclear what the future impact of the pandemic will be on the state’s school districts — including the potential budgetary consequences of declining state tax revenue. Several local superintendents have warned their school boards that, while the numbers haven’t been determined yet, the economic consequences of the pandemic could le...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Two volunteers will attempt to repair the weathered Hiawatha entrance sign to Norrie Park. The Ironwood Parks and Recreation Committee 6-0 approved a request from Marian True and Dave Harkness to remove the Hiawatha sign outside the main gate entrance to Norrie Park for the purpose of inspection and to repair the sign if possible. Committee member Mary Grace Loreti was not present for the regular meeting Zoom virtual conference app on...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council debated Monday night on eliminating the salaries of council members to help ease budget concerns. “If we’re going to set the example of how serious this is, the first place we should go is we shouldn’t take our pay,” said council member Terry Kryshak. According to City Manager Charly Loper, the city is $155,000 in the hole. “I really just strongly recommend that we play this as conservatively as possible until we have a better idea of where our income is going to...
ASHLAND, Wis. — Members of the Wisconsin National Guard will be on hand in Ashland Thursday to help with a community COVID-19 specimen collection event. Ashland County Public Health and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior are hosting the event for western Wisconsin residents that is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. The event will be held at the Lake Superior Elementary School driveway at 1101 Binsfield Road. Organizers are asking people to approach the school via Binsfield Road by entering from Wisconsin 13, the entrance will b...
BESSEMER — The city of Bessemer announced plans Friday to slowly reopen city hall and the library to the public in five phases. “We are entering into a new normal and we want to give people time to prepare and adjust,” said City Manager Charly Loper in an email. The first phase is already under way and second phase for both the city hall and the library is identical to the current situation. Everything remains closed to the public, with strict social distancing practices in place. Loper said they are in Phase 1 and 2, calling them "iden...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY - Teachers said it was like a parade in describing the cars full of approximately 250 elementary students and parents who drove by Hurley K-12 School on Thursday afternoon to pick up personal items there since the school closed for the coronavirus pandemic in March. Each teacher from pre-kindergarten through grade five was stationed on the walkway in front of the school with signs to greet the students and hand out materials, said Steve...
IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College will hold its 86th commencement ceremony Friday at 6 p.m., in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 restrictions directed by the state of Michigan. The public will be able to watch the graduation ceremony at youtube.com/c/GogebicCommunity CollegeAthletics/live. Approximately 200 degrees and certificates will be awarded, including 50 Associate of Arts, 46 Associate of Applied Science, 16 Associate of Applied Business, 15 Associate of Applied Technology, eight Associate of Science degrees, and 64 C...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HANCOCK — Western Upper Peninsula Health Department officials said they were notified Thursday of the first positive confirmation of COVID-19 in Baraga County. The case involved a man with a recent history of travel, according to the officials, and the department is continuing to investigate whether the case is related to his travels and if others have been in close contact with the man. “We will be closely monitoring any individuals who may have had direct, personal contact with the ide...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY - The Hurley community and parents of the graduating class of 2020 have taken lemons and made lemonade in finding alternate ways to celebrate the students as traditional events continue to be canceled amidst the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, employees of the Hurley Department of Public Works, placed 46 banners on the decorative lighting poles along Silver Street in the downtown. Each banner depicts a photo and first name of a...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] The filing period for the next Gogebic County primary election has closed for candidates seeking county and township offices in the Aug. 4 primary election. The top vote getters in each party will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. The August ballot will also include several countywide millage proposals. (See related story on page 5). Ironwood voters will face a millage question asking for a 1 mill renewal to support the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center. County offices There are three candidates f...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Esports teams at Gogebic Community College were able to continue to compete in spite of the governor’s stay-at-home order in light of the cornavirus pandemic. According to GCC’s esports coach Jim Halverson, the season continued, but players were required to use their own equipment and play from home. This did result in one of the college’s teams having to withdraw because not all members of the team had their own equipment. When the order was put in place the esports season had only two reg...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - There's now another option for internet in the Ironwood area as Northern Michigan University installed equipment for its Educational Access Network on the Luther L. Wright K-12 School last week. Ironwood Superintendent Travis Powell said the district had been discussing installing the equipment for the last couple years, but sped up the finalization of the process as the district works to expand internet access for students and staff as...
