Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 2309 - 2333 of 9883
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...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - A lot of power line work this week is part of a larger project that is designed to improve service in the Ironwood area, according to Xcel Energy. Workers are installing new power line poles along the Michigan side of Silver Street near the Hurley border, according to Christine Ouellette, senior media relations representative for Xcel Energy's Michigan and Wisconsin office in Eau Claire. The work is to rebuild existing "feeder" lines...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — Several ballot measures are on the ballot in Ontonagon County in the August election. Countywide, the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency is asking the public to renew a .3 mill renewal for the operation of GOCAA’s programs for four years. Programs inlcude nutrition, meals on wheels, in-home care, snow shoveling, lawn mowing, help preparing taxes, Medicare/Medicaid counseling, medical escort and others. SONCO Ambulance is asking the public at the primary election for 1.25 mills. The sum is...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission on Monday heard COVID-19 response reports from department heads in a meeting held via the Zoom video conferencing app and broadcast on the city’s Facebook page. Andrew DiGiorgio, director of the public safety, said his officers update themselves daily on information coming out of state and federal government and health agencies. Recent changes require the wearing of masks in certain buildings and businesses, he said. “We continue to monitor changes,” DiGiorg...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - In their first virtual meeting on Monday evening, the Wakefield-Marenisco Board of Education received good and bad news about the status of the current state shutdown. On one hand, Superintendent Jason Gustafson said, "It's been a crazy world, but in a crazy world, it's going very smoothly." He added, "Overall, the teachers are satisfied with how things are going." He said that bus drivers have delivered paper packets to students, so as to aid...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] A bridge project in Ontonagon County recently received a private grant as the Iron Belle Trail Fund announced the work was one of five projects on the statewide Iron Belle Trail to receive a portion of $300,000 in funding. “With recreation trail use up more than 200%, trails are more important than ever and provide a means for people to stay physically and mentally fit during these challenging times,” said Steve DeBrabander, the executive director of the Iron Belle Trail Fund. “The Iron Belle Trail...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - What started as a donation of handmade face-masks from a few residents to the Ironwood Public Safety Department, has become a countywide effort to distribute masks to any household that needs/wants them. According to IPSD Director Andrew DiGiorgio, they have received more than 800 masks from area businesses and residents. "They've really stepped up and made quite a few masks available for free," DiGiorgio said. "So what we did is we took on...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Ironwood real estate agents are saying their coronavirus shutdown experience differs from that of colleagues across the Montreal River. In Michigan the governor’s executive order for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic does not consider the real estate industry as critical infrastructure. Real estate agents, brokers, and real estate service employees may not leave their homes for work and must conduct business remotely to the greatest extent possible, according to the order. The Wis...
HURLEY — Starting on Saturday, the Hurley School District will offer free breakfast and free to all students 18-years-old and younger every Saturday and Sunday until canceled. “We hope the families and especially the students enjoy the meals that are now prepared all seven days of the week to be delicious and something they look forward to each and every day,” said Kevin Genisot, school district administrator, in a letter to the school district on Saturday. Families are asked to send a driver only to the north parking entrance door betwe...
LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended her “Stay Home, Stay Safe,” Executive Order through May 15 Friday, while also lifting some restrictions and requiring people wear face coverings while in enclosed public spaces. “Data shows that most Michiganders are doing their part by staying home and staying safe. That’s good, but we must keep it up. Social distancing is our best weapon to defeat this enemy,” Whitmer said in her announcement. “With new COVID-19 cases leveling off, however, we are lifting some of the restrictions put in place in the...
BRUCE CROSSING — Drivers on M-28 west of Bruce Crossing may experience slight delays for the next few months as work on the bridge over the Baltimore River was scheduled to begin Thursday. The $1.5 million project includes “deck replacement, full painting, pin and hanger replacement, guardrail work, and concrete curb and gutter approach work,” according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. While the project is underway, there will be a single-lane closure, with one lane of alternating traffic being used with a temporary traffic signa...
