Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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HURLEY — The second case of COVID-19, or novel coronavirus infection, in Iron County has been confirmed, the Iron County Health Department announced Wednesday night. Department officials said the person was in isolation at home and declined to release any additional information in the announcement, citing the person’s privacy. “Public health officials are working to determine how the individual may have become infected and are contacting others with whom the positive cases had close contact with,” a spokesperson said in the announc...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — After 42 years of service to his community Paul Mullard said his decision not to run again for mayor doesn’t mean he wouldn’t run again. He just hasn’t really made plans for retirement. “It does make me a little nervous,” Mullard said, “I guess I will just do what I want and take it easy.” Mullard was not on the ballot Tuesday as Hurley residents sought to choose from Jay Aijala or Thomas Conhartoski for the city’s next mayor. It will be the first time that Mullard has not held some sort o...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRON COUNTY — Voter turnout was higher than usual despite the uncertainty of election day postponement and the coronavirus pandemic fears, according to three Iron County municipalities. A Wisconsin Supreme Court order pertaining to the election during the coronavirus pandemic requires that municipalities not start counting ballots until 4 p.m. on April 13. The results will be made public that day. “We do not have the exact numbers yet, but there were around 556 total voters between absentee and...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - As many Christians find themselves under stay-at-home orders during this Holy Week, many area churches are scrambling to put together services, through previously uncharted mediums. Pastor Nicole Hanson-Lynn of Zion and Salem Lutheran churches in Ironwood said this is "a different kind of Holy Week," and while things are different now, "we have a God who gives resurrection, hope in the midst of despair, and life out of death. God works things...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Members of the Wakefield Township Board of Trustees met in person one last time on Tuesday evening before voting to cancel their regular monthly meetings in both May and June. “I think we’re in for hard times for half the summer, anyway,” said Township Supervisor John Cox, who also chaired the meeting at the township hall. Cox was referring to the progression of COVID-19, an acronym based on the word “COronaVIRus”, with the “d” standing for disease and the 19 referring to the onset of the gl...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY - Neither rain nor last-minute politics kept Iron County voters from the polls on Tuesday. The Wisconsin Supreme Court's late afternoon decision Monday to reverse Gov. Tony Evers' Election Day postponement earlier that morning kept people watching the news but did not confuse or discourage voting, according to Hurley voters and poll workers. "I kind of expected I would be voting today," said Jack Brown, of Hurley. "I didn't think that the exe...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD - When Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced last week limitations on veterinarian services during the COVID-19 pandemic, Range Animal Hospital had already switched over to offering strictly curbside services. "We had already been anticipating it and so at least two weeks ahead of the executive order, we had already been limiting client interaction and maintaining social distancing," said Dr. Stephanie Holloway, DVM. "We are not having...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — The six districts that make up the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District continue to develop plans for educating students after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer canceled in-person classes for the remainder of the school year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with remote learning expected to get underway in the coming weeks. The required “continuity of learning plan” each district is developing are part of the executive order Whitmer issued Thursday closing all K-12 school build...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HANCOCK -- It appears reports of the first presumed positive coronavirus case in Ontonagon County on the state of Michigan’s COVID-19 reporting website is incorrect, according to a Western Upper Peninsula Health Department announcement Sunday. The error appears to stem from a former Ontonagon resident who was tested in southeast Michigan but no longer resides in the county. “We’re not sure if they moved or what, but it wasn’t a test that was done in this area,” health officer Cathryn Beer told...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY — Sharon’s Coffee Company is accustomed to closing briefly for spring repairs, but the owners decided on a major project for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic shutdown order. “We are lucky this pandemic didn’t come during snowmobile season,” said Sharon Ofstad, owner, noting that it tends to slow down after winter until Memorial Day weekend. “We had a wonderful winter and we’re looking forward to a great summer. Let’s hope everybody...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] EWEN — Friday is the deadline for school districts to submit to the state how they plan to educate students who will be without face-to-face education for the rest of the school year because of the COVID-19 virus. With that in mind, the school superintendents and principals within the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District are meeting early this week with GOISD officials to devise a plan. The districts will then meet with teachers to continue to develop a plan for the rest of the school year. E...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — With the expectation that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases will increase, medical officials are calling for calm, continued self-isolation and to call ahead before going to a hospital or clinic with coronavirus symptoms. “We continue emphasizing how important it is for people who are experiencing symptoms to please call ahead instead of just driving to the doctor’s office,” said Chris Pogliano, M.D., chief medical officer at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital. “Aspirus has a designate...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — With rules against gatherings of more than 10 people in one place to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the funeral industry has had to make some adjustments. McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home in Ironwood and Cane Funeral Home in Ontonagon both recently purchased equipment which will allow for visitations and funeral services to be broadcast online. “It’s a way for people to go ahead and do a celebration of life or some type of funeral service, while still maintaining social distancing,” said An...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The Town of Mercer Board of Supervisors approved a new snowplow loan, bids for roof and siding, and a mowing contract at its regular meeting Thursday. There were 32 people who attended the virtual meeting via GoToMeeting. This is the third public meeting that the board has held since the Wisconsin Attorney General’s office said the format would not violate open meeting laws during the coronavirus shutdown order. The board 5-0 approved an $8,844 bid for a roof replacement for Mer...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] LANSING - Michigan students almost certainly won't be returning to their classrooms this spring, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday she was canceling face-to-face classes for the remainder of the school year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-35, which closed all K-12 school buildings for the rest of the school year - unless the COVID-19 or coronavirus pandemic ends - and set out guidelines for...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] The two major grocery stores in Ironwood and neighboring Hurley, Wisconsin have installed plexiglass shields at checkout stands. The shields are in place between the cashiers and customers to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. Cashiers are among the vulnerable essential workers who come face-to-face with the public each day during the coronavirus pandemic. "We like them," said Lawrence Glatczak, manager of Super One Foods in Ironwood. "The...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] HURLEY, Wis. - Hurley elementary teachers say online learning was already utilized in the classroom setting and has made for a smooth transition in the home setting after the shutdown order from the coronavirus pandemic. Administration and staff are in direct communication to ensure that what is happening from the state level is being incorporated at the local level, said Kevin Genisot, administrator of Hurley School District. Parents receive...
By TOM LAVENTURE and CHARITY SMITH [email protected] HANCOCK — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Gogebic County is now at two, and there are zero cases reported in Ontonagon County. The information released Tuesday from Western U.P. Health Department in Hancock, showed that as of March 31 there have been 40 individuals referred for COVID-19 testing in Gogebic County. So far 12 cases tested negative, 24 tests are pending, and one test was canceled. Gogebic County is so far the only county in the western U.P. to have reported a d...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] When Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer mandated that residents “stay at home” to help slow the spread of COVID-19, many residents wondered how this was to be enforced, and essential business owners scrambled to get there employees papers to travel back and fourth to work. According to Gogebic County Undersheriff Ross Solberg, there have been “no more than half a dozen,” complaints received by his office, and they are usually regarding businesses and not individuals and many of the complaints were determi...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MADISON, Wis. -— Gov. Tony Evers is seeking a major disaster declaration for Wisconsin as the state continues to work to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Evers sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency seeking the federal declaration Tuesday for the COVID-19, or coronavirus, pandemic. “The response to this virus has required a tremendous response from the state and all of its communities that far exceeds the resources currently available to us,” Evers said in a statement. “By seeking...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Gogebic Range Solid Waste Management Authority plans to continue the shutdown of its transfer station and recycling facility for the duration of the emergency order regarding the coronavirus pandemic. The waste management authority shut down operation except for garbage collection on March 23. The scheduled garbage collection in the townships of Ironwood, Bessemer, Marenisco and Wakefield and in the city of Wakefield continue on...
