Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY -- Challenger Tanner Hiller defeated incumbent Jim Kichak to represent Mercer in the lone contested Iron County Board of Supervisors race in the April 7 election. The results of the election, which were released Monday night due to a court ruling regarding the statewide election and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, show Hiller received 76 votes to Kichak’s 63 in the District 14 race. Hiller won’t be the only new face on the board, however, as Kathleen Byrns received 138 votes in her uno...
HANCOCK — A fourth positive case of coronavirus in Gogebic County has been reported, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department said. A total of 73 cases have been referred for testing in Gogebic County, according to the health department’s latest testing numbers released Friday, with 55 negatives, four positives, two cancelled tests and 12 tests still pending. The fourth positive in the county brings the total number of positives in the five-county region the health department serves to five, with the death of an elderly Gogebic County man... Full story
WAUSAU, Wis. — Aspirus is temporarily closing some primary care clinics, including Hurley and Bruce Crossing in order to provide staffing and resources at hospitals in the event of a COVID-19 surge. Patients will be contacted by their doctor’s office if these closures impact existing appointments. Anyone in need of an appointment can continue to call their local Aspirus clinic and be directed to the appropriate options for care. Patients will continue to have access to primary and specialty care services at Aspirus clinics throughout north cent...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - Sunny, pleasant weather on Saturday afternoon allowed the Easter Bunny to make a special appearance throughout the streets of Bessemer. The happy hare departed from Bessemer City Hall while standing on top of a fire engine that was offered at the courtesy of the Bessemer Volunteer Fire Department. Small groups of children stood on the sidewalks to greet the rad rabbit, who waved energetically as kids returned the gesture with gusto. "Happy...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Aspirus Ironwood Hospital and Clinic opened a drive-through screening checkpoint for all people entering the health campus. The service, which started Wednesday, is a transition from the screenings that had been conducted at doorway entrances to the hospital and clinic. Vehicles approaching the campus on Grandview Lane will be directed to a lane leading to the Aspirus Eye Care where staff will be taking temperatures and asking questions... Full story
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — A Bessemer man accused of a shooting in that city was arraigned via video in Gogebic County District Court Thursday afternoon. Timothy James Wigman, 26, was arraigned on charges of felonious assault with intent to murder, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a dangerous weapon-metallic knuckles, possessing or discharging a weapon under the influence causing serious impairment and possessing a firearm while committing a felony. Wigman faces a potential maximum sentence o...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] LANSING — Michigan residents will have to continue staying in after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended her stay-at-home order through the end of April Thursday as part of the state’s effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Whitmer’s extension to the order also includes new restrictions designed to limit the contact people in an effort to halt the virus’s spread. “Michigan has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and we’re still on the upswing. We must continue to do everything...
BESSEMER — One man is in jail and another in the hospital following a Wednesday night shooting in Bessemer, according to a press release from the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday. A 26-year-old Bessemer man was arrested without incident at approximately 11 p.m., after he allegedly shot and wounded another 26-year-old man late Wednesday evening in the city of Bessemer, according to the news release. The shooting victim was transported by Beacon Ambulance Service to Aspirus Ironwood Hospital, where he is reportedly being tre... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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...
