Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 3168 - 3192 of 9839
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council on Monday voted 4-0 to extend the city manager contract for four years. The contract for Charly Loper, who started as city manager in 2016, would have expired in November 2020 with her earning $61,327 in Year Four of the contract. The four-year extension comes with a 2 percent raise in years five, six and seven and a retention bonus for overseeing a $7 million sewer and water project currently underway in Bessemer, along with a $21.4 million construction project a...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Ironwood Parks and Recreation Committee announced at its meeting Monday meeting that construction has started on the Curry Park Trail enhancement project. Funded with a grant from the Gogebic Range Health Foundation, the 10-foot wide trail utilizes an old railroad grade which will connect the trail to Miners Memorial Heritage Park. Committee member Tom Kangas said he would like to see the old mine footings along the trail preserved....
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council on Monday tabled resolutions on elections to review and gauge public input until the June 17 meeting. The council approved 4-0 to table a resolution that would amend the Bessemer charter to changed the two year council member terms to four year terms, if approved by the Bessemer voters. The second resolution would ask voters to change local elections from odd years to even years of the state and federal elections. The change would save the city the expense of r...
ONTONAGON - Ontonagon Area Schools seventh grade students under the direction of Tim Nelson and Tim Routheaux got to work re-chipping the Fritz Zimmer Recreation Trail on Friday. The trail entrance west of the school near the village tennis courts needed attention as the exceptionally wet spring left a couple of mud holes. Students in the high school agriculture class will be doing more trail work during the last week of school. The tools used for the project were purchased with grant money...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - The weather was pretty perfect for riders participating in the 10th annual Go Ride R Range Ride from Ironwood to Bessemer Sunday afternoon. "I'm really pleased," said Jim Mildren, one of the organizers of the ride. "The biking community came together." Starting in Ironwood's Depot Park, the community ride looped through downtown Ironwood before getting back on the Iron Belle Trail and riding to Bessemer and back. Along with the 15-mile...
By STEVE NEWMAN [email protected] IRONWOOD — A sunny Saturday was the backdrop for crowds of people to go to citywide rummage sales. Since both Hurley and Ironwood declared Saturday their citywide rummage sale days the same day, crowds of bargain hunters scoured the two towns in search of deals. On Lowell Street in Ironwood, shoppers bustled in and out of the yard and driveway of the Hill family. “We’re on the main road,” said Kerry Hill of Ironwood, who stated that they plan to hold a sale this particular weekend every year. “Traffi...
By TOM LA VENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD - After a year of hard work, members of the Gogebic County 4-H showcase their animal projects to the elementary students of Luther L Wright K-12 School on Friday. The fifth annual Ironwood Schools 4-H farm animal exhibit on the front lawn of the school is so the students can show their peers what they've been working on all year, said Ashley Dennis, the area 4-H program coordinator for Michigan State University-Extension. The event is a preview...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] EWEN - Sixteen students at Ewen-Trout Creek School in Ewen celebrated their graduation from high school on Friday evening. The night included a variety of class memories, as well as a class video and scholarships presented by Sandra Maki, who runs the school library and academic resource center. Superintendent Dave Radovich welcomed the crowd and presented the class, after which four class representatives gave speeches. After recounting events and...
DULUTH, Minn. — Residents may notice increased flight activity in the skies over the Gogebic Range today as the 148th Fighter Wing will be conducting training exercises this weekend. The Duluth-based Air National Guard unit will be conducting exercises today and Sunday in the skies over northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula. Residents may notice increased flying activity from early this morning through the late evening, a unit spokesperson said in a release, with all jets expected to land by midnight. Flights will resume S...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY - Silver Street is a little more colorful after the Hurley third graders planted flowers in the various planters that line the city's main street Thursday. "It's real great to have the kids do all this," said Hurley Mayor Paul Mullard. "It helps the city ... it's really good to have the kids out and involved." Mullard said the city workers were going to come out and water the plants to make sure they survived the planting. The students have p...
By TOM LA VENTURE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Organizers of a Sunday breakfast benefit said it will help with caring for more than 500 dogs and cats that end up under the care of the HOPE Animal Shelter each year. “This is the second time we have run the event,” said Kathy Zumbrock, assistant manager of HOPE. “It does pull in a big crowd as a buffet with something for everyone, and there are quite a few items in the raffles.” The breakfast buffet benefit will be held 8 a.m. to noon on S...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Advocates for Split Rock Trails in Wakefield received an added boost of support this week from the Wakefield City Council. Tom Ritter, spokesman for the Split Rock Trails Association, provided the council with a slideshow demonstration on the trails before requesting multiple forms of support from council members and the community at large. “The Section 10 properties are kind of unique,” said Ritter of the Fink location. “The elevation is kind of special.” Owing to the site’s former use...
By TOM LAVENTURE [email protected] BESSEMER - The Gogebic Range Trail Authority Snowmobile and ORV Club is looking to off-road vehicle riders to support a trail grading project. "If we get some people to show up and help, it will just really show people care and are interested," club president Steve Hamilton said. "It's just the same seven board members and two club members who are working on it then we don't have the capacity to address the issues of trail quality." The 4-mile section of...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] WATERSMEET TOWNSHIP - The recently created Watersmeet Township Police Department has been in operation since April 1. Paul Runcie, police chief for the township, said the department currently has three reserve officers and is considering hiring more. "I've got two guys slated for June for part-time," he said. He said his department responds to traffic accidents and criminal investigation along with civil matters. With approximately 200 square miles...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — Local runners got their first look at the new route for the Paavo Nurmi Marathon Wednesday at an informational meeting at the Iron County courthouse. Organizers said the 51st running of the annual Iron County race was a logical time to implement the course change, which will have the marathoners run from Hurley to Whitecap Mountain Resort in Upson and back to complete the necessary 26.2 miles. The primary motivation for the change in course was safety — both for runners and volunteers man...
By STEVE NEWMAN [email protected] IRONWOOD - New tuition rates were approved by the Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees Tuesday evening. An increase of $4 per credit hour for in-district tuition and $5 per credit for out-of-district, the Wisconsin reciprocity area, and out-of-state students was approved. New tuition rates will be $124 per credit hour for in-district students, $175 per credit hour for Michigan out-of-district and the Wisconsin reciprocity area, and $204 per credit...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - A Monday evening meeting of the Wakefield city council resulted in city manager Rob Brown volunteering to verify, firsthand, the status of city sidewalks. "I will go out, and I will try to get a rough estimate of what we're looking at," said Brown, who had begun the discussion by referring to a formal staff report he had prepared for council members. Brown said that, in the few months he's been in his position, several residents have asked...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Board of Supervisors expressed its support for a proposed easement expanding access for recreation in the county, passing a resolution in support of the easement purchase Tuesday. The resolution supports the proposed Great Northern Conservation Access Easement agreement between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Keweenaw Land Association, which would involve more than 14,000 acres in the towns of Carey, Knight and Mercer. The state’s Natural Resources Boa...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - For the 129th time, the Ironwood community came together Sunday to see off another class of Ironwood graduates into the world. Following an address by Superintendent Travis Powell, members of the concert choir performed "You Get What You Give" and the members of the board of education were introduced. Social studies teacher Gordy Erickson, at the request of the graduating class, delivered the commencement address. He told them to not...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Music filled the Ironwood Memorial Building as members representing the United States armed forces prepared for Ironwood's Memorial Day ceremony on Monday. A chorus sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Blades of Grass and Pure White Stone" under the direction of Annette Burchell to help set the atmosphere before the placing of American Flags. Lt. Col. Gary Harrington of the U.S. Air Force and master of ceremonies said the tradition...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] PENCE, Wis. — The driver of an all-terrain vehicle is dead after he crashed his vehicle while riding in the town of Pence early Sunday morning. Iron County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Beacon Ambulance personnel responded to the scene of the accident at the intersection of Spring Camp Road and Whiteside Street shortly after 12:10 a.m., according to Sheriff Paul Samardich. Those responding to the scene found the man involved in the single-vehicle crash unresponsive. Iron County Coroner Dia...
BESSEMER - Friday evening was bittersweet as graduates of A.D. Johnston Junior and Senior High School celebrated both big wins and heavy losses in a week steeped in emotion. Co-valedictorians Devon Elias Byers and Andrew Isaac Aspinwall both received perfect 4.0 grade point averages and served on the student council, respectively, as president and treasurer. They both also addressed the crowd. "Finally, we won't have to worry about keeping our grades up," said Aspinwall, drawing laughs when he...
WAKEFIELD - The Wakefield-Marenisco High School class of 2019 threw their graduation caps in the air friday, signifying an end to a chapter in their lives. Before the class celebrated their achievement, Jason Gustafson, superintendent of the district, gave the graduating class advice. "Before you act, listen; before you react, think; before you spend, earn; before you criticize, wait; before you quit, try," he said quoting William Arthur Ward. He told the class to listen to their hearts to...
ONTONAGON - The graduation speaker for the 2019 Class at the Ontonagon Area High School, Keven Store, was in familiar terrain Friday night, noting that 30 years ago, to the day, he sat as a student and received his diploma from OAHS. Store is the Executive Director of the Portage Health Foundation, and oversees and administers all aspects of a $67 million dollar charitable foundation that serves the Keweenaw Peninsula. He has been recognized by the Michigan Health Council for his work in develop...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] SAXON, Wis. - Progress continues at Saxon Harbor as workers strive to complete the new marina by the mid-August target date. "The original plan for the contract was to be completed by mid-August, they're on schedule for that," said Eric Peterson, the Iron County forestry and parks administrator. "If mother nature cooperates and it holds off raining every day, that should continue and they should be completed by mid-August." Peterson said much of...
