Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 3706 - 3730 of 9848
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD - Marc Mero went from having a dream as a kid to living it, then losing it all. At 55, he's living a new dream. The motivational speaker addressed a Gogebic Community College gymnasium filled with area students in grades 5-9 Tuesday afternoon. Mero experienced his first crisis at age 8 when his parents divorced. He grew up in a single-family home in a poor section of New York, and wrote down his dreams and goals at age 10, setting his sights...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — A Hurley resident pleaded guilty to a reduced weapons charge in Gogebic County Circuit Court Tuesday. Christopher James Michelic, 22, pleaded to attempted possession of a dangerous weapon, a felony with a potential maximum sentence of 2.5 years in prison. The plea came as part of a plea agreement that had the charge reduced from possession of a dangerous weapon. In June, officers with the Ironwood Public Safety Department found Michelic in possession of a pair of brass knuckles when h...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Bessemer City Council members on Monday formally commended a Bessemer resident who almost single-handedly created a new trail option to connect with an original trail behind Bluff Valley Park. “The Bluff Trail Reroute Project has formally ended,” said Kelden Witt, who did much of the work himself with hand tools. Witt presented councilors with a slide show of the new trail, which he said provides an easier starting point to the original trail leading hikers to the top of the bluff behind the p...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — At its regular meeting Monday evening, the Bessemer city council voted to authorize city manager Charly Loper to draw up an ordinance that would allow the city to “opt out” of opening a lot of doors to recreational marijuana. Although Michigan citizens voted to legalize recreational marijuana on Nov. 6, the Cannabis Counsel reports that local governments may limit or prohibit all marijuana enterprises within their own jurisdiction. This results in a slight paradox, since as of Dec. 6, adult...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — When there is a fire, shooting or trauma situation in Ontonagon, the police may call on a little known group of volunteers called the Victims Service Unit. The well-trained volunteers are under the auspices of the Michigan Sheriff’s Association and are a short-term advocacy group for victims. The OVSU responds quickly when called upon by the police, fire department, hospital and emergency officials. Jeanne Manning is coordinator. She worked for the sheriff’s department for 20 years before retir...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — A walk-in complaint from an Ironwood citizen concerning a residence with too many dogs was investigated by the Ironwood Public Safety Department and has been turned over to the county animal control officer. According to a Thursday IPSD report, the walk-in complainant said there were at least 10 dogs at the residence, alleging animal cruelty. When IPSD officer James Weber investigated the situation at the East Harding Street house, however, the 43-year-old woman who lives there said she t...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Locals gathered outside Aspirus Ironwood Hospital Sunday to celebrate the area's births and other milestones, as well as the loved ones who passed away, at the Aspirus Ironwood Auxiliary's Tree of Love and Celebration Tree tree lightings ceremony. Now in its 27th year, the auxiliary's Tree of Love featured around 600 bulbs, according to auxiliary president Carol D'Alberto, each of which is someone who has passed away. "(People) buy lights...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - Temperatures near 30 degrees beckoned an enthusiastic audience to line both sides of Aurora Street for Saturday night's Jack Frost Festival of Lights parade in Ironwood. Frosty winds backed up the parade's dual themes of "Jack Frost" or "Christmastime," and Mr. Frost himself expended no end of energy in darting up and down the street to hand out candy to children. He was aptly garbed in a cool, sparkly, silver suit and ever-present smile....
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — While they don't know the final number they're working towards, Iron County Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts members began raising funds toward the purchase of a section of rail grade in northern Iron County Sunday at a fundraising dinner. “I think things have gone very well,” Mike Fauerbach told the Daily Globe. “I don't know if we've had quite as many people as last year because of the weather, but it was very, very close,” said Fauerbach, one of the fundraiser's organizers. Along wit...
MARENISCO - Today is the official date of closure for the Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco. It's a practical matter for the Michigan Department of Corrections and a personal one for local residents, who learned only last summer of the state's decision. According to Chris Gautz, public relations representative for MDOC, more than 800 prisoners from OCF already were moved to other prisons as of a few weeks ago. As for about 200 employees, he said, "The vast majority have been...
One of the highlights for any school music program is the annual holiday concert. Whatever the name - Christmas program, holiday performance or winter concert - it's a great time to make music as multiple generations of family members gather in auditoriums and gymnasiums across the region. Area school districts have planned 16 holiday concerts in 16 days. Ironwood's elementary holiday concert is first on the calendar on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. in the Luther L. Wright K-12 School's second...
IRONWOOD — As part of the city of Ironwood updating its five-year parks and recreation plan, a special meeting has been called for Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Memorail Building women’s club room. The public is being encouraged to attend and provide input. The five-year plan not only allows city officials to plan for projects and improvements, but it is necessary when the city seeks grants through various funding agencies. Many of the projects in the five-year plan that is expiring were either funded or are being considered for grants. The ses...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday received a $31,297 check from the Michigan Counties Workers Compensation Fund. The 2017 dividend check is for the county’s portion of the self-funded programs division of the Lansing-based agency. MCWCF Administrator Timothy McGuire said county commissioners throughout the Upper Peninsula sit on the workers compensation board. Gogebic County’s representative is veteran county board member Joe Bonovetz, of Bessemer. There are a total...
HURLEY - The Iron County Memorial Building marked its 90th birthday earlier this month. Long the post home of the Hurley American Legion, the building has hosted many gatherings, private and public, large and small over the decades. The building was dedicated on Nov. 11, 1928 - then Armistice Day, now Veterans Day - with a very large ceremony, according to Joe Walesewicz, a member of the Memorial Building's Restoration Committee. The idea was to create a building to honor those who had fought...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] BESSEMER - A.D. Johnston High School English and Spanish teacher Micaela Zelinski said she loves a good book and maybe the only thing better is sharing it with others. She's particularly drawn to contemporary young adult literature with the hope that she'll find something she can incorporate in her classroom or with the school's relatively new Book Club. This is Zelinski's second year teaching. Last year, she launched an after-school Book Club....
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY - A small crowd gathered in the parking lot of Hurley City Hall Wednesday for the city's inaugural tree lighting. Hurley Mayor Paul Mullard lit the tree next to city hall, and then the Hurley High School's Silver Express choir performed several carols for the gathered crowd. "For the first time, I think we had a wonderful turnout," said Rita Franzoi, the Hurley Chamber of Commerce's marketing director and events coordinator. "And having...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] LANSING - A Court of Claims judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Marenisco Township to block closure of the Ojibway Correctional Facility. Judge Stephen Borrello ruled the plaintiffs failed to "state a cause of action on which relief can be granted." Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington said, "We are pleased to see resolution to this question by the court, so the community and our employees have certainty and can plan a...
More people were employed and more workers joined the workforce in Gogebic County in October, according to the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information. Total unemployment remained the same as it was in September at 250. Although the unemployment rate ticked up from 4 percent in September to 4.2 percent in October, the number of jobless remained at 250 over the month. The reason for the slight two-tenth of a percent hike is because the labor market rose by 50 to 6,075. One year ago in October, the Gogebic unemployment rate was 5.1 percent....
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission will consider marijuana matters again in two weeks after a Monday work session addressed the issue. The five commissioners and city department heads watched a Michigan Municipal League presentation on the marijuana laws and the effects of the recent election, but took no action, nor public comment. It will be an agenda item at the next city commission meeting, however. Recreational marijuana use was approved in Michigan in the mid-term election. Previously, o...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] Northwoods residents will be able to send a little slice of home around the country next year, as the U.S. Postal Service recently announced the Ontonagon River will be featured on a forever stamp in 2019. The river is one of 12 featured in the Postal Service's Wild and Scenic Rivers series, according to a Postal Service spokesman. A stamp shows Tim Palmer's photo of what appears to be Kakabika Falls on the Cisco Branch of the river in Gogebic...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - Weather warnings did not deter numerous people from sharing firm and varied opinions during a Monday evening public hearing on proposed U.S. 2 lane changes in Bessemer. Bessemer city council members offered the hearing in the city hall auditorium in hopes of gathering as much input as possible before they vote on the matter in coming weeks. Council member Terry Kryshak, who started the session, said the city's initial concern had been to replace...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - A Bessemer woman was sentenced to at least three years in prison in Gogebic County Circuit Court Monday for abusing her child. Kayla Marie Brown, 27, was sentenced to between 36 months and 10 years in prison on one count of second degree child abuse. "Without question Ms. Brown's actions in this case were destructive, catastrophic, life-changing and severely traumatic events to (the victim); for which only the future will tell us whether...
