Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 3496 - 3520 of 9883
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Homemade treats are now an official casualty of last November’s vote by Michigan citizens to legalize recreational marijuana throughout the state. The Wakefield-Marenisco board of education voted Monday to ban any further bake sales in relation to the school and to allow only prepackaged treats for school events, including casual classroom parties. “It’s going to be much more readily accessible,” said superintendent Jason Gustafson in relati...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - Researchers visited Little Girl's Point in recent weeks, collecting data on the area's deer population as part of ongoing research into chronic wasting disease. The work was part of a partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry. "The primary goal of this study is to examine deer movements in relations to seasonal migration, juvenile...
By JAN TUCKER and RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] The snow started in the late hours of Saturday and by the time it stopped over 13 inches blanketed the Gogebic Range. Then came the winds. The National Weather Service in Marquette recorded wind speeds of up to 51 mph in Wakefield and 46 mph at the Gogebic-Iron County Airport. These high winds caused snow drifts and limited visibility across the area, forcing local authorities to urge people to avoid driving unless necessary. Those who...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - After sitting in quiet observation throughout Monday's meeting of the Wakefield city council, Robert A. Brown, Jr. took an official oath of office as the new city manager directly after adjournment. The tall, affable, young man then shook the hands of each council member. "Welcome to my chair," said outgoing city manager Richard Brackney. "My former chair." When Brown briefly sat in the designated place, mayor John Granato kidded him, "You're i...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] LANSING — Applications for the latest round of Iron Belle Trail mini-grants are due in the coming weeks. Grant proposals for this fifth round of funding are due March 15, according to a Department of Natural Resources spokesperson, with selected grant recipients announced in May. Eligible parties can seek grants up to $50,000. A funding match is not required, the spokesperson said, although it is strongly recommended. The latest round of mini-grants will prioritize segments ready to go into c...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] SAXON, Wis. — Residents interested in learning more about maple syrup had a chance to learn more about the process of tapping maple trees and making syrup at a pair of classes this weekend. In the morning, a group gathered in the town of Saxon to hear from Andy Rowe, of Many Maples Sugar Bush. Rowe talked about the process for tapping sugar maples and showed the group the various tools needed to collect sap from the trees. He also demonstrated h...
By STEVE NEWMAN [email protected] IRONWOOD - Saturday, groups of bowlers gathered at Larry's Lucky Strikes in Ironwood to raise funds for and celebrate the work of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program in the area. In addition to bowling, there were prize drawings and contests, food and fun and a 50/50 raffle. According to Gogebic Range area program coordinator Amber Renaud, those raising funds sought a donation per bowler. In addition, those who are mentors also came and bowled and joined...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — A shift in power will occur after tonight’s meeting of the Wakefield city council as current city manager Richard Brackney turns over the reins to his successor, Robert Brown, Jr. At a special meeting on Jan. 23, council members voted to offer the job to Brown, 36, of Belding, Mich., and he has been working here with city staff since last Tuesday. Brackney, who was scheduled to retire on May 24, will end his responsibilities two months early. Brown’s first day as city manager will be Tuesd...
IRONWOOD — Historic Ironwood Theatre will present the ski movie “The Blizzard of Aahhhs” tonight at 7. The movie, celebrating its 30th anniversary, is considered to have popularized the concept of “extreme” skiing and inspired a generation of skiers worldwide, said a theatre spokesman. It showcases the cliff-jumping prowess of Scot Schmidt and introduced mohawked bad boy punk rocker Glen Plake — all in France’s stunning Chamonix Valley with a soaring pop soundtrack for the first time in a ski film. “The Blizzard of Aahhh’s” remains the benchma...
IRONWOOD - Wolverine Ski Trails will host the Mountains of the Midwest winter triathlon on Saturday, March 2. The race will include a 6k skate or classic cross-country ski, 8k fat tire bike ride and a 5k snowshoe. Racers can do all three disciplines or form teams of three competitors. The event starts at 10 a.m. at trails on Sunset Road east of Section 12 Road in Ironwood Township. Online registration is available at wolverinenordic.com. Walk-in registrations will be taken at Cold Iron Brewing...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - While they are normally known for their inter-agency cooperation, the Gogebic Range's law enforcement departments squared off Friday in a chili cook-off fundraiser. A total of nine competitors submitted dishes; including members of the Ironwood Public Safety Department, Gogebic County Sheriff's Department, Iron County Sheriff's Department, Hurley Police Department, Michigan State Police's Wakefield Post and county prosecutor's office....
HURLEY — The Hurley K-12 School was put on lock down Thursday afternoon due to a “perceived threat heard elsewhere in the community,” said Administrator Chris Patritto. “We did it under an abundance of precaution,” he told the Daily Globe later. A Code Yellow was declared at 1:45 and lifted at 2:20, according to text messages received by parents with children in the school. Patritto said someone in the community heard what they thought was a threat and called the school. “We called the police and put the school on lock down. The police dete...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Roughly 300 junior and senior high school students from Hurley, Gogebic and Ontonagon counties attended Career and Campus Exploration Day held at the Gogebic Community College on Thursday. The Ironwood Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Works!, Michigan Rehabilitation Services and GCC organized the day to allow students the opportunity to talk to area businesses and tour the campus. Director of admissions, marketing and community relations, Kim...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The Mercer Town Board held an information session Thursday to provide residents with the facts about a proposed ballot measure in the spring election. Town voters will be asked April 2 to decide whether to approve a .5 percent Premier Resort Area Tax on certain goods and services in the town. “We’d like people to have the facts. Be armed when you go to vote,” town chairman John Sendra told the audience. If passed, the measure is expected to generate roughly $200,000 to $250,00...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is considering reclassifying Iron County’s County Road A in the town of Saxon, changing it from a rural major collector to a rural minor collector. While the final decision hasn’t officially been made yet, county officials expect the reclassification will inevitably happen. “As of right now, County A does not meet the criteria for a major collector. So they are removing it and turning it into a minor collector,” Highway Commissioner Mike Swar...
IRONWOOD - The National Weather Service's Winter Storm Warning for Thursday was spot on as snow filled the air for much of the late morning, all afternoon and into the evening across the Gogebic Range. The NWS in Marquette had a report of 7.5 inches of snow in Ironwood by late afternoon. The official 24-hour snow total scheduled for this morning at the Wastewater Treatment Facility in Ironwood will give an official number. While the forecast calls for a slight chance of snow today with a high...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] SUPERIOR, WIS. — The University of Wisconsin Superior’s alumni association named Mike Wiggins Jr., of Ashland, to be among the 25 outstanding alumni recognized in celebration of the universities 125th anniversary. Wiggins is serving his third term as chair of Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and earned his bachelor’s degree at UW-Superior in 1992. He previously served as a conservation warden for the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commi...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Michigan Senate Oversight Committee met Tuesday in Lansing to hear testimony regarding an auditor general's report concerning the Michigan Department of Correction's decision to close the Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco. The facility, which had 203 employees, closed Dec. 1. The report - a follow-up to a 2012 performance audit - found the MDOC partially complied with the changes recommended following the 2012 audit. "(The departme...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The ballotis set for the April 2 general election after Tuesday’s primary narrowed the field for the Mercer Town Board. Town voters chose between seven candidates in the primary, with the top four vote-getters advancing to the spring election. That ballot will feature Eric Snow, Opal Roberts, Christa Reinert and Tom Thompson. Snow received the most votes with 206, Roberts received 160 votes, Reinert received 124 votes and Thompson received 70. David McNutt, Tanner Hiller and Bra...
IRONWOOD - The Downtown Art Place will celebrate Youth Art Month in March as it continues to provide an opportunity for area students to showcase their artwork and for the public to recognize the local school talent in the visual arts. March is nationally recognized as Youth Art Month. It is a month of promoting art and art education in the United States. Thousands of American schools participate, often with the involvement of local art museums and civic organizations. Local art teachers from...
By RICHARD JENKINS and BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley School Board acknowledged mistakes had been made in the process, but voted Monday to proceed with plans to change the district’s mascot from the Midgets. “We certainly made some missteps along the way, and for that we truly apologize,” School Board President Joe Simonich said. He explained the process began with a desire for a discussion about the mascot, but when those efforts failed, the board felt it was best to...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO - The question of how to manage the recreational marijuana business was a topic at a Monday evening meeting of the Marenisco Township board. Board members voted Jan. 28 to consider opting into such business, but they do not yet have a draft of a preliminary ordinance from township attorney Jim Bucknell. Meanwhile, board members pondered how many issues they might need to address in the event of opening the township to various types of marijuana...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — If the stormy winter weather does not calm down now, Ontonagon students will be going to school in the summer. Ontonagon Area School District Superintendent Jim Bobula told the Ontonagon School Board Monday the district is “all out” of snow days. “As of this week, we have had nine snow days,” Bobula said. He explained that the state permits six snow days, or emergency days of school closure, each school year. The district can ask for forgiveness for three more. “That’s nine and any more emergenc...
By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus featured USSA Prostar racing Saturday and Sunday at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds. Race Director Tom Auvinen said the crews, volunteers, and USSA officials did an "excellent" job to create a good weekend of racing. Gunnar Sterne, who finished first in both the Champ 440 and Champ Prostar Cup races on Saturday, said although the paycheck helps, the points for coming in first are critical for Prostar Cup Tour...
