Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 3630 - 3654 of 9883
BESSEMER — The Gogebic Conservation District completed some inportant invasive plant eradications in 2018, according to its annual report. James Wojcik, chairman of the board of the district, said, “We obtained two grants from the Gogebic Resource Advisory Committee, the group that helps award U.S. Forest Service funding for projects in Gogebic County.” One of the grants covered eradication work on infestations of garlic mustard in the Ironwood-Bessemer area. The other provided funding for projects in Bluff Valley Park, Miners Memorial Herit...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BESSEMER — Salary increases for 2019 of $69,597 were approved for non-union employees and elected officials by the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners at a Dec. 21 meeting. The increases for non-union employees, effective Jan. 1, were approved on a motion made by Jim Oliver, of Ironwood, seconded by Dan Siirila, of Ironwood. The vote was 4-1, with Jeff Wasley, of Ironwood, opposed. Absent were Joe Bonovetz, of Bessemer, and Tom Laabs, of Ironwood. Oliver, Siirila, then board chair George Peterson, o...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — Two people were arrested in east central Wisconsin Wednesday in connection with the armed robbery home invasion in Marenisco Township in December. A man, 47, and woman, 41, were arrested in New London Wednesday evening, according to Gogebic County Sheriff Pete Matonich. The owner of the East Shore road residence in the Lake Gogebic area was assaulted and tied up during the early morning hours of Dec. 18 in the home invasion where money and guns were stolen. The property owner was able t...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — Even though the county wouldn’t be able to add on to the building, the Iron County Board of Supervisors’ finance committee decided to continue exploring the purchase of the Hurley VFW property Thursday. At the committee’s December meeting, there was a discussion regarding putting a new upper level on the building and making it the home of the Iron County Health Department. Iron County Clerk Mike Saari informed the committee Thursday that plan doesn’t appear viable. Saari said the power...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners reorganized Wednesday with two people absent. Dan Siirila, of Ironwood, (commissioner district 1), was elected chair. He’ll replace George Peterson, of Watersmeet, who was absent. Newcomer Joann Balduc, of Ironwood, (commission district 4), was also absent. She previously told the board she would miss January meetings because of medical issues. Jim Byrns, of Ironwood’s commissioner district 3, was elected vice-chair of the seven-person county board...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — While the future of the Saxon Harbor campground remains uncertain, the Iron County forestry committee is recommending a land swap if the decision is to made to proceed with its construction. The committee voted Tuesday to send the proposed land exchange to the full county board for approval. “At the full county board meeting … we’ll discuss the new campground proposal first. And if the board decides we’re not going to move forward with the new campground, we’ll just table this,” Iron...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - The Washington Elementary School in Bessemer received a significant Christmas gift in the form of a full restoration of its gymnasium. Superintendent Dave Wineburner said the work was completed in the past month with the help of a list of contributing companies and individuals. "It was an old floor," he said of the gym and added regarding the school's century-old age, "It had never been sanded in 100 years." Wineburner said members of the distri...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - An Ironwood Township man will have a week to think about whether he wants to withdraw his guilty plea after Judge Michael Pope delayed a sentencing hearing in Gogebic County Circuit Court Tuesday. Jason Elliot Irvine, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct in November as part of a plea agreement - charges which carry a potential life sentence. Pope said Tuesday Irvine wasn't adequately informed the...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - The Bessemer city council voted Monday to take limited action on a request by a property owner asking forgiveness for a 2017 water bill that exceeded $10,000, including late fees, for a billing period of two months. The request was made by Morgan R. Butler IV and the Butler family, regarding a house at 109 W. Sellar St. Locals and tourists who have rented the house through the years have referred to the structure as "the abbey" or "the church,"...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — Participants in the weekend’s Sisu Ski Fest cross country marathon races in Ironwood will have the opportunity to step back into time when the Gogebic Range was hit with “the mother of all blizzards.” To commemorate the 10th annual Sisu, a “Storm of the Century” exhibit has been assembled in the Memorial Building rotunda. Visitors will be able to view photos and displays depicting the deadly blizzard of 1938 that brought commerce to a halt with 25-foot snow drifts in downtown Ironwood. Snow...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - The Bessemer city council voted Monday for a three-lane option on U.S. 2, with modifications for greater width on each end of town to ease movement of industrial vehicles on Massie and Tamarack Avenues. Massie Avenue allows traffic to and from the city's industrial park, and Tamarack Avenue lies next to Steiger's Home Center. Michigan Department of Transportation officials have been awaiting the lane decision so they can proceed with formal...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] Those interested in exploring some or all of the Upper Peninsula on two wheels this summer can start planning now, as pre-registration is now open for the second annual Tour Da Yoop, Eh. “I believe the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is probably the best place in the entire country to have the ultimate, multi-day biking adventure,” James Studinger said in a video recapping last year’s inaugural ride. The 1,200-mile, 10-day trip circles the perimeter of the U.P., starting and stopping in Manis...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners will meet Wednesday at 5 p.m. for a re-organizational session. The board originally planned to meet last week for the session, but was unable to do so. The regular meetings will continue on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 5 p.m., with the finance committee meeting the fourth Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. A chair and vice-chair will be elected Wednesday. One of the first actions of the new board will be to act on the resignation of James W...
By PAT KRAUSE sports@your daily globe.com IRONWOOD - The Gogebic County Fairgrounds were the place to be this weekend as hundreds of the best drivers in modern ice oval racing rocked around the historic 1/2 mile track at speeds up to 100 mph at the Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus this weekend. More than 150 snowmobile racers competed in the USSA Prostar Cup, including events for women and kids (junior racers). By late Sunday afternoon Race Director Tom Auvinen, who shies away from praise, was very p...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Pat O'Donnell Civic Center in Ironwood was bustling with people Saturday as dozens of skaters happily circled the rink over and over again, some going forward, some backward. Many of them glided by in twos while talking together. Younger participants sometimes stopped to engage in video chat waves, a quick text or phone call, or group selfies. Now and then, someone attempted an artistic flourish on the ice. Kaytlin Jeffery of Ironwood said...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College will use a recent $2 million state grant to create a skilled trades training center which will include a new state-of-the-art welding lab. GCC Dean of Business Services and co-Interim President Erik Guenard said the college wants to respond to the employment needs of area business and industry, and create programs that will train students to meet those needs. “The college is going to take a more active roll in workforce development,” Guenard said. “We already...
IRONWOOD - Before there was Lady Gaga, there was Barbra Streisand. And before there was Streisand there was Judy Garland; and before there was Garland, there was Janet Gaynor. All four starlets have shown brightly in their own versions of the movie "A Star is Born," but it was Gaynor's turn on the silver screen Friday night as the Historic Ironwood Theatre presented the original 1937 version of the film with co-star Fredric March. The presentation was part of the theater's First Friday film seri...
Just 25 people moving back and forth in the labor market influenced the latest jobless report Gogebic and Ontonagon County numbers for November. According to the Bureau of Labor Market information, the jobless rate increased seasonally in 10 of the 15 U.P. counties in November. Gogebic County registered just a small blip upward, rising from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent from October to November. The effect of 25 people was felt in the total employment and unemployment. The civilian labor force remained the same from October to November at 6,075,...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP — The Wakefield Township Board voted Wednesday to opt out of allowing a recreational marijuana enterprise within its region. In addition, said supervisor John Cox of the unanimous vote, “The resolution does not allow the use of marijuana on any township-owned properties.” Cox said nobody offered opinions during the meeting’s public comments period. “There was no one there,” he said Thursday. He said he did share with the board the opinion of one township resident, who had called him to...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — With the calendar rolled over into January, Gogebic County Treasurer Lisa Hewitt is reaching out to those facing tax foreclosures in an attempt to remedy the situation. “I’m committed to tackling the foreclosure crisis, that is why my office is willing to work with tax payers to avoid loss of property,” Hewitt said. She said it was important to be proactive and there may be resources available to help people. “The sooner you come in, the sooner we can get on top of things. Accidents...
