Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 3688 - 3712 of 9883
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - With over four decades of service on the board of education, Ed Rickard is a fixture in the Ironwood Area Schools. His 42 years of helping chart the district's direction came to an end Monday as he attended the last scheduled meeting of his final term. "Mr. Rickard shared many positive contributions with Ironwood Area Schools in his 42 years of service. He could always be counted on to put the needs of our children at the forefront of...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO - Two successive rollover accidents on U.S. 2 were the result of dangerous driving conditions just east of the M-64 turn-off to Marenisco on Thursday evening. Michigan State Trooper Stephen Maxinoski, who was at one of the scenes, said both accidents occurred in the hour before 8:30 p.m. He said the drivers of both vehicles lost control because of highway ice. The Gogebic County Sheriff's Department also responded to both accidents, and the Maren...
BESSEMER — Gogebic County has no authority to opt in or out of the recreational marijuana act. When the issue was raised by a citizen during public comment at a Dec. 12 county board of commissioners meeting, he was told by the board that the county can’t set zoning and wouldn’t be involved in the act. The board decided to seek an opinion from county prosecutor Nick Jacobs on the issue, however. Jacobs responded in a letter that was to be considered by the county board at its meeting today. The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marij...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MARENISCO — The search continues for the suspects who broke into a Marenisco Township residence early Tuesday morning, assaulted and tied up the homeowner before stealing “money and numerous guns.” The Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department believes the armed suspects specifically targeted the East Shore Road residence in the Lake Gogebic area, Sheriff Pete Matonich said in a news release. Matonich told the Daily Globe the resident was treated at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital, but didn’t provide a...
BESSEMER — The annual Gogebic Range pre-Christmas Bird Count returns Saturday. People who wish to participate should count all birds during the day and report to Jerry Edde in Bessemer at 906-663-6907. Calls should be made after 5 p.m. Participants should record the number of birds by species in a roughly 7.5-mile radius from the spotlight in Bessemer, including all of Hurley, Ironwood and Wakefield. When counting birds at the feeder, report only the highest number of each species seen at one time, so the same birds aren’t counted more tha...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — An Ontonagon County jury in Circuit Court Wednesday convicted an Iowa man of seven felonies in an incident which occurred in mid January 2018. Paul Smith, 26, was convicted of one count illegal entry, one count of home invasion, and counts of possession of a weapon (metallic knuckles), receiving and concealing property (a vehicle), lying to a police officer, use of methamphetamine, and leaving lawful custody. The incident began when a car was found stuck in a ditch in Stannard Township. Police d...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD - Waupaca Foundry, Inc., a manufacturer of high-quality cast and machined iron components for the transportation and industrial markets, plans to expand into Ironwood. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation said Tuesday the project is expected to generate total private investment of $4.3 million and create 61 jobs. Michigan was chosen over competing sites in Arkansas and Wisconsin, MEDC said. Ironwood Community Development Director Tom...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - The Wakefield-Marenisco School Board heard an audit report of good and bad news from accountant Karl Ahonen of Ironwood at its Monday evening meeting. "The school is in very good shape compared to other school districts," said Ahonen after noting that, as of June 30, 2018, the district's combined liability for its retirement fund and retiree health care fund is more than $6.5 million. "Those are big numbers for this school district," he said,...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — Iron County is considering implementing a temporary moratorium on importation and raising of cervids in the county, with the Iron County Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Committee deciding Tuesday to schedule a public hearing on the issue. The temporary ban would allow the county to consider how it wants to handle any potential deer farms that may consider locating in the county. “Just to remind you, this doesn’t mean no deer farms ever. This is a one-year block on deer farms for us to...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — As the minutes ticked past the scheduled 5:30 p.m. start time for the regular board meeting, it became clear the Ironwood Township Board of Trustees was going to need more than a one-hour special meeting Monday to decide what next year’s budget should look like. While the board called another special meeting — scheduled for 9 a.m., Thursday Dec. 27 — to complete the budget process, progress did seem to have been made during the discussion prior to Monday’s regular meeting....
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY - The Hurley School Board Monday agreed to seek bids for expanding the K-12 school. The school board could act on accepting bids at its February meeting. District administrator Chris Patritto was instructed to get the ball rolling to solicit bids. "This could be a catalyst for people wanting to stay here," school board president Joe Simonich, of Kimball, said of the potential of the expansion area. "This gets my support 100 percent," he said. The...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON - Dean Juntunen, president of the Ontonagon Area Board of Education, said goodbye to the board Monday after 22 ½ years, most of them as president. Juntunen did not seek re-election this fall. Juntunen commented that when he came on the board over 20 years ago it was all male members. "As I leave the board will be all women," he added. He continued, "We have a very good board and I am proud to serve with them." Juntunen will have plenty to do...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - With temperatures above freezing and the sun shining, it was a good day for racing Saturday as Gogebic Community College's Mt. Zion ski hill played host to the Fire on the Hill Snocross race. "It's going very well. It's been a great turnout, we've got a lot of good riders," race director Keith Johnson said. "People are very pleased with our track and very pleased with the venue." Around 120-130 racers competed in 17 classes, which were de...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - A Saturday Christmas party in Bessemer drew more than 150 people to the hall of VFW Post 3673, which sponsored the event. "We do it as a community event," said party organizer Donna Frello, who added this was the third year the VFW offered the party. Santa Claus was present for an hour and one-half, and Christmas tunes also were played as part of a "Kiddie Karaoke" event. "That turned out pretty cute," said Frello. In addition to a hot sloppy...
ONTONAGON — Ontonagon native JR Richardson has commented on his appointment from Governor Rick Snyder to the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority. The panel will oversee the construction of an oil pipeline tunnel in the straits of Mackinac. Richardson said he is “looking forward to my recent appointment to the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority. I will miss the (Natural Resource Commission) and all the devoted partners working together for the good of Michigan’s resources, but plan on bringing the same transparency and openness to work with par...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — As township officials continue to prepare next year’s budget, some residents have expressed concern regarding the outstanding debt owed to various government entities in the county. The debt is tax money former treasurer Jyl Olson-DeRosso collected but never passed on to the appropriate entities. Township Supervisor Steve Boyd said Friday the township’s attorney and forensic auditor encouraged the township to continue operating as normal while they work with the insurance and b...
LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder Friday appointed John Matonich, of Lake Gogebic, to chair the Michigan Trails Advisory Council. Matonich retired in 2016 as CEO of Rowe Professional Services Company. He served there as CEO from 1992 to 1999 and as president from 1997 to 2014. Matonich, a Bessemer native, lived in lower Michigan before returning to the Lake Gogebic area in Marenisco Township. He also serves on the Gogebic County Road Commission board. He earned his bachelor’s degree in land surveying from Michigan Technological University in Hou...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — Mercer Library Director Teresa Schmidt discussed the basics of building a website Thursday during a class on the basics of using WordPress. Schmidt gave an overview of the various stages of building a website during her WordPress 101 presentation and answered questions from those in attendance. After discussing choosing a domain name and hosting company, Schmidt opened up a WordPress Dashboard and showed the various key parts of a WordPress site. This included choosing a theme and p...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — It’s possible cellphone coverage in Iron County will improve after the Iron County Board of Supervisors’ finance committee approved an agreement with U.S. Cellular Thursday to allow the company to lease tower space from the county. The company will pay Iron County $1,300 a month to lease space on two of the county’s towers, one located in the Mercer area and the other in Upson. “I think it’s real fair,” said Darrell Petrusha, who has been working for the county on various communication...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] Ironwood and Gogebic County projects were approved for Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant awards by the state legislature. The Miners Memorial Heritage Park mountain bike trail system project was approved for a $280,000 grant and the Iron Belle Bessemer to Ramsay trail project will receive $299,900. In February, the Gogebic County Board passed a resolution supporting an application to the trust fund for development of three miles of the Iron Belle. The total project cost is $1,428,000. Board...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley School Board will consider the bid process for the planned technology education expansion project at Monday’s regular monthly meeting. The school board originally discussed a 4,300-square-foot addition to the technology (wood and metal shops) area at the K-12 school that would cost around $1.1 million and a wellness center costing around $1 million. When the planning process began, district administrator Chris Patritto said the school district had a $3.9 million fund balance, so...
