Sorted by date Results 4359 - 4383 of 9747
By STEVE NEWMAN [email protected] KIMBALL - The Kimball Community Center was a hive of activity on Saturday as Penokee Range 4-H Livestock Club presented their annual 4-H Fun Frolic. Carol Alonen, club leader, stated that the club has been putting on the day for the past 4-5 years as a fundraiser. Among the games were a cake walk, an easter egg hunt, petting zoo and other fun. Participants purchased tickets for playing games and getting refreshments. Those in the club have made the...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] BESSEMER - While there is still snow on the ground and more could certainly come, the end of the snowmobiling season is around the corner. This year, the Gogebic Range Trail Authority groomed around 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails so far, which is nearly double last year's total of 3,300, according to club president Steve Hamilton. The members of the GRTA were really tested this year when one of their two grooming machines - their T7-210 New Holland...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] Iron and Bayfield counties continue to post the worst employment numbers in Wisconsin. While the state’s unemployment rate for January was 3.1 percent, the rate for Iron County stood at 6 percent, followed by Bayfield County’s 5.6 percent. That ranked the two last among Wisconsin’s 72 counties. The worst job numbers for January were consistently throughout the northern counties. The U.S, jobless rate was 4.1 percent for January, compared to 4.8 percent a year ago, according to the Wisconsin Depar...
BESSEMER — Scott David Salmi, 43, of Bessemer, was arrested during execution of a search warrant at the Black River Valley Pub on Thursday, was arraigned on Friday in Gogebic County Circuit Court. Salmi is charged with two felonies, conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, a maximum 20-year, $10,000 charge, and possession with the intent to deliver meth, with a maximum 25-year, $25,000 fine. Salmi is scheduled for a March 29 probable cause hearing and a preliminary examination is set for April 10. Salmi’s bond is set at $200,000, with 10 percent...
IRONWOOD — Goals for 2018 approved by the Ironwood City Commission on Monday drew heat from a city resident. Paul Grbavcich, of Leonard Street, said he couldn’t believe the commission would list a commercial blight fight as No. 1, when tackling the opioid problem in the city was only rated No. 5. Commissioners assigned the goals with point totals following a recent workshop, with eliminating commercial building blight through possible demolitions scoring 10 points, while increasing drug enforcement efforts only received seven points. “Dr...
SILVER CITY - Back country camping in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park will be a little more restrictive starting this camping season, as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is limiting where people can camp. While back country campsites used to be available on a first-come, first-serve basis and campers could also camp off-trail, the park has become too popular, as the DNR estimates more than 300,000 people a year visit the approximately 60,000-acre park. "In recent...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Michigan State University Gogebic County Extension office still has books left over from a $103,660 gift last year from a nonprofit southern California charity. The Molina Foundation recapped the award this week after most of the books had already been distributed across the Upper Peninsula. Erin Ross, of the MSU-Extension Bessemer office, said her small staff carried out distribution of the books at U.P.-wide events such as the Gogebic...
BESSEMER — The execution of a search warrant on a Bessemer area restaurant Thursday led to the arrest of a Bessemer resident on methamphetamine charges. Members of the Gogebic-Iron Area Narcotics Team searched the Black River Valley Pub around 2:15 p.m. Thursday, according to a GIANT press release. A Bessemer man, 43, was arrested as a result of the search. He will be charged with 20-year felonies for conspiracy to deliver meth and possession with intent to deliver meth. The restaurant came to GIANT’s attention when investigators received infor...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] While students across the country walked out of class Wednesday in a call for action on gun violence and to remember the 17 students killed in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida; Gogebic Range students recognized the effort in various ways. In Ironwood, interested students from the district's upper grades gathered in the gym to talk with members of the Ironwood Public Safety Department regarding school...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - A Wednesday workshop of the Wakefield city council opened doors to city employees who were asked to voice their concerns. "We want to fix problems if there are any," said mayor pro tem Amy Tarro, standing in for mayor John Granato, on vacation. A continuing issue is city workers' daily hours, which changed this from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is now 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mike Singleton, a heavy equipment operator with the city's department of public...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY — The city of Hurley will work to come up with a plan for addressing water system cross connection violations. Mayor Joe Pinardi said the city has until September to assure the Department of Natural Resources the violations have been addressed and corrected. A connection between any part of the public water supply system and a source of contamination or pollution is called a cross connection. The aim is to eliminate cross connections to keep drinking water safe by keeping out contaminants and p...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — The city of Ironwood has been underfunding its retirement pension plan and has been cited by the Michigan Department of Treasury to take corrective actions. A new law requires local units of government to report underfunded retirement benefits and Ironwood has been cited for underfunding its pension plan. For the first round of reporting, more than 110 out of 490 local units of government were identified as having underfunded pension plans or retirement health care plans, or both, a...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - A potential splash pad and obstacle course at Eddy Lake Park were the subject of a lively discussion at Monday's meeting of the Wakefield planning commission. Using a photo slideshow to spread enthusiasm, city manager Richard Brackney told the commission that there are "simple" plans available online that could make it possible to set up the proposed features with minimal labor, expense or expertise. In reference to the splash pad, he said,...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] BESSEMER - Bessemer resident Shatha Beauchamp formed the Children of the Lord Foundation to conduct mission work in the U.S. and Africa. The charity is currently supporting construction of a health clinic in Ghana that will provide health care for up to 25,000 people in the Ashanti Region. Donna Frello, Bessemer resident and commander of VFW Post 3673 in Bessemer, described how the effort to build the health clinic is really in her heart Sunday...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY — The fifth suspect in the murder of a Lac du Flambeau, Wis., man late last year near Mercer had a $1 million cash bond set Monday morning in Iron County Court. Curtis A. Wolfe, 26, of Lac du Flambeau, and four other men are charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse in the death of Wayne M. Valliere Jr., of Lac du Flambeau. Wolfe’s attorney, Fred Bourg, appearing by speaker phone, argued Monday that Wolfe is indigent and $1 million bond would be excessive. “One million d...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Ironwood Township hopes to have a spring cleanup this year, with the township board of trustees discussing the best dates Monday. The last time the township held a cleanup was May 2016, according to Supervisor Steve Boyd. Boyd said he looked at three Saturdays for the cleanup - May 5, May 12 and May 19. "On the 12th, there is the Brian Nasi run and the Red Bull event at Copper Peak," Boyd said. "The other two days are relatively open, the...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Architect John Larson, of Gwinn, told Wakefield City Council members Monday he hopes to have the municipal building's proposed fireproof storage room complete by June 30. Council members voted unanimously to allow him to call for bids on construction of the room. The move will reduce the size of City Manager Richard Brackney's office. Brackney also presented examples of windows suggested for the project. He said the new fiberglass windows will...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] DULUTH — Last year the Gogebic Range Robotics Team, Team 6613, came in like a lion and left like a full pride after qualifying for the championships in St. Louis and out performing many schools and their robots. With an entrance into the robotics scene like that, it is challenging to follow that excellence in only their second year. Friday and Saturday Team 6613 competed at the Decc in Duluth, facing off against 57 other teams in the Northern Lights R...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD — The audience at the Historic Ironwood Theatre was treated to a fairly unique show Saturday as the Bay Area Chamber Ensemble performed a piece titled “War and Peace.” The evening began with the group performing Ralph Vaughn Williams’ “The Piano Quintet in C Minor.” Following intermission; the trio of Joel Glickman on clarinet, Joni Chapman on piano and Sheila Mitchell on violin performed Igor Stravinsky’s “L’Histoire du Soldat” — or “The...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — Trinity Lutheran’s preschool and childcare program is looking to give local kids a place to play and held a “Pasta with a Purpose” spaghetti lunch Sunday to help accomplish that goal. Featuring the standard fare of spaghetti, salad, bread and dessert; Nicole Anderson — the director of the preschool program — said the lunch was raising money toward the purchase of playground equipment for the program. “We put the fence up last year, so now we’re just trying to fill it in this...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - A sense of normalcy is beginning to return to downtown Ironwood, as Aurora Street re-opened Friday and news came that two of the businesses closed since the Feb. 21 fire would be re-opening soon. Aurora Street had been closed since the early morning fire that left three dead. The fire destroyed the multi-story structure at 102 E. Aurora that housed Chelsi's Corner boutique on the street level and two floors of apartments above it, as...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission will approve its annual goals Monday and the continuing blight fight is number one. At a recent work session, commissioners ranked 2018 goals and tackling commercial building blight scored 10 points to top the list. Commissioners agreed demolition of some blighted business buildings should be a priority. The blight fight has also included eyesore houses that have been torn down by the scores over the past few years. Second place produced a three-way tie, with the...
HURLEY — The Iron County Highway Department said Friday seasonal weight restrictions will be placed on county roadways effective Monday at 8 a.m. The weight limits will be in effect on the entire lengths of County Trunks A, B, C, CC, D, E, FF, G, H and J. The six-ton single axle and 10-ton maximum ban will stay in effect until further notice.... Full story