Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 482 - 506 of 9883
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission approved payment Monday for an invoice of $4,536 to Gogebic County 911 for cellphones provided to the Ironwood Public Safety Department. IPSD Sgt. Brandon Snyder, who is also the IPSD fire marshal and on the county’s 911 Committee, told the commission how the state had determined the county’s 911 Committee was wrong when it bought the phones for the department. He said they appealed that decision, but lost at first by one vote and appealed again to the full...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] UPSON, Wis. - The snow season started stirring nearly three months ago at Whitecap Mountains Resort, but skiing did not open at the Upson ski hill until Jan. 13, the day that a winter storm hit this region. "We started making snow on Oct. 30," said resort owner David Dziuban of the staff's efforts toward the end of 2023. The early snowmaking, of course, was foiled by a prolonged warm spell - including rain - that ruined any prospects of opening hills for t...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Individuals or businesses who donated to the cost of a new trailhead behind the Bessemer City Hall will receive a letter from the city in the near future. City Council members agreed Monday night that the outreach should be made in case any donors may wish to retract their offer after the city failed for the second year in a row to qualify for a Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Officials will apply for the grant again this year, in hopes o...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield City Council voted on Monday evening to sell a parcel of land overlooking Sunday Lake to Timothy and Nichole Lynott for their bid of $10,101. The land is adjacent to the Lynott’s property at 202 Chicago Mine Road. “My family and I have lived on the adjoining parcel of property since 1986, for 38 years,” said Lynott in a letter to the council dated Jan. 18. “We have maintained a walking trail on the property over the years so we can easily access the park and beach at Sunday La...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP — The COVID-19 pandemic resulted with a local silver lining when Copper Peak, an Ironwood Township landmark, received a $20 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act. That was announced in the spring of 2022, and progress toward using those funds to refurbish the famous ski jump has been in the works ever since. Copper Peak officials now have announced that construction bids for the following two site projects are expected by the end of February: 1. A tower project that will i...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] The combined three counties of Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon feature nearly 600 miles of snowmobile trails. Winding through forests and towns and over bridges and lakes, they represent white gold in the winter season, drawing thousands of tourists from other states who relish the frosty, fluffy stuff made possible mostly by those three magic words: lake effect conditions. Not so much this year. After warm spells delayed the opening of trails straight...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley School Board extended the contracts of superintendent Kevin Genisot, 7-12 principal Melissa Oja and K-5 principal and athletic director Steve Lombardo Monday evening. The move came after a closed session in which the board completed a review of the superintendent. All three of the contracts were extended another year, now ending after the 2025-2026 school year. Genisot told The Globe later the board has typically made the move each year to keep the school administration on t...
IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission heard good financial news at a brief regular meeting Jan. 8. The commission heard the final report of the city’s audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. “The auditors gave the city a clean, unmodified opinion. There were no findings, questioned costs, or material misstatements,” city clerk Jen Jacobsen told The Globe. The commission voted to receive and place the audit on file. The commission also discussed a $4,563 invoice from Gogebic County 911 for Ironwood Public Safety cell phones. The mem...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD - The lack of snow in Ironwood may have stopped the Sisu races from taking place, but it certainly did not stop the celebration. Organizers still held the annual Depot Dash at the Ironwood Depot on Friday afternoon and gathered the community together on Saturday for food and fun at the Sisu Expo. Hannah Panchi, an organizer of the Depot Dash, said the last-minute snow allowed them to hold the dash. If they didn't have enough, she said they l...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] HURLEY — Hurley is on the cusp of getting a multimillion dollar housing facility that is structured to provide a creative combination of living and learning for those citizens who qualify for residence. Marketed as a “multifamily, affordable community,” the pending construction is expected to include 40 units with varying numbers of bedrooms. With the blessing of Iron County and the Hurley City Council, the project is a collaboration between Impact Seven, a nonprofit entity that invests in commu...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Each year, the Wakefield City Council — along with the Wakefield Township Board of Trustees — contributes to the expenses of the annual July 4 celebration in Wakefield. Last year was the exception because the city’s Fireworks Committee learned that its nonprofit status had expired. “In late 2022, the city confirmed that the Fireworks Committee’s 501(c)(4) status was revoked on May 15, 2010,” wrote City Manager Robert Brown, Jr. in an agenda report for the council’s Monday evening meeting...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council voted on Monday evening to deny a request by Mark Switzer to purchase a city lot for $1. City Manager Christopher Frazer reported that Ben Tucker, who leads the city’s Department of Public Works, and city engineers noted that the property in question may be needed for the projected new Bluff Reservoir. “Until we figure out what chunks that we may or may not need, we’re not going to sell this property,” said Councilman Adam Zak. “However, if we do decide to sell a piec...
IRONWOOD — The lack of seasonal snow has forced Sisu Ski Race organizers to cancel this year’s races. It would have been the 15th annual event. The news came Friday in a post on the Sisu Ski Fest facebook page. “With one week to go we have absolutely no snow on the ground, wet trails, and warm temps. There is only minor snow in the forecast with temps predicted to hover around freezing. Even if we receive more snow than predicted, we could not turn that snow into a safe race course. Therefore, we are canceling the Sisu ski race,” said race di...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] Typically, at this time of year, local ski hills are basking in the aftermath of bustling holiday seasons that draw thousands of tourists from near and far. Not so this year, with some resorts still closed and others open only with limited hills available. "We are not officially open yet," said David Dziuban, owner and manager of Whitecap Mountains Resort in Upson, Wisconsin, on New Year's Day. "We started making snow on Oct 30 and utilized every opportuni...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — At a Tuesday evening meeting of the Bessemer Planning Commission, City Manager Christopher Frazer reported that the city soon will schedule a joint meeting of all boards and commissions. The annual tradition has occurred in the past several years as a means for members of the various entities to stay informed of each other’s progress and plans and to discuss mutual interests. “I want to have as many people at this meeting as possible,” said Frazer. He said he was in the process of gatheri...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] Winter has not yet fully kicked in, but that did not stop local ski hills from celebrating New Year's Eve in style. Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort and Black River Basin - both in Bessemer Township - featured live music and fireworks that drew large, family-friendly crowds that warmed themselves next to bonfires. Excited kids, some decorated in beads and LED lights, ran, twirled and cartwheeled on the grounds. The annual torchlight parade at Black River Basin had the crowd howling from the moment that...
BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners and the Gogebic County Fair Board again reached an impasse during a meeting last week. In the county board’s previous meeting, commissioners requested that fair board members provide a plan of how they conceive a 2024 county fair. But Fair Board Member Linda Nelson instead requested more input from commissioners regarding precisely what they wish in relation to the pending fair. Nelson said that fair board members held a long meeting on Dec. 14 to discuss how to approach the 202...
BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously last week to fund the county 4-H coordinator as a full-time position for eight months, from April 1 to Nov. 30 in 2024, at a salary of $40,000. Until now, 4-H Coordinator Ashley Dennis has been employed on a part-time basis. Chairman James Lorenson said the funds can be drawn from the county budget’s allotment of $40,000 for youth activities. Paul Putnam, District 1 director for the Michigan State University Extension, lobbied for the change at the Dec. 20 mee...
HURLEY - The Hurley K-12 School students celebrated Festival de Navidad on Wednesday, Dec. 20, the last day of school before the holiday break. Students from the school's Spanish classes worked to put on a fun event for the student body. "Our Spanish 1 and 2 students put it on every year," said teacher Kirsten "Kirkie" Pecotte. "They pick a Spanish speaking country, and base either a craft, a food or an activity off of it." The students this year were set up around the elementary gymnasium as...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD - Gogebic Community College's Mt. Zion ski hill played host to the Snocross Nationals opener this past weekend, with crowds of people gathering at the hill to watch as five-time champion Elias Ishoel of Norway claimed first place during Saturday's Pro class race, and Swedish rider Gustav Sahlsten took home the $10,000 prize for winning the Amsoil Dominator race on Friday night. The weather affected the flow of the races, with a lack of seasonal sn...
IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees unanimously elected Chris Patritto as the 10th president of the college at their meeting Tuesday evening. He will begin his position on Jan. 2, 2024. “Mr. Patritto brings extensive experience working in an educational setting and is well respected and engaged in our local community. He has a proven successful leadership style along with having team building experience, and strong communication skills,” said board chair Susan Beals in a press release. “He is a fiscally responsible budget...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood Area Schools Board of Education voted to approve the transfer of the former Norrie School property to the city at its meeting Monday evening. The board authorized Superintendent Travis Powell to sign papers transferring ownership of the property to the city of Ironwood. The City Commission approved the idea of accepting the property for free at its meeting last week. The board also briefly discussed the annual summer tax resolution, which was approved unanimously by the board. T...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — At its Wednesday, Dec. 20, meeting, the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners had expected to hear an address from the Gogebic County Fair Board regarding a pending 2024 fair. However, in a Tuesday, Dec. 19, phone call, Fairground Coordinator Marlene Saari said that fair board members are not yet ready to submit a preliminary proposal. Although commissioners had voted in a recent meeting to cancel the fair, the Fair Board since had countered with the possibility of compromising with a s...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission voted Monday to move forward in accepting the former Norrie School property from the Ironwood Area Schools. City manager Paul Anderson told the commission the school district has no plans for the 2.2-acre property and was looking to donate it to the city. Anderson said in a memo to the commission that the city staff felt it was good for the city to take ownership in order to have more control over the property’s future, adding: “With the housing short...
