Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 5649 - 5673 of 9785
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Board of Supervisors saved the best for last Tuesday night, voting 14 to 1 to restore Saxon Harbor to the state it was in prior to the flooding during the July 11 storm that destroyed the harbor. Brad Matson was the lone no vote. Prior to the vote, Matson said he thought the board needed more information regarding its alternatives before voting to return to the pre-storm design. “I think we need to look at putting that creek where it used to be, and where it wants to be,...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Gogebic Community College Board met on Tuesday, closing out the year. During the meeting the board discussed the changing of rates for the Mount Zion ski hill. The $85.00 ski pass for local schools will not change, which the school felt is a solid deal for students, but the daily rates and rentals are increasing for the first time in two years. With two minimum wage pay increases absorbed recently by the school, they must recoup some...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon County Board Tuesday paid tribute to its longest serving member John Pelkola. Pelkola, who served 23 years on the board, many of those as its chairman, was defeated in the November election by one vote. Commissioner Carl Nykanen, commended his long service to the people of Ontonagon County and other board members applauded Pelkola for his years of working for the people of the county. John said he was please to be a commissioner for 23 years. Prior to his election to the board, he a...
IRONWOOD - The July 11 storm is affecting winter tourism on the Gogebic Range. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has temporarily closed snowmobile Trail 160 because of damage from the storm, including wiping out the Mud Creek bridge. The 25-mile-long trail heads north from Trail 2 in Ironwood, connecting to the Wisconsin trail system at the mouth of the Montreal River, near Saxon Harbor. "Damage to the bridge abutments was extensive and resulted in a permanent closure until the...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] WAKEFIELD - The Wakefield-Marenisco school has two foreign exchange students in the junior class being hosted by local families. Annelie Rodestock, from Leipzig, Germany, and Guillermo Perez, from Ibiza, Spain, arrived in Wakefield in September and will depart after the school year is complete. Rodestock was hoping for sunny and warm California when she submitted her wish list to the placement agency, but she likes Wakefield and is very happy here. Th...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley School Board agreed Monday to seek a waiver from the state Department of Public Instruction so it may start school earlier than Sept. 1. District administrator Chris Patritto said there are many reasons Hurley should start classes in August. He said the earlier start would more closely align the district with the Gogebic Community College calendar and provide more days for teacher in-service training during the school year. He said three in-service days per school year are not e...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - The inaugural David Erickson Memorial 9-Pin Tournament was held at Larry's Lucky Strikes bowling alley Saturday, raising funds to develop youth bowling in the region. "What we're doing is building a new middle school and high school bowling program here in the region that will involve all the high schools in the area," said Joel Bach, one of tournament's organizers. Bach said the proceeds from Saturday's event will go to provide...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - The Wolverine Nordic group hosted a free clinic on nordic skiing at the Wolverine Ski Club Saturday morning. Professional ski instructors Hannah Panci and Jackie Powers donated their time to bring the joys of cross country skiing to a group of novices looking to gain skill and grow in their proficiency on skis. Ginger Kivisto said she, "intends to stick with it." Panci expressed the opinion that, "the Ironwood area has the most...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — An Ontonagon man pleaded guilty to two drug charges in Gogebic County Circuit Court Friday for his role in several Depot Park drug deals. Justin Michael Olexa, 22, pleaded guilty to delivery of heroin and cocaine charges as part of a plea agreement that will have 10 other counts — a second delivery of heroin charge, two conspiracy to deliver heroin charges and a conspiracy to deliver cocaine charge, three delivery of a controlled substance on school or library property charges, and thr...
BESSEMER - It took the jury just over an hour Friday to convict an Ironwood man of all six charges it was asked to deliberate on. Donovan Howard Payeur, 32, was found guilty of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, conspiracy to possess meth with intent to deliver, felon in possession of a weapon, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a controlled substance-marijuana and possession of a weapon while committing a felony. The two most serious charges Payeur was facing,...
HURLEY - After a wait of 1,014 days, Hurley finally has a grocery store again. The wait was just a little longer Friday, as final preparations pushed a 10 a.m. store opening to 1:30 p.m., but a good-sized crowd flowed through the doors and check-out lanes. Store manager Rich Friederichs, of Hurley, said business had been going real good about two hours after they opened. Standing at the front door greeting customers as they came in and thanking them as they left, Friederichs said they'd had a...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - The third day of the trial of an Ironwood man facing multiple drug and gun charges wrapped up Thursday with testimony from more prosecution witnesses, including Ironwood Public Safety Department Sgt. Matthew Sterbenz, who is one of the primary investigators in the case. Donovan Howard Payeur, 32, is facing charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to deliver, felon...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] HURLEY - Iron County snowmobile trails opened on Wednesday and are in varying conditions. "Early season freezing is progressing nicely, but there is still some open water on the trails, so riders need to proceed with caution," said Tara Krall, office manager and trail coordinator for the Iron County Forestry Department. Trail signs are posted throughout the system, but the varying conditions change rapidly. Iron County is expecting more snow than was...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department will purchase a new rescue snowmobile. Sheriff Pete Matonich addressed the county board Wednesday and explained how he intended to fund the new machine. Matonich said the current rescue snowmobile is a 2000 Polaris and it is not dependable. He said deputies need a machine that starts in emergency situations. He cited one incident in which a snowmobile from a passerby had to be used because the department’s machine didn’t start. The sheriff said he...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - The trial of an Ironwood man charged with multiple drug and firearm felonies continued in Gogebic County Circuit Court Wednesday. Day 2 of the trial of Donovan Howard Payeur, 32, continued with more prosecution witnesses testifying against Payeur; who is standing trial on seven counts - possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to deliver, felon in possession of a weapon,...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] BESSEMER — After more than 1,000 hours of volunteer labor, placing signs and removing brush across the trail systems, the Gogebic Range Trail Authority obtained Department of Natural Resources signing and brushing approval for the first time since 2010. The field contact from the DNR gave blanket approval after inspecting the snowmobile trails. The GRTA is experiencing a revival through the efforts of its board of directors, with Deb Fergus, grant coordinator, spearheading efforts nearly seven d...
IRONWOOD — The Gogebic Range was included in a National Weather Service wind-chill advisory through noon today, closing area schools. The advisory was also in effect in Minnesota. The weather service warned that wind-chill readings could dip as low as 33-below, as west winds of 5 to 15 miles per hour were expected to gust up to 25 mph. The temperature at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Ironwood was 2 degrees, although the sun was shining. The wind-chill reading at that time was minus-4. Looking ahead, the coldest day coming up will be Sunday, when a h...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - The trial of an Ironwood man facing a number of drug and weapons charges began in Gogebic County Circuit Court Tuesday. Donovan Howard Payeur, 32, is facing seven felonies - the delivery of methamphetamine, conspiracy to deliver meth, possessing a weapon as a felon, possessing ammunition as a felon, possession of a controlled substance-Vicodin, possession of a controlled substance-marijuana and felony firearm. Following a morning of jury...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] WAKEFIELD - The residents and staff at the Gogebic Medical Care Facility are already reaping benefits of planned upgrades and once the awning over the rebuilt entryway is complete, will really be in high cotton. Rick Cunico, foreman for the Angelo Luppino Construction Company, of Iron Belt, Wis., said, "They had been waiting about a month for the steel to arrive so they could finish the awning. Now that it arrived, they expect to complete the job...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley City Council revoked one liquor license and granted another on Tuesday to the same establishment. The Class B combination beer and liquor license for MJ Petro Group, Inc., on Club Sierra, 21 Silver St., Michael Berghorn, president, was revoked. Bill Nordeen, representing city attorney Ray O’Dea, who was attending a jury trial, said the revocation was because the establishment was abandoned for more than 90 days and Petro Group was dissolved in 2014. It, therefore, failed to possess...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] BESSEMER - The Bessemer Board of Education witnessed Mary Beth Trudgeon, Al Geiss, and Kim Wright depart the board and welcomed Jim Partanan, Kevin Nyquist, Sheri Graham (incumbent), and Eric Stanislawski as new members. Bob Berg presented plaques to the outgoing members and Al Geiss asked for a moment to address the crowd. Geiss stressed, "It's all about the kids." Over and over again, while referencing the hard work the district and teachers put in...
HURLEY — A Feb. 28 jury trial has been scheduled for a 47-year-old Ironwood woman who was previously bound over for trial in Iron County Court on 26 counts of identity theft. Wendy Wuorinen is alleged to have withdrawn around $7,613 from the Iron County Community Credit Union in Kimball from a customer’s account while she was employed there without authorization from November 2014 to December 2015. Judge Patrick Madden set the trial date on Oct 13. Wuorinen was charged on July 7. A Jan. 31 court date has been set for a final pre-trial con...
