Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 6666 - 6690 of 9826
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Board of Supervisors approved integrating the Aging Unit of Iron County into the county’s Department of Human Services and its Aging and Disability Resource Center at its meeting Wednesday. Supervisor Vic Ouimette, who has been selected to head the county’s transition team, said that one of the primary goals of the transition was ensuring services continue throughout the transition. “During and after the transitional process, no Iron County County resident will lose any ben...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission has scheduled a Monday, Dec. 28, 5:25 p.m. public hearing on a blight violation at 603 Cherry Place. Blight control officer Jason Alonen on Monday showed slides of how the property had previously been blighted and cleaned up to the tune of $3,800 at the city’s expense. Now, the parcel is blighted again. Since the unidentified parcel owner is a repeat offender who was previously cited, commissioners were told the city had sent out a second notice and the thi...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] BESSEMER - It appears the Bessemer City Council is having reservations about its decision to part ways with Michael Uskiewicz and replace him with former Wakefield City Manager Margot Anderson after the council voted at a special meeting Monday to add a review of Uskiewicz's employment status with the city to the agenda for a Thursday closed-session meeting originally intended to be an interview of Anderson. At the Dec. 7 council meeting, the council...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD - November was a top 10 weather month in Ironwood on two fronts. The 5.36 inches of precipitation ranked as the eighth most over the past 114 years and the average temperature of 35.9 degrees was tenth, according to Kevin Crupi, of the National Weather Service office in Marquette. The long-term average temperature for November over those 114 years is 29.8. Crupi said the flow of Pacific air from the strong El Nino was responsible for the warm,...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — Following a public hearing, the Ironwood City Commission on Monday approved a $100,000 loan for Burton Industries. The loan for “working capital” will come through the city of Ironwood state of Michigan Community Development Block Grant program and will create five jobs for the business that operates out of the city’s industrial park. City Manager Scott Erickson noted Burton previously borrowed from the city and repaid the loan on time. There was no public comment at the hearing. Dale Co...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRON BELT, Wis. — The multi-day search for Iron Belt resident Alan Kangas, 68, ended Sunday with the discovery of his body at approximately 3 p.m. According to a Saturday press release from the Iron County Sheriff’s Department, Kangas was reported missing Friday at approximately 1:49 p.m. and a search began involving multiple agencies. Numerous K-9 units and 80 community members aided in the search. Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk said in a statement Kangas was found in a wooded area in Iron Bel...
By KELSEY HANSEN [email protected] MERCER - It was the fourth year of the Candy Cane Parade and festivities on Saturday in Mercer. The day consisted of a bakeing contest in the morning, a parade and float contest in the afternoon and treats, hot cocoa and 50/50 raffle after the parade. The baking contest started the day's festivities, which took place in the Mercer Sno-Goers barn in the morning. Participants had three categories they could enter: cookies, bars and candy. Everyone had the...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] IRONWOOD - Rather than plotting how to steal Christmas, the Grinch visited children at Ironwood Carnegie Library on Saturday for a holiday story hour. With cold weather outside, approximately 10 children came to the public library to watch Lynne Wiercinski, read the popular Christmas book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Before she started reading, the Grinch, Jake Suzik, of Bessemer, stopped by to hand out candy canes for the boys and girls. With th...
BESSEMER — In his final appearance before the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, county prosecutor Richard Adams offered a solution to a pension liability problem. Gogebic County was the fiscal agent for the Western Upper Peninsula Manpower Consortium, which was also made up of five other counties. For 40 years, the consortium served the six counties, but it was disbanded and a new consortium was formed that now serves the entire U.P. Now, the WUP Manpower Consortium pension fund is underfunded by $411,000. The pension plan h...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - For Gogebic County Prosecutor Richard "Dick" Adams, his passions for practicing law and working on engines have at least one thing in common, fixing problems is at the heart of both. "Constructive compromise is what we, as lawyers, should always to try accomplish," he said, adding that while sometimes compromise isn't possible, "more often than not, there is a middle ground both sides can live with. "Quite frankly, it isn't a hell of a...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners learned Wednesday that a new county prosecutor may be appointed soon by Gov. Rick Snyder. Richard Adams, who appeared before the board to discuss a pension matter, is retiring Sunday. “This is my good-bye,” he told the board. County clerk Gerry Pelissero said Monday is the deadline for attorneys to submit their names for the prosecutor’s job. The board agreed to reopen the union contract regarding hospitalization, since it recently switched to Blue...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] IRONWOOD - Weekly Superior Snowshoe hikes will begin in January. Sam Davey, of Ironwood, said the group walks every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and goes to different locations. It's the fifth year the community has came together for the weekly walks. On average, between 40 to 150 people participate every week, depending on the weather. "Last year, it was cold," he said. Davey said many people like snowshoeing because "it's fun and it's good exercise....
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD - The danger of distracted driving was dramatically displayed to Luther L. Wright High School students Wednesday. In sunny 40-degree weather, students in grades 9-12 gathered outside the school to view a vehicle that was totaled locally in a distracted driving accident. Jeff Ramme, the wrecker operator who responded to the crash, said there were no other factors in the accident except for the fact that the driver was distracted while using a...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] MADISON, Wis. — Saxon Harbor fishermen will see an increase in the lake trout bag limit in an emergency rule that was approved Wednesday by the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board. The rule includes a daily bag limit of three lake trout. It was developed through extensive public input, including an online survey, at least three controversial public meetings this fall, as well as written comments, said Terry Margenau, DNR Lake Superior fisheries supervisor. The rule establishes a Lake Superior r...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] HURLEY — The Hurley City Council received a favorable report Tuesday concerning its water contamination problem. Water plant operator Gary Laguna said the levels of the contaminants have been coming down and only one reading, in Cary Location, slightly exceeded the maximum level, as measured in parts per billion. The maximum level is .088 and the city stood at .092 in the one sample, according to Laguna. “I think it could be about half of that (.088 mark),” he said of future readings. When the city...
ONTONAGON - Autumn-like temperatures brought out large crowds for the 15th annual Ontonagon Hometown Christmas Parade Sunday. Colorful lighted floats made the trip down River Street, led by the Ontonagon Area School District Band. Winning first place in the open float competition was the Dream Catchers entry, "The 12 Days of Christmas." Each of the 12 days was represented by one of the Dream Catchers. Maids a milking, geese a laying, swans a swimming and lords a leaping were all in distinctive c...
By JAN TUCKER [email protected] IRONWOOD - Roy Gotham is hanging up his black robes. The Gogebic and Ontonagon County Circuit Court Judge, Gotham announced this week he is retiring Dec. 31 after 25 years as circuit court judge. The retirement also marks his 42 years in the legal profession in both Ontonagon and Gogebic counties. Gotham expects Gov. Rick Snyder will appoint a successor in the next two weeks. He said both Mark McDonald and Michael Pope, area attorneys, have applied for the...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] BESSEMER - After much debate, the Bessemer City Council approved in a 3-2 vote of hiring Michael Korpela as the city's attorney Monday evening. According to information provided in the agenda, there were three applicants for the position, including Dean and Pope, P.C., Raymond J. O'Dea and Korpela. Dean and Pope, P.C. consists of Timothy M. Dean and Michael K. Pope and is based in Ironwood. In a letter to city clerk Jim Trudgeon, Korpela said he will...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY — The University of Wisconsin Iron County Extension office and the Michigan State Extension office in Bessemer are partnering to offer area teens babysitter training classes beginning in January. The training is based on the curriculum of “operation military kids,” a 4-H program serving military youth with deployed parents, according to Neil Klemme, a youth development agent with the Iron County office. Klemme said the training is a relatively comprehensive program, covering everything from...
