Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Sorted by date Results 6811 - 6835 of 9883
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] BESSEMER — Kathy Whitburn was selected by the city council as Bessemer's mayor Monday evening. Prior to Whitburn's selection, Clerk Jim Trudgeon swore in the new council — Whitburn, John Frello, Linda Nelson, Rob Coleman and Al Gaiss — elected Nov. 3. Gaiss nominated Whitburn to be mayor. Without hesitation, the council approved and Whitburn accepted the gavel from Trudgeon then sat in mayor's seat. “I am privileged and honored to serve as mayor for the city of Bessemer,” she said. Moving forward w...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - Some Ironwood Township residents may see reduced insurance rates in the future. The price reductions would come from the township's improved Insurance Services Office rating, according to information presented at the township Board of Trustees meeting Monday. The township scored an ISO score of 6/6y, according to the information, a score determined by a recent Public Protection Classification survey that involved analyzing the "f...
IRONWOOD - Six winners of the fifth annual HIT Idol singing competition were announced at the Historic Ironwood Theatre Saturday night. In front of more than 700 people, with the spotlight on them, 34 youth and young adult finalists from Gogebic County, Iron County and beyond performed on Friday evening for the chance to open Saturday night's show, headlined by American Idol season 10 finalist James Durbin. Contestants were divided into three categories - youth for kids in grades 5-8, high...
IRONWOOD - In honor of the local veterans, the American Legion Post No. 5 hosted a Veteran's Day program Saturday evening at the Ironwood Memorial Building. Approximately 70 veterans came together to honor their country and salute fellow veterans. The program began with a presentation of the colors by Ironwood Junior ROTC members, followed by the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance. Before the veterans got up to get their meal, Gary Harrington, a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during the...
HURLEY — Residents of the city of Hurley recently received letters that their drinking water contains contaminants that violate state and federal regulations and may be cancer-causing if consumed over many years. The levels of Tribalomethanes and Haloacetic acids in the Hurley water system are exceeding standards, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The samples were taken on Aug. 24. The letter to city residents said they do not need to drink only bottled water, unless they have specific health concerns identified by doc...
WAKEFIELD - With a tear in her eye, Margot Anderson resigned as city manager of Wakefield Friday afternoon. Around 30 people showed up at the municipal building for the special meeting concerning a personnel matter. After an hour-and-a-half closed session discussion involving the city council and city attorney Michael Pope, Mayor Les Schneck announced Anderson's resignation. Schneck said Anderson will receive a severance package, including a one-year salary of $50,000, six months health...
ONTONAGON - Large crowds returned Friday to the Michigan Works Building to vote on specific planning options for the Ontonagon waterfront which were identified at a public meeting Thursday. Participants viewed three mapped options and were given a large green circle for the best liked plan, smaller circles for somewhat liked features and a red circle for a proposal "they could not live with." Anyone using the red veto had to explain why he or she could not live with that option, Don Carpenter sa...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] IRONWOOD - To celebrate local children's artwork, the Downtown Art Place hosted an art exhibit Thursday evening. DAP Vice-President Gemma Lamb said children created all the works of art on display during art classes. In class, Lamb said children worked on acrylic pieces, drawings, water colors and more. Looking at the art work on display, Lamb said she was impressed. "It's amazing what they're able to do when they have the media and all the art tools...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - It was standing room only Thursday at Luther L. Wright as the school's elementary school cafeteria was packed for the launch of the district's new Watch DOGS program. With the DOGS standing for Dads of Great Students, the Watch DOGS program is a nationwide effort by the National Center for Fathering to provide positive male role models in schools. "It's my firm belief that it takes a village (to raise a child)," said Amanda Sprague, one...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — Gogebic County officials are preparing for another project next year at the Gogebic-Iron County Airport. The county board last week approved a contract with Mead & Hunt, Inc., for professional design services for a terminal apron rehabilitation project. Airport manager Mike Harma said Wednesday Mead & Hunt will draw up blueprints for the project, which has an estimated cost of around $500,000. Mead & Hunt, which has Upper Peninsula offices in Marquette and Norway, has been working on G...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BLACK RIVER HARBOR - Stephanie Swartzendruber was walking her dog at Rainbow Falls near Black River Harbor Tuesday when she got the photo opportunity of a lifetime. A kayaker was plummeting over the 30-foot high waterfalls, about 16 miles north of Bessemer. "It was a nice guy from Brazil in the kayak," she said. She was able to contact Marcelo Marcondes Galizio, of Brazil, who was appreciative of the five photos sent by Swartzendruber of various stages...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] WAKEFIELD - It took approximately an hour for the student volunteers to load all the donations into vehicles Wednesday as the Michigan State Police Wakefield Post distributed 13,771 pounds of donated goods area food banks. The post had been accepting both cash and non-perishable goods donations for the past several weeks, said Post Commander F/Lt. Don Horn - including two donation events at Super One in Ironwood - as part of the state police's...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] BESSEMER — The public defender contract between Gogebic County and the McKenzie and Talaska law firm has been extended for three years. The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners granted the extension last week after the matter was discussed at a finance committee meeting. James McKenzie noted in an Oct. 6 letter to the county that his firm had an original contract for 2008-’13 that was renewed for two years through the end of this year. McKenzie said he and his Bessemer firm law partner, Anna Tal...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] IRONWOOD - Participants for the fifth season of HIT Idol are in the final stages of rehearsing for the big day on Friday. Beginning in October, following auditions, 34 performers have been rehearsing "quite well." This week, co-producer Annette Burchell said rehearsals have been "very intense." "Tomorrow, we have a tech rehearsal and on Thursday, we have a full dress run," she said. For the show on Friday, Burchell said the performers will perform in...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] BESSEMER - Bessemer School District voters rejected a special five-year millage for new buses and telephone improvements Tuesday. The millage failed 324-385. The school district sought to borrow $290,000 to upgrade the phone system and purchase new school buses. The proposed bonds in 2016 would result in a 22-mill levy, or 22 cents on each $1,000 of taxable valuation. The estimated average annual millage rate to retire teh bond debt would have been...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER — Former Erwin Township Clerk Prisilla Gerovac was arraigned on two felony embezzlement charges Oct. 27 in Gogebic County District Court in Bessemer. Gerovac is charged with one count of embezzlement by a public official and one count of embezzlement by an agent or trustee. The first count is punishable by up to 10 years in prison or $5,000. The second count carries a punishment of up to 5 years in prison and/or $10,000 or three times the amount embezzled, whichever amount is greater. T...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Representatives from Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort were at Luther L. Wright Friday with a surprise for Ironwood's sixth graders, telling the students that they would all be able to ski for free this winter as part of the resort's decision to give away ski passes to all sixth graders at four area schools. Sixth grade students in the Hurley, Ironwood, Bessemer and Wakefield-Marenisco school districts will receive the free passes, said...
By TOM STANKARD [email protected] IRONWOOD - Aspirus Grand View Hospital broke ground Monday morning for a $16 million, 42,000 square-foot clinic complex. Aspirus Grand View Chief Operating Officer, Paula Chermside said the community asked for "a better environment to receive care." "We're delivering," she said. "When you see the plans for this great new facility and everything included to serve you, you will see we're taking the next great leap of health care to our community for...
By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] IRONWOOD — October’s rain has continued into November as Ironwood was working on an 11-day rain streak as of Monday. It began drizzling shortly before noon on Monday in downtown Ironwood, continuing the soggy spell. Rain totals are kept for 24-hour periods to 7 a.m. for the National Weather Service at the Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Treatment Plant off Cloverland Drive and it had rained every day from Friday, Oct. 23, through Monday. Here are the precipitation totals recorded at the plant: Oct. 24 — .43 i...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER - The rain Saturday night failed to put a damper on the festivities in Bessemer's Washington Elementary School as the district held its Fun Frolic in the school's gymnasium. Participants could purchase tickets that could be exchanged for snacks or a chance at the wide variety of games held in the gym. Games including bowling, shooting a Nerf gun at cans and attempting to pop balloons with darts. Participants then received small toys or...
By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] HURLEY - The Range Community Bible Church is seeking donations of shoe boxes filled with goods as it takes part in "Operation Christmas Child." The effort, billed by Samaritan's Purse International Relief as "the world's largest Christmas outreach of its kind," involves filling shoe boxes with everything from toys to school supplies and then sending the shoe boxes to children in need around the world. "A lot of these are going to kids who are in ref...
ONTONAGON - Cancer dealt a double whammy for Gail Ollila, of Ontonagon. Ollila was a custodian at the Ontonagon Area Elementary-Junior High School when she met and married teacher and elementary principal Jim Ollila in 1983. When their daughter, Amanda, was born, Ollila became a stay-at-home mom. In addition to Amanda, she has two step-sons from her husband's previous marriage. Jim Ollila was just 56 when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Surgery and chemotherapy followed. He was still re...
