Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] The Iron County Heritage Festival, a series of events that aim to tell the full story of the Wisconsin county from past to present, starts on Friday and will continue through Aug. 14. The first event is appropriately an open house at the Iron County Historical Museum on 303 Iron St. in Hurley from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. According to travelwisconsin.com, the museum offers “three floors of intriguing, nostalgic and educational exhibits – including logging, mining, farming, weaving, clothing, hom...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] GURNEY, Wis. — Volunteers from the North Country Trail Association and other organizations continued expansion of the North Country National Scenic Trail in Iron County on July 16-17, according to NCT Heritage Chapter member Laura Bethany Thomas. Thomas said the work in the town of Gurney will continue on Aug. 13-14, on a section of trail from Wisconsin Highway 169 east for 5.5 miles to Wren Falls. Work will begin at a parking lot and kiosk on the trail along Highway 169. The trail heads west from t...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Comprehensive Planning/Land and Zoning Committee passed its last conditional use permit for a tourist rooming house at their meeting on Tuesday. Under the county’s new land use ordinance, property owners must now apply for a TRH administrative permit through the zoning department. The last CUP for a tourist rooming house went to a site on Lipp Lane in the town of Mercer. When he presented the amended ordinance to the county board in May, Assistant Zoning Administrator Ger...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] MARENISCO TOWNSHIP — A retired bridge on Copps Mine Road might see new life if the Marenisco Board of Trustees can manage to relocate it. That was the word from Bruce Mahler, township supervisor, on Wednesday. “There’s a steel bridge that spans the Presque Isle River, and the Gogebic County Road Commission is going to be taking that bridge out,” said Mahler by phone. He noted that, although the bridge is closed and no longer safe to use, it still has historical value. According to Mahler, the State Histor...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HURLEY — The Iron County Human Services board made several decisions involving vacant positions within the department at their meeting on Monday. The board approved a job description for a new lead social services worker position. Human Services Director Cally Bucknell said that one of the purposes of this position is to answer day-to-day questions that social workers would normally need to bring to their managers. Bucknell said that a child services worker, Mercedes Anderson, is interested in f...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - It's no longer uncommon to see local or regional news reports in relation to drug sales and related arrests or even casualties of substance abuse. Hence, members of Michigan State Police Post 86 in Wakefield are working to inform the public on the dangers behind these trends. "Hidden in Plain Sight" is the name of a current MSP drug exhibit that was on display at last weekend's Festival Ironwood. Aimed mainly at adults, the exhibit showed...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - Some folks love to take on adventure, while others prefer to live vicariously through the escapades of other people. On Sunday evening, the Historic Ironwood Theatre offered both types of people an exciting view of a father-son canoe trip that was based on a true story starting right here in this region. "WaterWalk," a 2012 movie that was re-released in 2017, is based on the 2006 non-fiction book called "Waterwalk: A Passage of Ghosts" by...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] IRONWOOD — Following Michael Harma’s announcement of his resignation as Gogebic-Iron County Airport manager effective Aug. 10 last week, the board reconvened for a special meeting on Tuesday. At this meeting, the board agreed to accept Harma’s resignation and appointed Todd Richter as interim manager. Board member Jim Lorenson proposed that Richter be named interim manager because he has worked for the airport the longest of all their employees. He also motioned that Richter and airport secre...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] HANCOCK — COVID-19 cases in the western U.P. increased by 47% in the past week, according to an update from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department on Thursday. This update reported 170 new cases and one death, an increase from 90 new cases and one death on July 5. Eighty-three of these new cases were in Houghton County, 56 new cases were in Gogebic, 16 new cases were in Baraga, eight were in Ontonagon and seven were in Keweenaw. The one death occurred in Gogebic County. As of Thursday, the c...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - Festival Ironwood continued throughout the weekend with a busy day on Friday and an even busier day on Saturday at the Historic Ironwood Depot Park. Friday was designated as a kids' activity day with highly popular activities, including an obstacle course, a mechanical bull, a trout pond, a wood chip scramble, sand castle building, the daily duck pick, face/arm painting, and a visit by Slow Poke Da Clown. Ironwood Mayor Kim Corcoran was...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - Mother Nature continued to bless Festival Ironwood during Thursday activities at the Historic Ironwood Depot Park. Although several activities occurred on Wednesday evening, the official opening ceremony took place late Thursday afternoon. Ironwood's American Legion Post No. 5 presented the colors, and Alyssa Schwab sang "The Star-Spangled Banner." Legion participants included Joe Kuker, Joe Lauzon, Gary Olkonen, Jim Peterson, George Plaistow,...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD — Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials were in Ironwood Thursday and toured several of the city’s parks and other recreation opportunities, according to the city’s community development director, Tom Bergman. Bergman told the Ironwood Parks and Recreation Committee Thursday evening that the DNR folks were officially here to survey the city’s lighted cross country ski trail project within the Miners Memorial Heritage Park. City officials plan to light the one-mile Aurora...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - This year's Festival Ironwood opened with a bang on Wednesday evening, drawing a huge and happy crowd to the Historic Ironwood Depot Park. People gathered at long tables under the big top tent to enjoy hot sandwiches and beverages provided by the Ironwood/Hurley Rotary Club. Lake Effect band provided live music there. Additional smaller tents were set up outside of the big top, with some people dancing next to outdoor tables. Kids let off steam...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners approved a list of wage increases for elected and appointed non-union employees at its meeting Wednesday evening. Most of the increases are effective with the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Some of the increases included another increase on Oct. 1, 2023. The increases were recommended by the Personnel Committee just prior to the board meeting. County administrator Juliane Giackino told the Daily Globe with this set of increases done, as w...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] HURLEY — Members of the Hurley City Council made progress toward pending reconstruction of U.S. 51/2nd Avenue at their Tuesday evening meeting. The council voted to approve an agreement with MSA Professional Services relating to the pending Wisconsin Department of Transportation utility reconstruction project. The cost will be $10,000 to process an application for a related community development block grant and $3,500 for the related environmental review. Approximate start and end dates will be Aug. 1, 2...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Despite expressing regret at the current sting of inflation, members of the Bessemer City Council voted on Monday evening to deny a request from a contractor providing lawn services at Hillcrest Cemetery. Joe Saari of Saari’s Lawn Service had requested an additional payment of $300 per cutting beyond the agreement in his current contract. “A contract is a contract,” said Mayor Adam Zak. “I agree,” said Councilman Charlie Tirpik. “We don’t want to set a precedent with all the contractors we...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — Monday’s meeting of the Gogebic-Iron County Airport Board ended with a jolt when Michael Harma, airport manager, suddenly announced his resignation at the end of the session. “Today is my last meeting,” said Harma after the board completed discussing all other matters. “Aug. 10 is my last day.” He added, calmly, “At this point, I think it’s a hindrance that I’m here. I’ve had enough, and that’s all I have.” Board members did not respond to the announcement except for James Lorenson requesti...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD - With a new athletic director in place, Gogebic Community College is continuing to get coaches in place for its existing programs while planning to add to its offering of sports. Jennifer Sabourin has been the college's vice president of student services and athletics for a couple of months. Since then, Gogebic has hired a women's basketball coach, Cole Schreiner, and it is looking for a new coach for the softball program and another for the...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Little Mermen - a Disney cover band - put on a high energy musical performance at the Historic Ironwood Theatre Saturday evening, delighting concert goers of all ages. Junior groupies filled the audience, including little boys in capes and little girls in princess dresses. Glitter and glow shoes were sprinkled among the lot. "We've come to rock your Disney world," called out Alexis Babini, founder and leader of the nationally touring band....
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP — Water and shade are two ways to find relief from warm temperatures, and both options are available in abundance at the Presque Isle Unit of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Both local and out-of-town folks were taking advantage of the choices on Sunday at the Wakefield Township location. The Presque Isle Unit of the park is about 20 minutes north of M-28 in Wakefield, via North County Road 519. Loaded with towering, old-growth trees, the park’s trail system offers a ple...
By ZACHARY MARANO [email protected] IRONWOOD — After a public hearing at their regular meeting on Thursday, the Ironwood Planning Commission recommended the adoption of a new zoning ordinance and zoning map to the city commission. Director of Community Development Tom Bergman said that the biggest change was the incorporation of new concepts on how to implement retail marijuana establishments, including the number of licenses that the city will reward to applicants. Bergman also said that the new ordinance has major changes in how t...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - While temperatures lingered in the 80s on Thursday, some folks took refuge with cold drinks and air conditioning while others hit the sun face-to-face, albeit with a little help at Ironwood's new downtown square. A splash pad within the square is a popular place with local children, who relish running through the multiple jets of water that burst from a cement pad. Parents can watch from picnic tables on the adjacent lawn or - better yet - join...
