Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Hurley — The Gogebic Range Broadband Committee, Wednesday, learned some details of the ceremony planned to mark Iron County’s reception of a broadband expansion grant.
According to Iron County Development Zone Coordinator Kelly Klein, one of the people involved in obtaining the grant, the ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 9 at one of the fire towers that is being purchased through the grant.
“The committee, along with the county board and development corporation, will all be invited (to the ceremony) on Nov. 9,” Klein said. “(Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) Secretary Cathy Stepp will be coming up and state broadband director Angie Dickison will be coming up (for the event).”
Klein said a time has yet to be determined for the event, which is planned to be held at the Pine Lake fire tower in the town of Oma.
The broadband grant by the state’s Public Service Commission, gives Iron County — through a partnership between the Iron County Resource Development Association, and GogebicRange.net — $79,101 in grant funds to expand the broadband Internet, primarily in the southern part of Iron County.
The grant money, along with a $80,100 local match of money and in-kind installation costs, will be used to add broadband equipment to fire towers in Pine Lake, Springstead and the Popko Circle, Mercer areas. The grant also calls for building a tower in Saxon to service Saxon Harbor both during the rebuilding process following the July 11 storm that flooded and destroyed the harbor and following the opening of the rebuilt campground and marina.
Klein said the cabinet members expected to attend the event will already be in the region for Gov. Scott Walker’s Northern Wisconsin Economic Development Summit.
“So cabinet members are coming up on the 9th, they are kind of spreading around and getting out to different areas,” Klein said. “One of the things that has interested them is our broadband project and our reuse of these fire towers. It’s a little unique, I guess, they’re quite interested and quite excited about it.”
The committee also heard the county’s acquisition of the fire towers in Pine Lake and Springstead is moving forward.
This is the second broadband expansion grant the county received, having been awarded a 2015 grant to expand broadband Internet services in the Hurley, Saxon and Upson areas.