Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners and the Gogebic County Fair Board again reached an impasse during a meeting last week. In the county board’s previous meeting, commissioners requested that fair board members provide a plan of how they conceive a 2024 county fair. But Fair Board Member Linda Nelson instead requested more input from commissioners regarding precisely what they wish in relation to the pending fair. Nelson said that fair board members held a long meeting on Dec. 14 to discuss how to approach the...
BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously last week to fund the county 4-H coordinator as a full-time position for eight months, from April 1 to Nov. 30 in 2024, at a salary of $40,000. Until now, 4-H Coordinator Ashley Dennis has been employed on a part-time basis. Chairman James Lorenson said the funds can be drawn from the county budget’s allotment of $40,000 for youth activities. Paul Putnam, District 1 director for the Michigan State University Extension, lobbied for the change at the Dec. 20...
IRONWOOD - Balmy temperatures resulted in a large crowd at Ironwood's Jack Frost Festival parade Saturday night. "There were lots of people," said Michael Meyer, director of the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event. "The crowd of children this year was just amazing." He estimated on Monday that there were twice as many kids attending this year's parade as last year, thanks to this season's 30-degree evening. "Last year, the munchkins were all bundled up," added Meyer, whereas...
BESSEMER - A new K-9 deputy was sworn in last week by Gogebic County Sheriff Ross Solberg, and - doggone it - nobody could stop smiling. Named Debwe, the yellow Labrador sat briefly on a chair in front of the sheriff while the dog's handler, Deputy Cody Smith, repeated the vow for his canine buddy. The men then slipped onto the dog's neck a custom collar denoting his K-9 status in the Sheriff's Office. The good-natured creature quickly bored with the pageantry and wandered off to collect as...
BESSEMER — Increasing numbers of deer within city limits have led members of the Bessemer City Council to vote unanimously to request a state permit for an archery hunt. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many deer,” said Councilwoman Linda Nelson, who opened the discussion. “I don’t remember it ever being this bad.” Nelson claimed that, on Monday morning, there were 15 deer crossing the road when she went to work. The city has an ordinance that prohibits the feeding of deer, but the problem is in enforcing it, said Mayor Adam...
Spring skiers should note that their days are numbered with more and more snow melting as temperatures continue to rise. The last day for skiing at Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort will be Saturday in Ironwood Township, and Sunday is the final day at Jackson Creek Summit in Wakefield Township. Sugar Cup races will occur on that day. In Ontonagon County, the final day for Greenland Ski Hill will be on either Saturday or Sunday, and Monday will be the last day at the Porcupine Mountains Ski Area....
WAKEFIELD — Members of the Wakefield City Council voted on Monday evening to submit an application for state grant funding that would help finance an expansion of the Eddy Park Campground. City Manager Robert Brown shared the news by phone on Tuesday and also explained some of the council’s modifications to the expansion plan. The application due on April 1 will be submitted to the Trust Fund of the state Department of Natural Resources. If successful, the grant would provide $300,000 toward the project that is estimated to cost nearly...
BESSEMER — The City Council of Bessemer is reaching out to encourage membership in three of its sub-groups that help to keep the town running effectively. A total of five vacancies now exist on two of the city’s commissions and on its Downtown Development Authority. The situation has become serious enough for the Planning Commission that council members voted at their Monday evening meeting to approve a resolution that will allow members of that commission to conduct meetings even when they cannot meet a standard quorum. City Manager...
BESSEMER — A resolution to adopt a final 911 Service Plan was approved by a vote of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners last week. According to the resolution, the plan will be “pursuant to the Emergency Telephone Service Enabling Act, 1986 PA 32, as amended.” “Among other provisions, the plan identifies a chosen 911 vendor as the primary public safety answering point for all 911 calls within the boundaries of Gogebic County and recognizes the millage reliance or other funding models if the millage is not in place,” stated an ag...
RAMSAY - A rerouting of snowmobile Trail 2 between Ramsay and Wakefield was expected to be complete today, with a ribbon cutting set for Saturday at 10 a.m. The event will take place in Ramsay where the trail crosses South Verona Road, between Railroad Street and the point where Main Street becomes Horseshoe Bend. "We're pretty pumped," said Steve Hamilton, president of the Gogebic Range Trail Authority, on Monday. "We're all pretty happy." Hamilton said the nearly 4-mile rerouting - which was... Full story
HURLEY - Festivale Italiano drew a hefty crowd on Saturday, packing Silver Street with people of all ages exchanging smiles, hugs and shout-outs. The 70-ish temperatures were warm with just enough wind to feel a little crisp at times. "Not too hot, not too cold - this is perfect," said Benjamin Romanowski of Hurley, who was there with his daughter, Breanna, 10. Romanowski, who was wearing a "Hurley Pride" sweatshirt, said that, earlier in the day, his daughter had played in Wakefield's 3-on-3...
IRONWOOD - Aug. 27 represented the end of this year's Emberlight Festival: a 2-month round-up that included multiple art shows, a global film festival, performance infusions, and three main stage events that featured national and international singers. "Horizons - Heritage -Harmony" was the festival theme, and those words were expressed in both explicit and implicit ways throughout the offerings. The festival just premiered in 2021, so it is still taking form, but has become increasingly...
IRONWOOD - The Gogebic County Fair kicked in on Thursday afternoon as registrations continued throughout the evening. The Midway was busy with games in gear, fair food flowing, and long lines at favorite rides such as the tilt-o-whirl. "It's amazing," said Genesis Rady of Ironwood, who was taking a break with her friends on the outskirts of the carnival area. "It's so fun." On the small stage, popular tunes such as those by Chicago were offered to an appreciative audience by Superior Horns and...
A survey now underway is aimed at gauging the economic and social impact of arts and culture in this region. "It kicked off a couple months ago," said Howard Sandin, vice chair of the Upper Peninsula Arts and Culture Alliance, which is based in Marquette. On behalf of the alliance, Sandin said he already has been collecting surveys at several local events such as at last weekend's Main Stage event for the Emberlight Festival. Surveys also will be collected on Saturday, from 6-7 p.m. at the...
SAXON, Wis. - One of the most popular events at this year's Iron County Fair was the draft horse pulling contest, in which four 2-horse teams pulled thousands of pounds in an attempt to show who's boss. It turns out that every team left with an award, but that seemed less important than the sheer excitement that the Sunday contest generated among all parties: horses, drivers and members of the audience who watched in anticipation from the fairground grandstands or from behind a fence...
SAXON, Wis. - Saxon had a high-energy weekend with three fun-filled days of activities at the Iron County Fair. As the aroma of familiar fair foods wafted throughout the air, ongoing music - whether live or piped in - provided an additional lift, along with the squeals of kids enjoying a host of carnival rides. Rain posed a threat on Saturday, but resulted only in some inconsequential sprinkles during festivities that drew a steady stream of people of all ages moving in every direction....
MERCER, Wis. - Wednesday's Loon Day in Mercer was a huge success, with dozens of tented stalls lining Railroad Street, Lakeview Avenue and neighboring locales. The shopping extravaganza lured a constant flow of wandering adults, skipping kids and lolling dogs, all captivated by aromatic snacks and hundreds of items for sale. The temporary market offered items as small as key rings and as large as furniture. Welcome vendor staples such as pretty clothes and yard signs were available in...
BESSEMER - Members of the Bessemer Planning Commission cleared the way for a new housing complex by voting on Tuesday evening to change zoning on city land that is directly south of the Iron Belle Trail, which in turn runs directly south of Bessemer City Hall. The vote means that the zoning designation for the site - which runs between Clayberg and Moore streets - will change from Country Estates to Mixed Density Residential. In abbreviated terms, Country Estates is known as CE, and Mixed Densit...
WAKEFIELD - Despite the threat of thunderstorms, a community picnic in honor of July 4 went off without a hitch on Sunday, drawing a large crowd of people who enjoyed the entirety of Eddy Park. There was plenty of delicious picnic fare, as well as organized activities ranging from kiddy fun to bingo to live music by several bands or musicians. The Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department also offered a display. In the John Siira pavilion, Dave and Bobbi Sue Daignault of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and...
RAMSAY - It could be said that the crowd at Ramsay's Independence Day celebration was so full of energy that no pyrotechnics show was even needed. However, the actual fireworks - aptly named "Rumble Over the River" - also were awesome. Saturday's festivities, which started at 6 p.m. and lasted the rest of the evening, attracted hundreds of friendly folks - several with cowboy hats adorned with U.S. flags - who gathered along the entire length of Main Street. Behind the Bessemer Township Fire...
WAKEFIELD — Thanks to a Monday evening vote, the city of Wakefield is now positioned for a revision of its master plan. “We will start working on that probably within about a month,” said City Manager Robert Brown, Jr. in a Wednesday phone call. City Council members voted to approve a cooperative funding system in which the Michigan Economic Development Commission will provide $20,000 toward the project while the city will pay about $14,500. Brown said the master plan has had no major revision for a couple of decades. “We will start wor...
BESSEMER - The 13th annual Geocache Dash starts today in Bessemer, as numerous Fourth of July events begin to unfold more than a week before the actual holiday. "It's very family-friendly," said dash organizer Scott Pospect on Thursday. Parents are welcome to bring children, and the only items needed to participate are a smartphone and a global-positioning system app. GPS coordinates will be available today, along with full rules, at bessemer4th.com. Pospect's geocache activity is different...
WATERSMEET - Pint-sized pomp and circumstance took the lead on Thursday as Watersmeet K-12 School celebrated its kindergarten graduation in the cafeteria. Superintendent and Principal George R. Peterson, III provided the welcome, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by the "Class of 2034." James Williams Jr., tribal chairman of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, thanked teachers and noted the importance of education before leading the tribe's drum band in an honor...
WAKEFIELD - Monday's beautiful weather was a great send-off for kids finishing their final day of the year at Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School. In celebration of the event, the kids lined up to receive icees and popcorn and then hung out with friends on the athletic field. The scene was totally relaxed, unlike the past couple years when the COVID-19 pandemic put a consistent damper on any and all activities. Students told the Globe that recent months had felt fairly normal, or as sixth grader...
WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP — Members of the Wakefield Township Board of Trustees voted on Tuesday evening to refuse an offer to take over the Indianhead Mountain water system. “My thoughts are that we don’t have a water operator,” said Supervisor Mandy Lake. Moreover, she added, “Billing — we’re not set up for that.” In short, she stated, “We are not in a position to take it over right now.” Treasurer Denise Laessig and Trustee Michael Heikkila voiced support for Lake’s views before the unanimous vote was taken. While summarizing...