Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted April 10 to undertake discussions with Watersmeet and Marenisco townships regarding how PILT funds are distributed. The acronym PILT stands for “payment in lieu of taxes,” and representatives of the two townships approached commissioners with their related frustration in what they view as unfair allotments. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, “Payments in Lieu of Taxes are federal payments that help local governm...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted last week to appoint Peter Tacconelli of Bessemer and Whitney Vernetti of Ironwood to 3-year terms on the Board of Directors of the county’s Community Mental Health Authority in Wakefield. The board also voted to reappoint three incumbents to the board: Joseph Bonovetz of Bessemer, who also is a county commissioner; Carrie Braspenick of Wakefield; and Patricia Crabtree of Ironwood. Bonovetz abstained on the otherwise unanimous vote. The act...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, April 18 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency food commodity distribution for seniors, Bergland, Lake Gogebic Senior Center, 9:25-9:40 a.m. EDT; White Pine, Carp Lake Township Hall, 10-10:15 a.m. EDT; Ontonagon, Holy Family Catholic Church, 11-11:30 a.m. EDT; Mass City Resource Center, 12:30-1 p.m. EDT. Ironwood St.... Full story
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — Members of the Wakefield Chamber of Commerce may need to start paying nominal rent for their location at the Wakefield Visitors’ and Information Center. That was the conclusion of a Monday evening discussion by the Wakefield City Council. From about mid-May to October each year, the chamber uses the visitors’ center, which is next to Sunday Lake and the public deck that features the Chippewa Indian statue known as Nee-gaw-nee-gaw-bow. “The property is the city’s,” said City Manager Robert Brow...
IRONWOOD — With the site of this year’s Gogebic County Fair confirmed at the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center in Ironwood, members of the county fair board discussed admission and scheduling at their Monday evening meeting. “It’s all tentative,” said Fair Board member Linda Nelson. Although Fair Board members agreed that this year’s location makes an admission fee impractical, Nelson said, “I’d like to make sure that we have donation cans.” She also said that a bundle ticket for carnival rides could be sold as $15 in advance or $20 upon arrival. N...
BESSEMER — A question of whether or not to allot funds to the Gogebic County Council of Veterans Affairs has created a difference of opinions among governmental entities in Gogebic County. The issue was discussed at the March 27 meeting of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners and has been scheduled for the next meeting’s agenda, as well. The commissioners’ discussion arose after learning that the city of Ironwood had informed the CVA that it will not pay its current requested allotment of $8,517. The 2024 budget for the CVA is $67,7...
IRONWOOD, Mich. - Harold M. Pospeck, 77, of Ironwood, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2024, at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. Harold was the son of Bernard and Catherine and the brother of wonderful siblings and their spouses: Donald (Marvella), Betty Rigoni (Omar), Connie Figuli (Robert), Gerald (Marlene), Henry (Mary), Laura Modjewski (John), Charlotte Wells (Al), James (Patricia) and Darlene Green (Bob). Henry, Laura, Charlotte and Darlene, and their spouses, along with... Full story
BESSEMER - Last week's Gogebic County Board of Commissioners began on a high note with a donation of $10,000 to the county's Search and Rescue Team from the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Commissioner George Peterson III presented the check on behalf of the tribe. "They are wonderful people," said Peterson of the tribe, led by James Williams Jr. Peterson praised the tribe's ongoing generosity to a number of local causes. The commissioner's sweatshirt also included a...
BESSEMER — In an attempt to streamline the organization and documentation of seasonal storage at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds, one of the committees of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners is requesting clarification of how the system has been managed to date. Members of the Personnel and Negotiations Committee voted last week to send to Thomas Hampston, a member of the county Fair Board, a letter with a list of questions regarding the storage process. The letter signed by Committee Chairman Daniel Siirila began as follows: “A rec...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, April 4 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Ironwood St. Vincent de Paul, food pantry and financial assistance, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., located behind Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. 906-932-4325. Gogebic County Veterans Service Officer, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Wakefield City Hall; 1-2 p.m., Watersmeet Township; 2:45-3:15 p.m., Marenisco Township. 906-667-1110.... Full story
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — The location for the 2024 Gogebic County Fair has been declared officially as the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center in Ironwood. Fair Board members had been optimistic about the change in venue, and the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners also had voted to approve the switch from the county fairgrounds. But Jay Kivisto, manager of the Civic Center, assured on Tuesday that his board of directors also now has made it official. Regarding Fair Board members, he said, “Our Civic Center board met last...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission agreed Monday evening to purchase the land the Pat O’Donnell Civer Center stands on for $1 from Gogebic Community College. The purchased also included a 30-foot strip of parking along the north side of the Civic Center. City Manager Paul Anderson said in a memo to the commission that the city needs ownership of the property in order to meet requirements of a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Land and Conservation grant it hopes to gain to help pay for...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Plans by the Bessemer Area Historical Society to construct a new Bessemer Heritage Center on East Sellar Street have reached an impasse due to a discovery that part of the targeted property is not owned by the city, as originally thought. The Heritage Center is now at the main street address of 403 S. Sophie St., but the plan was to construct a new building on the south side of the 100 block East Sellar Street after the City Council and Downtown Development Authority both voted to sell a piece...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, March 28 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Ironwood St. Vincent de Paul, food pantry and financial assistance, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., located behind Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. 906-932-4325. Alcoholics Anonymous, noon, Salem Lutheran Church, Ironwood. area74.org. Government Downtown Ironwood Development Authority, 8 a.m., Women’s Club Room, Memorial... Full story
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — Members of the Gogebic County Fair Board began Monday evening to work toward a confirmed county fair for 2024. The action was the result of a vote last week by the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners to approve the Fair Board’s proposal to hold this year’s fair at the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center in Ironwood. The county board also allotted its standard $17,500 toward fair expenses. Official approval by Civic Center officials awaits, but Fair Board member Linda Nelson said they so far have ex...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Gogebic County Sheriff Ross Solberg announced last week his plans to retire from his position as of the end of this year. “It’s not that I don’t like my job; I just feel it’s time,” said Solberg during the public comment session of a meeting of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners. Solberg said his current term is up as of the Nov. 5 election, and he will not run for office. He added that he will endorse Undersheriff Jorge Cruz as his successor. Cruz confirmed after the meeting that he int...
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By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted last week to approve a proposal for this year’s county fair to take place at the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center in Ironwood. The vote included the board’s commitment to allot $17,500 toward fair expenses, as it routinely has done for past fairs. The proposal to host the fair at the Civic Center was made by the county Fair Board, which has been searching for a solution to retain this year’s fair ever since the county board voted on Oct. 11 of last year...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees finalized a land sale to the city of Ironwood including and surrounding the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center. The civic center has been located on campus for 25 years on land that had been leased to the city. “The civic center has been operating on that property with really no lease since 2007,” said the college’s Vice President of Business Services Chad Lashua. He said city officials are looking for funding to replace the ice making equipment...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners took action on several issues relating to public safety at the most recent March 13 meeting. Commissioners voted to approve a resolution that authorizes the continuation of a surcharge to fund 911 services. “It will take effect on July 1,” said Heidi DeRosso, the county’s Emergency Services/911 coordinator. DeRosso said that the county’s 911 Committee recommended continuing the same charge that is currently in effect. According to the resolutio...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted last week to approve a resolution that commits to a multi-county approach to materials management planning. The action followed a report by Commissioner Joseph Bonovetz, who is this county’s representative on the commission for the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region in Hancock. Jerald Wuorenmaa, WUPPDR’s executive director, told county commissioners several months ago of the state-driven movement to upgrade each...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD - The Gogebic County 4-H Knapsack program received a $1,500 donation this past week from Republic Services to go toward purchasing of food for students in need during holiday breaks. Tyler Jacobson, municipal sales manager for the Northern Wisconsin branch of Republic Services presented the donation on their behalf. According to Gogebic County 4-H program coordinator Ashley Dennis, the donation will be able to feed approximately 100 families,...
Email calendar items and community news to [email protected]. For more information, call 906-932-2211. Thursday, March 21 Bessemer St. Vincent de Paul, financial assistance, 9-10 a.m.; food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon. 906-663-4436. Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency food commodity distribution for seniors, Bergland, Lake Gogebic Senior Center, 9:25-9:40 a.m. EDT; White Pine, Carp Lake Township Hall, 10-10:15 a.m. EDT; Ontonagon, Holy Family Catholic Church, 11-11:30 a.m. EDT; Mass City Resource Center, 12:30-1 p.m. EDT. Ironwood St....
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Members of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners’ Economic Development and Capital Improvements Committee learned last week that the county fairgrounds are positioned for progress on various counts. They also voted to authorize the county’s insurer — the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority — to negotiate with U.P. Engineers and Architects in Houghton on costs relating to continuing plans to replace the 4-H horse barn and the hay barn. “MMRMA said today they would like to negotiat...
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic-Iron County Airport voted Monday at its regular monthly meeting to replace the airport’s water pump, which failed earlier in the day, leaving the airport without access to water in the main buildings. Airport manage Jeremy Busch said that with the lack of access to water, the bathrooms were unusable, and in the meantime the airport called in for portable toilets to be brought to the site until repairs could be made. “The capacitor went bad,” said Busch. “His suggestion was to re...
