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 Downtown Development Authority continued a debate at an April 10 meeting as to whether to release a city lot to support a local business or to retain the land for possible future development. The discussion related to a letter of request from James Thull dated Nov. 16, 2023. Action on Thull’s request has been tabled since that time. Thull said in the letter that he now owns a building at 119 E. Sellar St. that he uses to rent apartments. His request was to purchase the adj...
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...
WAKEFIELD, Mich. - Mary Ann (Grivicich) Anderson, 99, of Wakefield, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, April 12, 2024, with her daughters at her bedside. Mary was born on March 27, 1925, in Ironwood, the youngest of seven children to Marco and Matilda (Smolich) Grivicich. She attended Luther L. Wright High School in Ironwood and graduated with the class of 1943. In 1946, Mary was united in marriage to Robert A. Anderson. They were blessed with three daughters, Diane, Paulette and Mary.... Full story
IRONWOOD, Mich. - Lee James Cummings, 57, of Ironwood, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family and close friends at his home on Thursday, April 11, 2024, after a long heroic battle with cancer. Lee was born on Sept. 6, 1966, in Ironwood, the son of the late Ernest and Janice (Brace) Cummings. On April 23, 1988, he was united in marriage to Gina Pedrin at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Ironwood Township. Lee grew up in Hammond, Indiana, and graduated from high school in 1985. Afte... Full story
IRONWOOD, Mich. - Jean Teresa Forini, of Ironwood, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2024 in Chicago. She led a long and happy life filled with love. Jean was born in Ironwood on March 29, 1933, the daughter of John and Mary (Kapets) Wilcheck. There was a big snowstorm that day and she liked to say she blew into this world with it. She graduated from St. Ambrose High School. Following a year at Gogebic Community College, she worked at Bensen's Optical and Prudential Insurance in Ironwood.... Full story
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...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] MARQUETTE --- Ewen-Trout Creek's Bree Besonen joined a pretty exclusive club last week. The eighth grader was named to the All-U.P. Second Team at the 49th annual Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association girls basketball meeting last week. She's believed to be one of just three girls to ever be named to the All-U.P. team as an eighth grader. She knows the other two pretty well - they're her sisters. Elise Besonen made it in 2017 and...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD --- Ironwood enjoyed success in its stay in Division 4, but their short run in the MHSAA's smallest division will end, at least for now. The MHSAA announced the classifications for next year's postseason tournaments Friday, and as expected, Ironwood moved up to Division 3 for basketball and volleyball. Their high school enrollment rose from 194 students for the 2023-24 school year to 219, putting them well above the sub-200 student cutoffs for...
WAKEFIELD, Mich. - Robert D. "Bob" Bruno, 71, of Wakefield, died after a long battle with cancer on Sunday, March 31, 2024, at his home. Bob "Mooda" was born Nov. 18, 1952, in Wakefield, to the late Peter Bruno and Julia (Decur) Bruno. Bob graduated from Wakefield High School in 1971 and went on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in education from Northern Michigan University. He taught at Ojibwa Correctional Facility until his retirement in 2003. Bob was an avid trout fisherman who loved the... Full story
EWEN, Mich. — Robert “Bob” “Ogie” Ogren, 79, of Ewen, passed away on Friday, March 22, 2024, at Bayside Village in L’Anse. Bob was born on Feb. 11, 1945, in Torrance, California, the son of Hjalmer and Lempi (Niemi) Ogren. He attended Ewen High School and graduated in 1963. On Aug. 30, 1963, Bob was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Shirley A. Hautamaki, at the Ewen United Methodist Church. They celebrated 60 wonderful years of marriage and were blessed with four children. He was a faithful member of the Ewen United Methodist C... Full story
MANITOWOC, Wis. — Jackson Henry Brownell, 13 months old, a resident of Manitowoc, entered eternal life unexpectedly and peacefully while asleep on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Jackson was born on Feb. 13, 2023, in Two Rivers, to Chris and Becky (Knoblauch) Brownell. Jackson was a consistently happy person and was always smiling — even on his bad days. He was a kind and outgoing person that would wave and give attention to everyone. Jackson brought many smiles and laughs to those around him, just through his personality, and sometime by the gru... Full story
IRONWOOD, Mich. - Mary Ann Smith, 82, of Ironwood, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Mary was born the daughter of Earl and Mary (Ferrari) Proctor Sr. on June 20, 1941, in Detroit. Mary was united in marriage with Gerald Smith Sr. on Jan. 21, 1963. In her younger years, Mary owned and operated My Place Café in Ewen. She also worked as a CNA at Gogebic Medical Facility in Wakefield and at Josephson's Nursing Home in Ironwood. She spent many years as a hostess at... 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...
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
IRONWOOD — The 46th Parallel Planters are preparing for the spring planting, according to Marlene Zaleski, president of the club. Zaleski said the club recently held a presentation on how to get an early start to the growing season with starting seedlings indoors, and maintaining gardening equipment. The 46th Parallel Planters has around 25 regular members, said Zaleski, and people are encouraged to come “join the fun.” The club oversees the care of the Norrie Park garden in Ironwood, which Zaleski said will be putting out signups for garde...
MARQUETTE --- Ewen-Trout Creek’s super scorer, the leader of Wakefield-Marenisco’s district championship team and Ironwood’s floor leader were named to the All-U.P. Division 4 Second Team at Monday’s meeting of the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Ewen-Trout Creek’s Austin Gordon, Ironwood’s Axton Ruotsala and Wakefield-Marenisco’s Carter Cole joined nine other top players on the Second Team. Gordon, a 5-11 junior, made the list for the second straight year. His 24.1 point per game scoring average ranked second in th...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - Members of the Bessemer City Council voted on Monday evening to appoint Clerk/Treasurer Mandy Lake to the role of interim city manager. In separate votes, they also increased her salary to the equivalent of $5,000 per year and authorized her to prepare a job posting for city manager. "Ms. Lake has pretty much stepped up to the task," said Councilman Adam Zak regarding Lake, who already was acting in the city manager's role from the start of the...
By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Gogebic Community College played host to nearly 100 local middle and high school students for the inaugural Pi Day Competition on March 20. Thirty-one teams of three students from grades 7-12, representing four school districts within the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District competed in a series of mathematical problems if not related to, certainly in honor of, pi - the ratio of the circumference of a circle to it's diameter -... Full story
By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Great Michigan Read has begun, and area libraries and educators are gearing up for this year’s book “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” by Angeline Boulley. The Ironwood Carnegie Library, the Wakefield Public Library and the Gogebic Community College are working together to bring activities to both adults and youth alike to celebrate a love of reading. The first event is set for today at 6 p.m. in Room B-21 at GCC. The event will feature a screening of the documentary “Lawyers: Defenders of Sacred J...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD - Members of the Wakefield City Council voted on Monday evening to approve the application for two grants from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. After being rejected on its first try last year, the city will reapply for an MDNR Trust Fund Grant, in hopes of financing a now smaller, proposed expansion of the Eddy Park Campground next to Sunday Lake. The city also will apply for an MDNR Passport Grant, in hopes of creating a dog park...
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 - The winter season has been light on snow, but Saturday night's annual banquet for the Gogebic Range Trail Authority drew hundreds of people and thousands of dollars. Held at Ironwood's Aurora Club, the event for the 51-year-old organization resulted with attendees sprawled between two large gathering rooms. The evening began with a cocktail hour, followed by a dinner, awards, raffles and music rounding out the evening. GRTA President Jerry...
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD — A Wakefield rock quarry remains in limbo after the city’s Planning Commission voted last week to table action on a related site plan until more information is received. City Clerk Sue Ahonen reported the news by phone on Monday. The March 12 vote occurred after a related public hearing regarding a Feb. 13 site plan by Thomas Smiljanich, owner of Smily’s Excavating and Trucking in Wakefield. “At this point, there isn’t any access into the property,” said Ahonen. She added that Smiljanich...
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...
