Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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Recent claims that the media “is the enemy of the American people” should not go unchecked. Such an accusation holds no merit. The First Amendment ensures, among other things, freedom of the press. The founders of our nation knew the perils of a monarch clamping down on the free expression of ideas. A revolution and birth of the nation was aided by the printed word, and the continued molding of a more perfect union over 242 years has been as well. Thomas Jefferson had a contentious relationship with the press. He didn’t always get the coverage... Full story
Congratulations to the Bantam B hockey state champion Polar Hawks. The co-op team of 12 players, ages 12 to 15, from the Ironwood Polar Bear and Iron River Ice Hawk hockey clubs went 5-0 at the state tournament in Marquette last weekend, including an 8-0 win over Jackson in the final Sunday. “It was a great showing by our local kids,” said Brian Roehm, of Ironwood, one of three coaches. Great showing, indeed, for a team that had just six combined practices this season. Half of the kids practiced here at the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center in Ironw... Full story
The season of holiday travel is upon us and officials are offering wise words of caution as increased traffic on roadways often brings more accidents. Add a few drinks from the party and/or some bad weather and havoc can ensue, often ending in tragedy. The Michigan State Police, among other organizations, are urging motorists to buckle up and designate a sober driver. “Motorists will soon be flocking to the roadways to visit with family and friends for Thanksgiving celebrations. The combination of increased traffic, deer on the move and the s... Full story
Every time we hear a siren or see flashing lights whiz by, there’s a good possibility someone is in peril. And while we sit back — mostly with relief when we see the fire engine didn’t turn toward our house or down our grandmother’s road — police, fire and other emergency personnel charge ahead. Any hour of the day, to the farthest reaches of the county, bad things can and do happen. Help is needed and help arrives, thanks to the men and women of our many local emergency units. Some of these folks are professionals, while others are volunteers,... Full story
National Newspaper Week, Oct. 6-12, may not be marked in red on your calendar, and we’re pretty sure Hallmark has never written a card to celebrate the occasion, but we’d like to take the opportunity to share the importance of newspapers in today’s society. Newspapers continue to be a strong source of information to millions of people every day. According to Scarborough Research, 131 million Americans read a daily newspaper the past week. It is true the newspaper industry is changing, but contrary to what you may have heard, newspapers are n... Full story
If the current upheaval in Washington over the shutdown of the federal government and looming debt ceiling deadline teaches us anything, perhaps it should be that we need to elect reasonable people. People who are willing to do the work of governing. Isn’t that what we elected them to do? To that end, and keeping in mind the age-old adage: “All politics is local,” we challenge the community to become engaged in the Nov. 5 general election. There are key elections for city government and millage proposals across Gogebic County. In Ironw... Full story
School is back in session, footballs are flying through the air, a tinge of color is appearing amongst the leaves and temperatures are beginning to dip — all sure signs of fall. But before we get too far down the autumnal road, we say thank you to all those who worked so hard putting on a vast variety of community events this past summer. The rear-view mirror is full of Fourth of July activities, county fairs and other events that allowed the community to gather and celebrate. Festival Ironwood drew good-sized crowds to a newly-renovated D... Full story
Congratulations to all the graduates. Friday’s Watersmeet High School and Gogebic County Community School commencement exercises were the final graduation ceremonies on the Gogebic Range for the Class of 2013. It’s been a busy couple weeks for the graduation scene here, but finally the diplomas are out, tassels turned and caps flung. Let the next steps begin. So many great things lie ahead for the Class of 2013. Signs that the economy is gaining strength should only hold out great hope for those beginning a new chapter. We salute the tea... Full story
Thanks to all the local veterans and their various organizations that helped mark Memorial Day in so many ways on Monday. The services conducted in many area cemeteries and at local memorials were a honorable tribute to those soldiers who served to protect our freedoms. There were parades, bands, singing, speeches and all sorts military honors offered in many hollowed spots around the Gogebic Range. This doesn’t happen without the planning and participation of hundreds of volunteers. Family and friends of the honored, as well as many other c... Full story
The report of a suspicious backpack found at the door of Gogebic Taconite’s office in downtown Hurley Saturday morning caused quite a stir. The good news is the bomb squad called in from Marathon County, Wis., found nothing explosive in the backpack and no one was hurt, but beyond that, it was, as always, heartening to see the quick and broad response of local officials. The Hurley Police, Iron County Sheriff’s and Hurley Fire departments were out in full force for the better part of seven hours. The area was efficiently evacuated and bar...
News came Wednesday that the U.S. Postal Service has decided to continue Saturday mail delivery. This was good news indeed. The Postal Service had floated a plan in February to suspend most deliveries on Saturdays beginning in August in order to deal with a budget shortfall. The outcry against such a move came from several circles. “This is good news for rural communities, businesses, seniors, veterans and others who depend on consistent and timely delivery of the mail,” said U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The newspaper and other pub...
Last week’s return of the 1432nd Engineer Company of the Michigan National Guard was a reminder of how important the service of our soldiers is to our country. Their service is truly honorable. Their return was also a reminder of how crucial it is that we uphold the promises made to members of the military with health care and other benefits. The nation honors their service by upholding its end of the bargain. U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls, is looking to extend honor to our soldiers with the creation of a veterans cemetery in the U...
It’s time to put out the flag and welome mat for a group of local soldiers returning from the war in Afghanistan. The men and women of the 1432 Engineer Company of the Michigan National Guard, based in Kingsford and Iron River, will return Thursday. Among the group are a half dozen or so residents of the Gogebic Range. The unit is returning from a nine-month deployment in some pretty treacherous conditions, according to one source. While the Michigan National Guard would not release the soldiers’ names, a spokesman said the 170 men and wom... Full story
