The Globe - Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

MARENISCO - Today is the official date of closure for the Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco. It's a practical matter for the Michigan Department of Corrections and a personal one for local residents, who learned only last summer of the state's decision.

According to Chris Gautz, public relations representative for MDOC, more than 800 prisoners from OCF already were moved to other prisons as of a few weeks ago. As for about 200 employees, he said, "The vast majority have been transferred."

Gautz told the Daily Globe Thursday about 50 OCF employees are now laid off. "The vast majorit...