News - The Timberjay

Eric Simula, in the stern, and other paddlers hit the water at Semer’s Park Sunday afternoon for the maiden voyage of the Burntside, a 20-foot Ojibwe-style birch bark canoe made at the Ely Folk School.

ELY – The “Burntside,” a 20-foot traditional Ojibwe –style canoe, hit the water for the first time off Semer’s Park last Sunday, the culmination of three summers of … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/10/22

District looks at class configurations for new year

REGIONAL- With the new school year fast approaching, ISD 2142 School Board members reviewed projected class sizes at the district’s five schools on Tuesday. They also filled vacant teaching … more

David Colburn | 8/10/22

Obituaries: August 12, 2022

Phyllis C. Nevala Phyllis Cresten Nevala, 84, formerly of Embarrass, died peacefully on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth. Thanks go out to Essentia … more

8/10/22

Board setting sights on reducing blight in Soudan

SOUDAN – The Breitung Town Board continued discussion on what can be done to remedy blight problems that continue to plague some area properties at their meeting on July 28.“We’ve … more

Rachel Brophy | 8/4/22

Three candidates vie for Ely mayor seat

ELY – Three candidates are participating in the Aug. 9 primary for Ely mayor. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.Two incumbent Ely city council members, Paul … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22

Standing on the deck of their home overlooking the fields and trees below, Craig and Valarie Flank display the Century Farm sign from the Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farm Bureau.

Flank Farm receives Century Farm award

BEAR RIVER- In 1906, Peter Flank, a 40-year-old Swedish immigrant, his wife, Anna, and their two young children, six-year-old Arthur and one-year-old Edith moved from their western Minnesota home of … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

Five-year-old Allison Bajan, of Ely, licks a blueberry cheescake ice cream cone Sunday morning at the 41st Ely Blueberry/Art Festival.

Back to normal

ELY – Following the festival-canceling coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and an epic storm in 2021 that left Whiteside Park in shambles, the 41st annual Blueberry/Art Festival here last weekend … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Ecklund bill would extend jobless benefits for 26 months

REGIONAL— Rep. Rob Ecklund has drafted legislation to extend unemployment benefits for laid off Northshore Mining workers for an additional 26 weeks. Cleveland Cliffs CEO Laurenco Goncalves … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Primary features several non-partisan races

REGIONAL— The general election won’t be held until Nov. 8 this year, but voters will help determine their eventual choices during the primary election set for this Tuesday, Aug. 9. The … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Ely teacher honored for special education work

ELY – The early childhood special education program at ISD 696 recently received a major boost because of the gratitude of a local parent with an autistic child who wrote a nomination letter … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22

Freight train derails Saturday north of Cook

COOK- Fourteen rail cars of a northbound Canadian National freight train derailed Saturday night about seven miles north of Cook.The 123-car CN train was traveling through a remote area at about 7:47 … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

Costs keep growing for concession/restroom rehab at North Woods

VIRGiNIA- The $300,000 sports field concession stand and restroom rebuilding project at North Woods is going to cost even more, but how much more is yet to be determined. A portion of the extra cost … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

An architect's rendering of the design of the Trailhead facility.

Trailhead facility soon to be a reality

ELY – With $3 million nearly in hand and after years of planning, city officials here are looking forward to beginning construction of the Ely Regional Trailhead facility at the west entrance … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Three people injured in fiery one-vehicle crash Sunday night

COOK- Three individuals were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries on Sunday as a result of a truck crash about five miles east of Cook on Sunday evening.At approximately 8 p.m. … more

8/3/22

An excavator hauls rock across the east parking lot on the Ely school campus Tuesday morning as work continues on $21.5 million building and renovation project.

Ely school construction project finish line looms

ELY – The $21.5 million building and renovation project on the ISD 696 campus here is quickly headed for the Labor Day completion finish line, and with about a month to go, just seven percent … more

Keith Vandervort | 7/28/22

Ely artist Leah Reusch is drawn to the natural world for her artistic inspiration.

Ely artist uses light and space in her oversized works

ELY – A local artist visited the North Country for the first time when she was a 15-year-old camper at YMCA’s Camp Widjiwagen, and she never really left. Leah Reusch worked at Widji off … more

Keith Vandervort | 7/27/22

A black bear was recently spotted foraging for berries and other treats in a ditch a little over a mile from the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary.

Bear visits raise concerns

NETT LAKE- After last summer’s severe drought, there are likely no creatures happier to see this year’s bumper crop of berries than the black bears who count them among their favorite … more

David Colburn | 7/27/22 | 2 comments

Employee faces assault allegations

ELY – A city of Ely employee was placed on paid leave last week while an investigation continues into an alleged physical assault at the Ely City Hall that put a local construction worker in … more

Keith Vandervort | 7/27/22

Midco crews in Ely installed high-speed internet lines in Ely this week.

High-speed internet finally reaching the North Country

REGIONAL— After years of frustration over the lack of high-speed internet at the end of the road, the evidence of a solution is everywhere these days. And it’s all coming to nearby Tower … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/27/22

Chippewa Tribe votes to end blood quantum requirements

REGIONAL- Since the 1800s, federal and state laws have legally defined Native Americans in fractions of “Indian blood” – one-half, one-quarter, one-eighth, and so on – to … more

David Colburn | 7/27/22

PolyMet, Teck Resources launch joint venture

REGIONAL—Canadian-based PolyMet Mining and Teck Resources have launched a joint venture to bring two of the largest known deposits of copper-nickel and precious metals on the Duluth Complex … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/27/22

Northshore shutdown extended to next April

REGIONAL- The uncertainty surrounding the future of Northshore Mining taconite mining and processing operations in Babbitt and Silver Bay was magnified last week when parent company Cleveland Cliffs … more

David Colburn | 7/27/22

Former Ontario cop gets 10 years for Bois Forte child sex abuse case

REGIONAL- A former Ontario Provincial Police officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week in federal district court in Minnesota for sexually abusing two young girls while he was a guest at … more

David Colburn | 7/27/22

MCEA: ‘Jobs’ mantra transitioning to ‘renewable energy’ argument

ELY – Sulfide mining companies are subtly shifting their rhetoric and messaging about the proposed projects in northern Minnesota.“No one is probably more familiar with this rhetoric over … more

Keith Vandervort | 7/27/22

Obituaries: July 29, 2022

Carrie Cazares Carrie Henrika Folz Cazares, 59, passed away on Thursday, June 30, 2022, surrounded by family at her home in Hillsboro, Ore. A memorial service will be held on what would have been her … more

7/27/22