Top Stories - The Timberjay

Vermilion Country School graduates include, from left, Owen Stellmach, Mahlia Shuster, Dakota Hanninen and Gage Monsrud.

Graduation 2022

Ely High School, North Woods School, and Vermilion Country School held commencement activities for their respective Classes of 2022 this past week. more

6/8/22

Water main and sewer pipes were lined up in the front yard of the Ely school campus this week.

ISD 696 must wait for school project cost overrun answers

ELY— School officials here will have to wait a bit longer for a solution to their approximately $4 million cost overrun on their ongoing school construction project. They had hoped that … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/8/22

Timber Days Grand Marshal Steve Kalaja poses with his children, Parker and Evan on either side, Lila and Chloe in the middle, and Vince kneeling below.

Timber Days tabs Kajala for parade grand marshal

COOK- For those eagerly awaiting the big parade on Sunday that caps off the three-day Timber Days festival here, a word of advice. If the parade moves at the speed of its grand marshal, Steve Kajala, … more

David Colburn | 6/8/22

From left, The Conservation Fund CEO Larry Selzer, Indian Land Tenure Foundation President Cris Stainbrook, and Bois Forte Chairperson Cathy Chavers listen to the Bois Forte Singers perform during Tuesday's land restoration ceremony at Nett Lake.

Historic transaction returns tribal lands

NETT LAKE- The size of the Bois Forte Band reservation sectors at Nett Lake and Deer Creek grew by an astounding 28,000 acres on Tuesday through the largest tribal buyback of ancestral lands ever … more

David Colburn | 6/8/22

IRRR grants OK’d for area communities

REGIONAL— The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRR), on Tuesday, awarded just over $7.1 million in grants and other funding affecting communities across the Taconite Tax Relief … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/8/22

WELY has a new three-month lease on life after Bois Forte officials chose to delay the station's planned closing until Sept. 1 to facilitate a possible sale of the station should a viable buyer become available.

WELY will remain on the air until September

ELY- The fate of radio station WELY took another twist this past week as Bois Forte tribal officials set aside an earlier decision to close the station for good on Wednesday, extending its life for … more

David Colburn | 6/1/22

Oliver Weidemann, 5, of Ely, helps place 1,120 American flags at the Ely Cemetery for Memorial Day.

The North Country marks Memorial Day

Many North Country communities paused on Monday to honor the sacrifices of area military personnel who died in the line of service with Memorial Day observances. more

Timberjay staff | 6/1/22

An artist's rendering of the proposed townhome project in Tower.

THS intends to proceed with townhome project

TOWER— Barring something unexpected, it appears ground could be broken on the long-delayed townhome project at the Tower harbor as early as next month. That’s the word in a letter of … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/1/22

Primary for Ely mayor set for Aug. 10

ELY – City of Ely residents will go to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 10 to vote in a primary election for the mayoral seat. A two-week filing period for the city of Ely mayor and three city … more

Keith Vandervort | 6/1/22

Gain a different perspective of the impact of rising flood waters in the Rainy River Basin through shots taken by Timberjay photographers last week from a float plane by checking the gallery at the end of this article.

Flood waters near peak

REGIONAL- The last thing the flood-weary people of Kabetogama and Crane Lake wanted to see this past week was more rain, but Sunday and Monday thunderstorms over the Rainy River Basin may have been … more

David Colburn | 6/1/22

Former Ely Chamber of Commerce leader Linda Fryer's impact on the community will be recognized with a street to be named after her.

Street to be renamed in honor of Linda Fryer

ELY – At the request of the Ely Tourism Bureau, the city council here will honor a longtime Chamber of Commerce executive director by renaming a portion of Seventh Avenue, adjacent to Whiteside … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/25/22

School board, teachers ink new contract

VIRGINIA - ISD 2142 teachers will work the final days of the school year with a new contract after school board members, without comment, voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve an agreement … more

David Colburn | 5/25/22

The rising waters of Crane Lake threaten a cabin last week. Continued rise is now expected to last into early June.

Historic flooding

REGIONAL- Lakefront property owners at Crane Lake and Kabetogama continue battling the still-rising flood waters of the Rainy River Basin, flooding that immediately threatens to eclipse the highest … more

David Colburn | 5/25/22

Heated House hearing weighs BWCAW protection

REGIONAL— A U.S. House committee held an at-times contentious hearing on Tuesday over proposed legislation that would expand the mining protection area surrounding the Boundary Waters by … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/25/22 | 1 comment

Flood waters that have already exceeded 2014 levels, like these at Crane Lake, are expected to continue rising at least through next Wednesday, in some places approaching all-time record highs.

Walz sending National Guard to assist with flood relief

REGIONAL- Minnesota National Guard members will be joining the battle against continually rising lake levels in the region this weekend after Gov. Tim Walz authorized their deployment on Thursday. … more

David Colburn | 5/20/22

Does WELY-FM radio station have a future?

ELY – According to Brett Ross, longtime program director and general manager at WELY, the “End of the Road” radio station, this community’s on-air presence still has a future. … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/18/22

Helen and Brian Tome, owners of Ely’s Boathouse Brewpub and Restaurant, are nearly ready to open the upstairs dining room and bar, doubling the seating capacity.

Ely brewpub and restaurant ready to double in size

ELY – Despite numerous roadblocks, including supply shortages and construction delays, the expansion project at the Boathouse Brewpub and Restaurant here is nearing completion.While largely … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/18/22

A wall of tarps and sandbags protects outbuildings and gas pumps at Voyagaire Lodge from Crane Lake’s rising waters on Saturday.

Flooding hits record levels

REGIONAL- The mounting crisis for regional lakeshore property owners and resorts entered a record-breaking phase late last week when water levels at Crane Lake and Lake Kabetogama blew past the … more

David Colburn | 5/18/22

Soft water has returned to all of Lake Vermilion.

May 11 is the official ice-out on Vermilion

LAKE VERMILION— There will be open water for Saturday’s fishing opener on Lake Vermilion, as the lake officially cleared of ice on May 11, about 12 days later than the average date of … more

5/13/22

Ely area veterans gathered to pay respects to former board members of Veterans on the Lake during the recent raising of a Holiday Flag at the facility on Fall Lake.

Raising the colors

ELY – Several of this community’s military veterans gathered at the flag pole at Veteran’s on the Lake Resort near here last Friday morning for a special flag raising.A … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/12/22

A burning experience

ELY – With the snow just recently melted, fire season is up and running in northern Minnesota. About 20 students in the Wildland Fire Control and Management class at Vermilion Community College … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/12/22

Preschool program proposed

ELY –ISD 696 will likely implement a new three-year-old preschool program for the 2022-23 school year.According to Interim Superintendent John Klarich, K-5 Principal Anne Oelke introduced the … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/11/22

Highs winds Monday blew ice slabs on shore at Lake Vermilion’s Birch Point, damaging docks.

Wind and ice wreak havoc

REGIONAL— Intense straight-line winds blew down trees across the region on Monday, knocking out power to nearly 2,000 Lake Country Power customers for a time. Few places were harder hit than … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/11/22

Greenwood clerk leaves meeting

GREENWOOD TWP- The Greenwood Town Board had a united front on one major topic at their May 10 meeting– their refusal to grant the demand from elected clerk Debby Spicer for additional pay.The … more

Jodi Summit | 5/11/22

Wanted: Ely police officers, but experience preferred

ELY – Wanted: Experienced patrol officers to join the Ely Police Department. The Ely city council Tuesday night, on a recommendation from the Employee Relations Committee, approved a request … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/4/22 | 1 comment