ELY — Paul McDonald, of Ely, will be honored this Saturday at the state boys basketball tournament for his long service to high school officiating in Minnesota. McDonald is one of nine recipients …

REGIONAL- Paul Bunyan Communications is planning a significant expansion of its all-fiber optic network in parts of St. Louis and Itasca counties this year, bringing high-speed broadband service to …

SANDY TWP- A trailer house here was declared a total loss in the wake of a fire Tuesday morning, March 24, along Oberg Rd. No one was injured in the blaze and neither the homeowner nor the renters …

Patricia Koski Patricia J. Koski, 90, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at Carefree Living in Ely. Visitation is at 10 a.m. followed by Memorial Mass at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April …

TOWER — A Mt. Iron charter school facing closure at the end of the school year is proposing to merge with Tower-based Vermilion Country School in a bid to keep its doors open. East Range Academy of …

TOWER — Facing tightening cash flow as it approaches statutory operating debt, the St. Louis County School Board on Tuesday approved a $2 million line of credit with Frandsen Bank to ensure the …

COOK — A mix of federal policy changes could significantly reduce the number of insured patients served by Scenic Rivers Health Services in the coming year, creating new financial pressure for the …

ELY — The Ely Public School’s financial hole just got bigger. Superintendent Anne Oelke told school board members at Monday’s study session that the district’s budget reduction target has …

ELY — When the Ely school board hired an engineering firm last year to design improvements to the district’s athletic facilities, board members were emphatic: the project could not exceed the …

REGIONAL- Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday proposed a supplemental budget that blends spending cuts and tax changes to lower costs for Minnesota families while keeping the state’s finances on stable …

REGIONAL — The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management announced this week that it will begin accepting applications again on April 1 for three types of lower-potency hemp edible business licenses, …

COOK- At a recent gathering in a Chicago home, the usual rhythm of a high-end arts fundraiser gave way to something different. There were no tuxedos. No hushed auction paddles. No carefully staged …

SOUDAN — Breitung’s fire chief made the case for adding a new vehicle to the department at the township’s annual meeting on March 10. “Hearing the call and not being able to help out because …

ELY — Northwoods Partners recently celebrated their 25th anniversary, and this is the first of four quarterly articles that explores the Ely institution. Each article will consider a different …

EMBARRASS — Twenty residents attended the Embarrass Township Annual Meeting on March 10, and set the 2027 levy at $263,700, a 13.2-percent increase over 2026. The board of supervisors had proposed …

ELY — The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be returning traffic control to signalized intersections on Highway 1/169 (Sheridan Street) in Ely on Thursday, March 19, weather dependent. …

Patricia Helmberger Patricia Lavonne Helmberger, age 90, died peacefully on March 12, 2026, in Tower, Minn. having suffered for several years with a series of health complications. Patricia, who went …

TOWER — The oldest public building north of Duluth is soon slated to be the new home of city offices here, following extensive renovations funded by the Minnesota Historical Society, Iron Range …

ELY — It started as a straightforward request from a small volunteer commission asking to finish what it started. It turned into a tangled debate for the Ely City Council as a jurisdictional …

ELY — If you missed seeing some films at this year’s Ely Film Festival, you weren’t alone. From my count, most of the showings were sold out in advance. And even the nasty winter storm, which …

GREENWOOD TWP — The pilot program to provide Advanced Life Support emergency response in rural areas is already showing results. The Sprint Medic program is a pilot project funded by a $6-plus …

SOUDAN — Visitors hoping to explore the depths of Minnesota’s historic Soudan Underground Mine this summer won’t have to wait much longer. Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park will …

GOODWILL TWP.- Residents of Goodwill Township gathered Tuesday night for the township’s first annual meeting, held shortly after polls closed for the township election. The meeting began at 8:30 …

ELY — With enrollment declining, state funding failing to keep pace with inflation, and years of budget cuts already behind it, Ely Public Schools is weighing the most significant structural …

ORR — A snowmobile crash on the Arrowhead State Trail north of Orr last week left one rider dead, marking the second fatal accident reported on the trail this winter. According to the St. Louis …