VERMILION LAKE TWP — A school bus with a trailer carrying high school hockey players collided with a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix, driven by 28-year-old Jessie Hinkel, of Soudan, on Jan. 3 in the early …

REGIONAL — Filings for elected positions for area townships which hold their township elections on the second Tuesday in March close on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. This year, most townships will be …

Marjorie Markwardt Marjorie “Marj” Markwardt, 94, passed away peacefully on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, at Edgewood Assisted Living in Virginia. In accordance with her wishes, there will be no funeral …

TOWER — The city council voted 3-0 on Dec. 29 to terminate ambulance director Dena Suihkonen, who was paralyzed in a freak accident at a Fourth of July community picnic. Her union has since filed a …

REGIONAL — A long-running dispute over a proposed campground intended to serve disabled veterans on Lake Vermilion has taken a dramatic new turn, with a federal civil rights lawsuit now accusing …

ELY — The message from local leaders to their state legislators this week was clear. Communities aren’t asking for handouts. They’re asking to keep what it generates. At a meeting of the Ely …

This Canada Lynx provided quite a show as it spent a full week in a yard of a rural Tower residence over the holidays while it fed on a roadkill deer carcass. See more photos and the story of its …

ST. PAUL— Gov. Tim Walz was defiant on Monday morning even as he announced that he won’t seek re-election for an unprecedented third term as Minnesota’s top executive. Walz, who had previously …

ELY — The Ely Fire Department returned home last night with a new fire truck valued at approximately $675,000, and it didn’t cost local taxpayers a dime. Fire Chief Dave Marshall and his team …

ST. PAUL— Federal prosecutors, last week, unveiled more charges in a widespread and ongoing investigation of what they purport is “staggering, industrial-scale” Medicaid fraud in Minnesota …

SOUDAN — What’s better than managing a campground? How about managing two campgrounds! That’s the assignment Randy Pratt and Julie Kranz signed up for when they submitted a successful proposal …

REGIONAL — With respiratory illnesses climbing as Minnesotans gather for holiday celebrations, state health officials are urging eligible residents to get vaccinated against flu, COVID-19 and RSV. …

REGIONAL — U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber joined fellow House Republicans this week in approving a health care bill that would expand access to employer insurance options but leave millions of Affordable …

REGIONAL— State officials have announced plans to conduct further analysis of the impacts of sulfate pollution on wild rice in Minnesota lakes and rivers. The announcement comes amid concerns that …

REGIONAL — Gov. Tim Walz took his first executive steps on gun violence Tuesday after months of failed negotiations at the Capitol, signing two orders intended to boost public safety and lay …

TOWER— The city council here delayed a decision on the status of the city’s ambulance director over questions about the propriety of a proposed closed meeting, which had been set for Thursday, …

ELY—After months of technical challenges and weather delays, WELY radio is preparing for a significant milestone that will expand its reach across northeastern Minnesota. General Manager Terri …

TOWER — Tammy Mortaloni has been on the job at Tower City Hall for less than a week, but she has jumped into her new duties with confidence, a willingness to learn, and previous job experience that …

REGIONAL— A new poll of Minnesotans finds overwhelming support for protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, including support for a state ban on sulfide-based mining within the …

REGIONAL — St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday approved a $564.4 million budget for 2026, signing off on a spending plan that leans heavily on a 12.4 percent increase in the county’s …

REGIONAL — Minnesota’s construction industry keeps moving forward, even though few industry experts feel entirely confident about what comes next. Strong demand is keeping crews busy, but hiring …

ELY— Cyle Cramer was born in a family that struggled financially, but he found a path out of poverty, and he now hopes to take the values he learned during those difficult years and bring them to …

TOWER— The Tower Economic Development Authority and the Vermilion Country School have teamed up on a project to install a 40-kilowatt, grid-connected, solar power array on the roof of the school. …

Henry DeVries  It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Henry “Hank””DeVries, 89, of Soudan, who went home with his Lord and Savior on Friday, Dec. 12,2025, at St. Mary’s …

ELY — The Ely Area Lodging Tax Joint Powers Board postponed all funding decisions until Dec. 30, extending a months-long dispute that has raised questions about board oversight and governance. …