News - The Timberjay

Charles Myntti with his grandchildren outside their cabin on Co-op Point on Eagles Nest Lake One.

EMBARRASS- It was a full house at the Sisu Heritage Annual meeting, held at the Embarrass Town Hall on Feb. 16, and a time to celebrate the cultural contributions of Finnish immigrants to the … more

Jodi Summit | 3/8/23

Obituaries: May 19, 2023

Geraldyn F. Erickson Geraldyn Fay “Jerry” Erickson, 92, of Sartell, formerly of Sacred Heart, died on Monday, May 8, 2023, at the Country Manor Villa Apartments in Sartell. A … more

5/17/23

Council sets hearing on 45 Boundary St. violations

ELY- After months of little to no progress on the unsafe residence at 45 E. Boundary St., the Ely City Council scheduled a public hearing for 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, to discuss mitigation … more

Catie Clark | 3/20/24

Obituaries: July 22, 2022

Lon E. Lamppa Lon Ernest Lamppa, 73, of Virginia, and formerly of Tower, Lake Vermilion and Embarrass, left this life after ‘the long goodbye’ on Saturday, July 16, 2022. A celebration of … more

7/20/22

Greenwood residents voting at the Greenwood Township annual meeting.

Greenwood hosts a busy annual meeting

GREENWOOD TWP- Greenwood’s annual meeting, held here March 12, was contentious from the start. With a nearly full house, Carmen DeLuca asked for a paper ballot to select the meeting’s … more

Jodi Summit | 3/20/24

Council approves subsidy for ambulance service

TOWER— The city council here, on Monday, approved tapping other city accounts to help finance the Tower Area Ambulance Service, which has been struggling financially as a result of a spike in … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/12/22

Babbitt mine, Northshore to remain closed through next April

REGIONAL- Northshore Mining taconite mining and processing operations in Babbitt and Silver will stay closed until at least April 2023, as owner Cleveland-Cliffs says they’re “not … more

David Colburn | 7/22/22

Skraba bucks party to back House bonding bill

REGIONAL— Northeastern Minnesota would be a major beneficiary of a state bonding bill approved by the state House on Monday. State Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely, was one of a relative handful of … more

3/8/23

Obituaries: August 11, 2023

JoAnne G. Connell JoAnne G. Connell, 86, formerly of Lake Vermilion-Tower, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, at Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Chisholm. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. … more

8/9/23

Happy Days to open new childcare center in Ely

ELY- Who says a 50-something-year-old business can’t embark on a big transformation?Happy Days Preschool, a beloved fixture in the Ely community since 1969, made a big announcement last week … more

David Colburn | 3/8/23

Experts discuss growing problem of rural suicide

REGIONAL- The growing problem of rural suicide and what can be be done to reverse the trend was the subject of an expert panel discussion earlier this month, sponsored by the Center for Rural Policy … more

David Colburn | 3/20/24

Board considers request to allow smudging in district schools

VIRGINIA- A traditional Ojibwe cleansing and purification ritual known as smudging may become available to Native American students in ISD 2142 during the school day after a request made at … more

David Colburn | 5/11/22

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

Don’t bet the house on sports betting, yet

REGIONAL- Bills in the Minnesota Legislature that would allow sports betting have the support of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) and the state’s professional sports teams, but … more

David Colburn | 3/8/23

As one of the many who donated to the Boundary Waters Care Center, 100 Ely Women Who Care donated $6,870 recently. Front row, (l-r) Barbara Kollar, 101-year-old resident of BWCC and Adam Masloski. Back row: Emily Brown, Cindy Gardner, and Mary Zimmerman.

New funding, donations save Ely nursing home, for now

ELY- After the drought of funding for skilled nursing homes following the 2022 legislative session, the announcement that Ely’s Boundary Waters Care Center (BWCC) would receive $750,000 for … more

Catie Clark | 5/24/23

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

Area residents gather regularly at the Embarrass Timber Hall for a wide range of activities. The facility will receive $1.5 million to fund improvements and repairs.

Lawmakers deliver for the North Country

ST. PAUL— A late session deal that added $1.5 billion in state bonding to a capital projects improvement bill is expected to inject $2.6 billion into the state’s economy over the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/24/23

Nursing Honor Guard formed for our area

REGIONAL- Paying tribute to nurses at their time of death is the mission of the newly-formed Northern Range Nursing Honor Guard. A group of nurses, some working, some retired, are now offering free … more

Jodi Summit | 3/20/24

Ely writer, illustrator team up on new childrens’ book

ELY- A new book published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press will give area families a new tradition to celebrate with their children. The book is now available at area bookstores and online. … more

Jodi Summit | 5/24/23

Obituaries: March 22, 2024

William J. Ulicsni William “Bill” J. Ulicsni, 86, longtime resident of Mt. Iron, died on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth. A celebration of life will be … more

3/20/24

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

Personnel and drug policy top light board agenda

BABBITT- The ISD 2142 school board held its regular meeting at Northeast Range school in Babbitt on Tuesday, approving a drug overdose medication policy and numerous personnel actions. Board members … more

David Colburn | 5/25/23

U.S. Steel rejects Cleveland-Cliffs buyout offer

REGIONAL— U.S. Steel has rejected a $7.3 billion buyout offer from rival Cleveland-Cliffs that would have made Cliffs the predominant company in the U.S. steel sector. But U.S. Steel, which … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/16/23

Orr council scrutinzes city operations at special meeting

ORR- Meeting in a special session on Monday, Orr City Council members made quick work of two business items before turning their attention to a lengthy discussion of a number of items that could … more

David Colburn | 3/20/24

High water levels plaguing Rainy River basin

REGIONAL- The water continues to rise along the Rainy River basin, fueled by recent rains and snowmelt, and that could pose problems for lake residents in the border country. Levels are already … more

David Colburn | 5/15/22