News - The Timberjay

Obituaries: November 18, 2022

Pearl E. AronenPearl Esther Salo Aronen, 100, formerly of Lake Vermilion, originally of Embarrass, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at Edgewood Vista in Virginia, surrounded by family.Funeral … more

11/16/22

Native film night coming to Fortune Bay, Saturday, Oct. 14

TOWER- Those with an interest in independent filmmaking will want to check out the Indigenous Film Night on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Fortune Bay Resort Casino beginning at 4 p.m. The event will begin … more

David Colburn | 9/29/23

Both incumbent Greenwood supervisors facing challengers

GREENWOOD TWP- Voters in the upcoming Greenwood Township election have some choices to make with two supervisor seats and one clerk seat on the ballot for the March 12 township election. Craig … more

Jodi Summit | 2/21/24

U.S. Steel to build new production facility on Iron Range

REGIONAL— The U.S. Steel Corporation announced this week that it plans to break ground this fall on a new $150 million direct reduced iron (DRI) production facility on Minnesota’s Iron … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/29/22

Obituaries: July 14, 2023

Jack A. Brandt Jack Ainer Brandt, 83, of Tower, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 23, 2023, at his home. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 14 at Lakeview … more

7/12/23

Ely runs the Trezona on the Fourth

ELY – The annual Ely 4 on the 4th run/walk will be held on Monday at Trezona Trail, beginning at 8 a.m.On-site registration will be available from 6:40-7:40 a.m. on race day. Early online … more

7/1/22

Greenwood fire department officers (l-r) Mike Indihar, David Fazio, and Rick Worringer were dismissed as officers by board action Tuesday night.

Board dismisses top fire department officers

GREENWOOD TWP— In a surprise decision at the end of their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, the Greenwood Town Board voted 3-2 to dismiss Fire Chief David Fazio and Assistant Chief Mike … more

Jodi Summit | 9/14/22

Greenwood fire department ready for some changes

GREENWOOD TWP- The Greenwood Town Board appointed Jeff Maus as the Greenwood Fire Chief on a split vote at their regular November meeting. He was the only person who applied for the job. Maus is a … more

Jodi Summit | 11/18/22

Ally Heglin, Destinay Burks, and Tae (Amelia) Hietala did a project on composting food waste using worms.

Moving from environmental awareness to action

TOWER- Can mushrooms be used to recycle plastic? Can plastic be used to make bricks sturdy enough for construction? How can you set up a worm composting system at your home? How can we reduce food … more

Jodi Summit | 2/8/23

Mayor: State of city is good and getting better

TOWER— Mayor Dave Setterberg offered an upbeat assessment of the city’s status as part of a “state of the city” report he made to the city council here on Monday. Setterberg … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/14/22

Obituaries: February 10, 2023

Linda K. WilliamsLinda Kay Wheeland Williams, 80, of Ely, passed away on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, at Boundary Waters Care Center after a lengthy illness. Funeral services were held at Ely United … more

2/8/23

COVID booster rolls out as virus persists

REGIONAL- As COVID indicators continue to tick upward, the new boosters from Moderna and Pfizer recently authorized by the Centers for Disease Control for anyone over the age of six months have … more

David Colburn | 9/27/23

Obituaries: April 28, 2023

Eugene L. Coyer Eugene Lester Coyer, 95, of Orr, passed away peacefully during the night of Sunday, April 16, 2023, in his “Palace in the Poplar”. An evening visitation will be held … more

4/26/23

A sign posted this week advises motorists of pending road construction on Hwy. 169.

Hwy. 169 resurfacing project to start Monday

REGIONAL— Travelers along Hwy. 169 south of Tower will want to plan for extra time starting Monday, as work is set to begin on a mill and overlay project to repair the crumbling road surface … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/19/23

Ely man injured in knife attack

ELY- Tate Jordan Cly, age 20, is facing two felony counts here in the wake of an alleged knife attack early Saturday morning, Sept. 23, against Richard Joshua Petrizilka. An officer from the Ely … more

Catie Clark | 9/27/23

Friends enjoy time together at the Harvest Moon Festival in Ely.

Arts, eats, & a touch of fall

The Timberjay's Jodi Summit dropped in on Ely's Harvest Moon Festival last weekend and came home with these photos and ... well, Jodi's been mum about that 'and' part.. Enjoy the pictures, and if you see … more

Jodi Summit | 9/14/22

Change is afoot in Orr as Carter retires, Scott calls it quits

ORR- A major focus of last week’s regular Orr City Council meeting was figuring out just what the city needs to do to accommodate the retirement of longtime city clerk/treasurer Cheri Carter. … more

David Colburn | 4/28/23

Forester Service Forester Kaysee Miller and kindergarteners get retired sled dog Chainsaw to howl with them.

Forest Service brings sled dogs to North Woods

FIELD TWP- When Kaysee Miller asked a classroom of North Woods kindergarteners how many of them had been bitten by a dog on Tuesday, nearly every eager young hand shot up, as is often the case with … more

David Colburn | 12/6/23

The former Kondo’s building may become the new home of the Ely Ambulance Service.

A new home for the Ely ambulance?

ELY – City council members here last week agreed to support the Ely Ambulance Service in their efforts to find a new home through the purchase and renovation of an existing building in the … more

Keith Vandervort | 7/1/22

Regional tax pool trims distributions to area cities

REGIONAL- Property owners across the North Country and St. Louis County could wind up with an unpleasant surprise when they receive their property tax statement this year, courtesy of a little known … more

David Colburn | 9/15/22

A plethora of heavy equipment is deployed near the site of this week’s derailment along the CN track near Gheen.

Another CN derailment near Gheen

COOK- Ten cars of a Canadian National train, two containing hazardous materials, derailed approximately six miles north of Cook on Monday, the second such incident in the past year along the remote … more

David Colburn | 7/19/23

Fair Association volunteers. Left and below: The Grinch has fun.

The Grinch visits Embarrass pancake breakfast

EMBARRASS- Over 400 people attended the Embarrass Region Fair Association’s Dec. 2 pancake breakfast event. “This was a record number,” said volunteer Sue Beaton. “We ran out … more

12/7/23

Morse-Fall Lake firefighters work to douse the blaze at the home of Carol Lindbeck, of rural Ely.

One dead in Shagawa Lake house fire

MORSE TWP- An as-yet unidentified individual died in a house fire here on Sunday afternoon. While the name of the deceased had not yet been released as of press time, the home, located at 1406 Grant … more

Catie Clark | 2/28/24

The inaugural year of the End of the Road Film Festival packed the seats of Ely’s Historic State Theater, with many films selling out.

Film festival a major success

ELY- “I didn’t know what to expect,” said End of the Road Film Festival director Jacob White, “but the turnout was amazing!”Ely’s very first film festival, running … more

Catie Clark | 2/15/23

Bob and Jen McDonough are the new owners of the Tower Café.

New life for old cafè

TOWER—More than three years after it closed its doors in April 2020 at the start of the COVID pandemic, the Tower Café will soon be back in business. And probably no one is more … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/19/23