News - The Timberjay

GREENWOOD TWP- At a special meeting that lasted just over 10 minutes, the Greenwood Town Board appointed fire department member Jeff Maus as interim chief. The vote was 3-0, and Supervisors Mike … more

Jodi Summit | 9/28/22

County board awards $1.5 million to assist school project

ELY— Just days ago, the school board here had few good answers for covering $550,000 in cost overruns on the district’s facilities project.Yet salvation arrived on Tuesday morning as the … more

Rachel Brophy | 9/28/22

A large pack of half marathon runners made their way along Pioneer Road on Saturday.

No hitches on race day

ELY- While turnout for the Ely Marathon and the Boundary Waters Bank Half Marathon was a bit lighter than normal, 548 runners plunked down the registration fees to compete in friendly weather … more

David Colburn | 9/28/22

Covid another risk factor for stroke

REGIONAL— Ron Alarcon, of rural Tower, is lucky to be alive— and he knows it. Alarcon was driving to work to the Cook DNR office late last month and had just turned up Cty. Rd. 77 near … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/28/22

Concerns voiced about facilities project delays

ELY- The Sept. 26 meeting of the Ely school board held here on Monday night began by adding two agenda items addressing additional cost overruns as part of the scheduled 21st Century Facility Project … more

Rachel Brophy | 9/28/22

School tax levy to drop in 2023

REGIONAL- The St. Louis County School District’s property tax levy for 2023 is projected to go down slightly, but some taxpayers may still see an increase in the taxes they pay.Finance Director … more

David Colburn | 9/28/22

Sheriff candidate Lukovsky fined for corporate contributions

REGIONAL— A panel of three administrative law judges has imposed a $1,000 civil penalty for campaign violations against Jason Lukovsky, the current St. Louis County Undersheriff. Lukovsky, who … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/28/22

Board bans new deer farms to prevent CWD

REGIONAL—The St. Louis County Board has voted to prohibit new deer farms in the county in an effort to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease, or CWD. The unanimous vote updates the … more

9/28/22 | 1 comment

Obituaries: September 30, 2022

Ralph F. Christopherson Jr.Ralph F. Christopherson Jr., 82, lifelong resident of Virginia and Lake Vermilion, died on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at Edgewood Vista Memory Care in Virginia. A … more

9/28/22

County board approves 4.39 percent preliminary levy hike

REGIONAL- Inflation is putting the pinch on St. Louis County government, and the proposed 2023 maximum tax levy is going up by over four percent in part to compensate, but significant growth in the … more

David Colburn | 9/22/22

Township to enact short-term rental moratorium

EAGLES NEST TWP- Short-term vacation rentals are coming under new scrutiny and are likely to face at least a temporary moratorium based on town board action here on Tuesday. The town board will vote … more

Jodi Summit | 9/21/22

Is the pandemic really over?

“The pandemic is over,” or so said President Biden last Sunday on 60 Minutes, but that doesn’t mean the COVID-19 virus has disappeared in St. Louis County or elsewhere in the … more

David Colburn | 9/21/22 | 1 comment

Left: Last year’s canoe portage marathon winner was looking good as he came across the finish line in Whiteside Park amidst a large crowd of cheering fans. It all kicks off again on Saturday with the seventh running of the Ely Marathon.

A little sweat, a lot of fun

ELY – This weekend nearly 600 athletes will arrive in Ely to run… and run. Roughly 400 of them will take part in the 13.1 mile-long Boundary Waters Bank half-marathon, while close to 200 … more

Rachel Brophy | 9/21/22

‘Tis the season, for candidate debates

Editor's Note: An original version of this story stated that the Eighth District congressional debate in Brainerd was set to be held on Sept. 24. It is actually scheduled for Oct. 24. The Timberjay regrets the error. REGIONAL— With the Nov. 8 general election just over six weeks from now, and early voting already underway, the candidate forum season is upon us and voters in the North Country will have … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/21/22

Police chief urges patience during weekend’s marathon

ELY— Police Chief Chad Houde urged Ely residents to be patient this weekend due to a number of detours and road closures in advance of the Ely Marathon, set to be held on Saturday. “There … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/21/22

Township still seeking broadband project grants

GREENWOOD TWP- For the first time since the resignation of the elected clerk and treasurer, the Greenwood Town Board at their Sept. 13 meeting was able to approve their treasurer’s report, … more

Jodi Summit | 9/21/22

Orr Ambulance Service gets brand-new rig

ORR- There’s an age-old proverb that goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” but a good look at the sharp looking new vehicle in the Orr Ambulance Service garage suggests this … more

David Colburn | 9/21/22

New cell tower north of Echo Trail offers first responders more reliability with communications.

New FirstNet cell tower north of Ely now operational

ECHO TRAIL— A new FirstNet cell site located north of Ely is now operational, providing a much-needed boost to emergency communications for first responders working in nearby portions of the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/21/22

Session to teach employers about J1 visa program

ELY—Are you seeking workforce solutions? You are invited to attend a special Workforce Solutions session hosted by The Ely Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 4:30 p.m. The … more

9/21/22

Obituaries: September 23, 2022

Janice M. Strub Janice M. Strub, 69, of Orr, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Holy Cross … more

9/21/22

Northern Lights Clubhouse needs new home and help

ELY- Northern Lights Clubhouse (Clubhouse) hopes to find a new place to call home within the coming ten months and is calling on the Ely community for some help. The Clubhouse, which is a program of … more

9/16/22

Unhappy hour at Northern Grounds on Sept. 20

ELY- For more than 25 years, Equal Pay Day has helped draw attention to gender-based pay disparities by highlighting how far into a new year a woman must work, on average, to earn what a man did in … more

9/15/22

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

Billie and Mike Rouse brought a bucket of ice to the surprise announcement that Ely Memorial has won the rights to put on the Broadway musical version of Disney’s Frozen.

EHS wins national contest to put on Frozen: The Broadway Musical

ELY- “What are the chances?” is a question that has never bothered Mike Rouse. He’s beaten the odds in life, after getting a terminal cancer diagnosis as a teenager. He went on to … more

Jodi Summit | 9/14/22

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