News - The Timberjay

Leaving your keys in the car is an open invitation to a car thief.

Commerce: Don’t make life easy for car thieves

REGIONAL- Vehicle theft is a serious problem in Minnesota, and the North County is not immune, as the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office crime map shows thefts occurring the past two years in … more

David Colburn | 4/26/23

Grab bag of legislation could make or break the district’s finances

VIRGINA- The St. Louis County School District has seen a downturn in the amount of state aid it receives as a result of student losses during the COVID pandemic, and it isn’t clear if funding … more

David Colburn | 4/26/23

House passes marijuana legalization

REGIONAL- Minnesota moved another step closer to legalizing recreational marijuana for adults on Tuesday when the House approved its version of the cannabis-authorizing legislation on a vote of … more

David Colburn | 4/26/23

Lucy Pecchia, at a younger age, smiled as she reached for her brother Dane during recess at school.

Snowy car crash leaves mother and daughter dead

VERMILION LAKE TWP- Thirty-five-year-old April Lynn Pecchia, of Eveleth, and her 11-year-old daughter Lucy Lynn LaRue Pecchia, of Tower, both died in a tragic car crash here last Thursday, April 20. … more

Jodi Summit | 4/26/23

Park users sound off on ice road plan

REGIONAL- A draft proposal for a Frozen Lake Surface Access and Use Plan at Voyageurs National Park got a chilly reception from area park patrons in three public meetings last week, with the … more

David Colburn | 4/26/23

Park superintendent arrested

REGIONAL- Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Robert “Bob” DeGross was booked into the Koochiching County Jail on Saturday on a fourth-degree misdemeanor charge of driving while … more

David Colburn | 4/26/23

Significant damage from fire at former dairy

PIKE TWP— More than 20 firefighters from five area departments spent more than eight hours on a stubborn, smoldering blaze at the former Aysta Dairy building on Hill Road on Saturday, April 22. … more

4/26/23

Jasper Strasser, whose family operates Fat Chicken Farm in Embarrass, brought one of his favorite chickens, Snowshoe, to Earth Fest this year. Snowshoe enjoyed walking around the venue and meeting all the visitors.

New venue gives this years Earth Fest room to grow

VIRGINIA- A new venue and increased interest from exhibitors and vendors helped contribute to what was possibly the Iron Range’s largest Earth Fest event yet. The free event, sponsored by the … more

Jodi Summit | 4/26/23

Top 10 things to remember about recycling in North St. Louis County

Top 10 things to remember about recycling in North St. Louis County1. Plastic recycling is limited to #1 and #2 items, look for the number inside a triangular-shaped logo on the bottom of a … more

4/26/23

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

Tower-Breitung Wastewater Plant manager Matt Tuchel shows work being done back in 2021 on the forced sewer main line, which runs along the Mesabi Trail in Tower. This project is still only partially completed. This manhole was replaced early because water levels were low, making it easier to work in the swampy area.

Tower-Breitung waste water capacity improving

TOWER-SOUDAN— It appears that recent work in these two communities to repair and replace old sewage lines and manholes is helping to reduce inflow and infiltration of ground and surface water … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/20/23

The FBI executed a search warrant at this home along Hwy. 23, east of Orr last Wednesday, April 12. So far no charges or allegations have been made against the homeowner.

FBI raids house east of Orr

ORR- Forty-two-year-old Josh Armbrust works in the cloud, the vast network of computer servers that provides internet-accessed storage, databases, software, analytics and intelligence to companies … more

David Colburn | 4/19/23

Dark money group assails Hauschild

REGIONAL— An expensive pressure campaign launched by a new and shadowy organization is publishing ads and occupying billboards across the state in hopes of derailing an effort by DFLers in the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/19/23

Aubriana Olson and Serah Ross are impressed with Sophie the Llama.

Close encounters of the llama kind

TOWER- Tower-Soudan second-grade teacher Charissa Dahl had been teaching her students about llamas, when she saw that Cook’s Country Connection, a petting zoo in Cook, had a … more

Jodi Summit | 4/19/23

The packed house at last year’s drag show at the Grand Ely Lodge enjoyed a highly- entertaining event.

Protest expected during Saturday drag show in Ely

ELY- A source requesting anonymity told the Timberjay that a group opposed to drag shows will protest the “Disney Drag Brunch” at the Grand Ely Lodge on Saturday, April 22. Ely Police … more

Catie Clark | 4/19/23 | 1 comment

Fire department controversies continue to linger

GREENWOOD TWP- Reverberations from the dismissal of seven fire department members here in February continued to dominate the agenda during the town board’s regular April 11 meeting. The … more

Jodi Summit | 4/19/23

Fire chief reports rash of carbon monoxide calls

ELY- Three standout items were aired at the April 18 meeting of the Ely City Council: a disturbing trend in fire calls by the Ely Fire Department, Ely spring clean-up days, and water testing.Ely … more

Catie Clark | 4/19/23

New COVID booster OK’d for seniors

REGIONAL- In a move increasingly clamored for by vulnerable seniors, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved people 65 and older to receive an additional COVID booster of either the … more

David Colburn | 4/19/23

Lawmakers have a host of big issues remaining

REGIONAL- Minnesota’s 2023 legislative session began with the state flush with $17.5 billion of extra cash and the DFL in control of the Senate, the House, and the governorship, a recipe ripe … more

David Colburn | 4/19/23

Ely Community Health Center gets $10k grant

ELY- The Ely Community Health Center (ECHC) has announced a partnership with Essentia Health to support the expansion of the ECHC dental program. The ECHC provides free basic medical and dental … more

4/19/23

Obituaries: April 21, 2023

Karen A. Brandt Karen Ann Pulver Brandt, 83, passed away on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at her home in Tower, surrounded by her family. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, … more

4/19/23

Board gives McGrath study a lukewarm okay

GREENWOOD TWP- Town board members, on Tuesday, reluctantly agreed to accept the McGrath Ambulance Study report, but still voiced several complaints about what they view as missing or misleading … more

Jodi Summit | 4/13/23

Council OKs move toward ambulance joint powers

TOWER— The city council here voted unanimously to pursue a possible joint powers agreement with neighboring townships to operate the city’s ambulance service. The action came following … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/12/23

Gov. Tim Walz, a former school teacher, clearly relished the time he spent with Ely students during an April 6 visit to Ely and Tower.

Education the focus in Ely

REGIONAL— Gov. Tim Walz used the occasion of his birthday last Thursday for a quick tour of the Vermilion Range, with stops in both Ely and Tower. The governor flew into the Ely airport with … more

Catie Clark | 4/12/23

Gov. Tim Walz talks to Todd Petersen, of Lake Vermilion, one of the workers at Lamppa Manufacturing, along with Garrett Lamppa, who has recently taken the reins at the family business.

Walz tours wood stove plant in Tower

TOWER— Garrett Lamppa had little warning that Gov. Tim Walz would be making a stop at the family business at which he’s recently taken the reins from his father Daryl. “It all … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/12/23