Stories - The Timberjay

This accident east of the Y-Store on Hwy 169 sent four people to the hospital.

Hwy. 169 crash sends four to hospital, one with serious injuries

VERMILION LAKE TWP— A two-vehicle accident on Hwy. 169 last Friday, just east of the Y Store, sent four people to the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries. Ninety-one-year-old former … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/4/24

Scuba diver dies in Crane Lake salvage effort

CRANE LAKE- A 50-year-old male scuba diver from Embarrass drowned on Sunday while attempting to salvage a piece of heavy equipment in Crane Lake. In an item posted to social media on Saturday, … more

7/4/24

Obituaries: July 5, 2024

Gretchen T. Green Gretchen Teal Green, 89, of Omaha, Neb., and Lake Vermilion-Tower, passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024. A celebration of life was held on Sunday, June 9 at the Montessori … more

7/4/24

Breitung Board open to new hiking trail route to McKinley Park

SOUDAN- The Breitung Town Board, during their June 20 meeting, expressed support for a hiking trail connecting McKinley Park Campground to the Pine Ridges trail system, but they weren’t willing … more

Jodi Summit | 6/28/24

Ely School Board approves deficit spending for 24/25

ELY- The Ely School Board approved a 2024-25 budget on Monday that includes a $133,457 deficit, marking a significant improvement from earlier projections of a half million-dollar budget shortfall. … more

Catie Clark | 6/28/24

Walz signing highlights medical debt relief law

REGIONAL- Gov. Tim Walz joined Attorney General Keith Ellison and others last week for a ceremonial signing of the Debt Fairness Act, an act that promises to bring significant relief to Minnesota … more

David Colburn | 6/28/24

Cook response

It will likely be weeks before residents and business owners in Cook have a handle on the cost to rebuild in the wake of last week’s flood. Some businesses, particularly those without flood … more

6/27/24

The view down River Street in downtown Cook on Thursday.

Flood devastates Cook

COOK- Downtown Cook and surrounding neighborhoods were overwhelmed last week by a flash flood caused by torrential rains that fell on the city and the Little Fork River drainage basin last Tuesday. … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Sheriff Gordon Ramsay addresses an emergency session of the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners on June 20 as they prepare to approve an emergency disaster declaration.

County puts wheels in motion for disaster aid

REGIONAL- The St. Louis County Board held an emergency meeting in Virginia this past Thursday to approve a local emergency declaration in the wake of Tuesday’s torrential rain and subsequent … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Gov. Tim Walz talks with Theresa Drift, whose home was flooded, during his recent visit to Cook.

Walz tours flood-damaged city

COOK— Gov. Tim Walz traveled to Cook on Friday with area legislators and other state officials to assess the damage from the flash flood that inundated the town on Wednesday after torrential … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Ely man bites police officer in altercation

ELY- A 32-year-old Ely man remained in custody in the St. Louis County Jail this week after he allegedly bit an Ely police officer who was trying to buckle him into a squad car. Travis William … more

Catie Clark | 6/27/24

Water inundated virtually all of the seating at the Comet Theater during this past week’s flooding.

Cook’s historic Comet Theater faces major cleanup

COOK- From her spot in the boutique and coffee shop of the Comet Theater, Shelly Hlavinka had a front row seat to the rising flood crawling toward her last Wednesday. “It started getting higher … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

America is teetering on the edge of fascism

America is in danger of becoming a Fascist nation. If it can happen in Italy, Germany, and Spain within my lifetime it can happen here. Donald Trump, supported by his army of the wealthy who … more

6/27/24

Greenwood chair declares state law “a monstrosity”

Just over a month ago, the Greenwood Town Board adopted the gold standard of transparency in government, the MN Data Practices Act, and did so by a unanimous vote. The act gives citizens the right to … more

6/27/24

Why Greenwood rescinded compliance with the data practices act

The Greenwood town board held a special meeting on June 20, to discuss the Minnesota Data Practices Act. The meeting was not covered by a newspaper reporter and it was not videotaped, since the board … more

6/27/24

Trump’s history says a lot about our potential future

Trump has been a participant in over four thousand legal actions filed by him or against him and his organizations encompassing a variety of issues: • Political campaigns • Taxes • … more

6/27/24

Biden dismisses prospect of armed takeover

In 2021, Biden said, “If you wanted or if you think you need to have weapons to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.” In 2022, American Military News … more

6/27/24

Are we ready to face the inconvenient truth?

Inspired by the book by Al Gore published in 2006. On June 18, while washing dishes, I glanced out the kitchen window and lamented another cloudy day. Seemed like ages since we’d had a … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 6/27/24

A rainfall map and accompanying chart pinpoints the heaviest rain in a narrow swath across north-central St. Louis County.

Storm of the century?

REGIONAL— While last week’s storm poured immense amounts of rain all across the Arrowhead, some areas received much more than others. Tucked within a broad swath of generally two-to-four … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/27/24

A sticky tile floor, carts of books and empty shelves are all signs of the volunteer response to the six inches of water that seeped into the building during the flood. Removing the waterlogged carpet quickly was essential for protection the library's collection.

Cook Public Library closes due to flood damage

COOK- Last Wednesday, Juneteenth, the Cook Public Library was closed for the holiday, so while library director Crystal Whitney came by about 9 a.m., she didn’t stay and wasn’t there to … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

A river runs through it, in this case, through a section of the Prospector Trail about a mile east of the Murray Road. The washout was one of several making portions of the ATV trail impassable.

Extensive damage to area ATV trails

REGIONAL— County roads weren’t the only travel corridors to take a pounding from last week’s torrential rain. ATV trails across the area were hit just as hard, with widespread … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/27/24

The sign at the bottom of the Soudan mine hangs just a couple feet above floodwaters that inundated the mine during last week’s torrential rains.

Flooding halts underground mine tours at Soudan

SOUDAN—The Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park has indefinitely suspended underground tours of the Soudan mine due to flooding from the torrential rains that hit the area June 18. … more

Seth Roeser | 6/27/24

Torrential rain sends area rivers into flood stage

REGIONAL— Most area rivers remained in flood stage as of Monday, nearly a week after torrential downpours brought anywhere from three to nine inches of rain to the region. The Little Fork River … more

6/27/24

RV park developer Dave Rose was all smiles in 20022, expecting that his RV park would be officially open by the following spring.

Delayed opening sparks concern

TOWER— It’s been one step forward, one step back lately for Dave Rose and his not-yet-completed Tower RV Resort on the East Two River— and the frustration among would-be residents … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/27/24

Author Nicholas DeShaw holds his son Magnus with one hand and his new children’s book about powwows at the SahGiiBahGah powwow at Nett Lake earlier this month.

Cat leads readers on journey of discovery

REGIONAL- Have you ever wondered what a powwow is like but weren’t sure who to ask? Well, Nicholas Bimibatoo Mishtadim DeShaw has a unique answer – ask a cat. But not just any cat will … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24