Stories - The Timberjay

Community input sought on Timber Hall renovations

EMBARRASS- A community input meeting to discuss proposed renovations to the Timber Hall Event Center will be held on Thursday, June 27 at 6 p.m. at the event center. The Embarrass Region Fair … more

Seth Roeser | 6/27/24

Cook Lions accepting flood relief donations

COOK—The Cook Lions Club has announced that are providing ways for people to make monetary donations for flood relief in the wake of this week’s devastating flood in Cook. The club … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Volunteers step up to aid in Cook cleanup

COOK- Like so many others, Missy Bakker Roach just wanted to help when she came to Cook last Friday. Little did she know that she would wind up helping others to help. Roach said she mentioned to … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Greenwood dumps Data Practices Act compliance

GREENWOOD TWP- In a short and contentious special meeting last Thursday, the Greenwood Town Board on a split vote rescinded their adoption of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) that … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Welty challenging Stauber in August GOP primary

REGIONAL- Harry Welty, a former member of the Duluth School Board, a longtime Republican who calls himself a “Lincoln Democrat” has announced he will challenge Pete Stauber in the Aug. 13 … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/27/24

Duluth man sentenced to 17 years for Babbitt attack

BABBITT- St. Louis County District Judge Michelle Anderson sentenced Josiah David Delvecchio, of Duluth, to 204 months in state prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to murder the owner of a … more

Catie Clark | 6/27/24

Obituaries: June 28, 2024

Barbara J. Matts Barbara Jean “Barb” Matts, 87, of Cook, died peacefully on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at home, surrounded by her family. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on … more

6/27/24

Cook officials issue Sunday flood update

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2024 Crystal Whitney, City of Cook crystal.whitney@alslib.info FLOODING UPDATE IN COOK, MINNESOTA On Thursday, June 20, city officials, staff … more

6/21/24

Volunteers used whatever bags they could find to sandbag the VFW to protect it from the rising waters.

Cook flood peaks, decline will be slow

COOK- Some good news from the Duluth National Weather Service office on Friday -- they reported the flood in Cook has peaked and will very slowly recede, with the possibility for flood waters to … more

David Colburn | 6/20/24

County board declares local disaster in wake of Tuesday's storm

REGIONAL- The St. Louis County Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting in Virginia on Thursday morning to approve a local emergency declaration in the wake of Tuesday’s devastating … more

6/20/24

List of county roads closed by storm

REGIONAL- St. Louis County released a list of county roads closed due to Tuesday's storm as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. Roads may be added or deleted to this list as assessments continue and … more

6/19/24

Jan Kimes (at left) was presented with an appreciation award by board members Mary Batinich and Ryan Bajan.

Midsummer fundrasier celebrates a milestone

TOWER- Sen. Grant Hauschild keynoted this year’s Midsummer fundraiser for the Lake Vermilion Cultural Center, which packed the Herbert R. Lamppa Civic Center this past Saturday evening. … more

6/19/24

Hwy. 1 was closed indefinitely about four miles east of Hwy. 53 in Angora after floodwaters washed away a section of the state highway. MnDOT currently estimates the road will be closed for at least a week for repair.

Area hit by deluge

REGIONAL- Torrential rains on Tuesday, the likes of which haven’t been seen in the North Country in decades, created widespread flash flooding, extensive property damage, and wreaked havoc on … more

David Colburn | 6/19/24

Study calls for three-way EMS merger

ELY- The Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital once owned the local ambulance service here but gave it up over financial concerns. Yet a recently completed study suggests that the most cost-effective … more

Catie Clark | 6/19/24

Tower-Soudan’s main well fails, back-up in place

BREITUNG TWP- A “catastrophic failure” of the pump shaft that operates Tower-Soudan’s primary drinking water well over the weekend has the system running off the backup well, … more

Jodi Summit | 6/19/24

Unlike a similar meeting in International Falls that drew only three attendees, a large crowd turned out for the public comment meeting at Kabetogama Town Hall.

Kabetogama crowd not happy with revised frozen lake plan

KABETOGAMA- From the very first question Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Bob DeGross was asked at last Thursday’s town hall meeting in Kabetogama to review the park’s revised … more

David Colburn | 6/19/24

Guide Reed Petersen, left, directs the loading of a train car for a tour.

The “Cadillac of Mines” reopens for public tours

SOUDAN— After a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a $9.3 million reconstruction project, the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park re-opened tours of … more

David Colburn | 6/19/24

Maija Peterson and her horse Telsa kick up dust in the barrel races.

It’s all about the horses

EMBARRASS - The first of three competitions in the St. Louis County Summer Series was held at the Timber Hall Event Center horse arena on Saturday, as a total of 31 riders, 17 years-old and younger … more

Seth Roeser | 6/19/24

A pen-and-ink drawing of the front of Ely Memorial High School, made before the removal of 14 small ornamental turret-like caps on the facade.

Ely Memorial High School dedicated in the dark

ELY- Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Royal A. Stone gave the keynote address to an overflow audience that turned out here on Oct. 3, 1924, for the original dedication of Ely Memorial High School, … more

Catie Clark | 6/19/24

A newly completed shore lunch site on Smart Bay is fully accessible for wheelchair access.

New shore lunch site offers full accessibility

LAKE VERMILION— A new, fully accessible shore lunch location is now open at a former DNR campsite tucked into a quiet cove on Smart Bay. The project is the culmination of more than 18 months of … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/19/24

Olson tops local golfers at state meet

REGIONAL- North Woods golfer Tori Olson completed her high school golf career on Wednesday by finishing 15th in her fifth trip to the two-day Class A state golf tournament, this year held at the … more

David Colburn | 6/19/24

We need to stand up to defeat Trump

Donald Trump was found guilty by a jury of everyday Americans on 34 felony counts. He is finally being held accountable for one of his many illegal schemes to gain and hold onto power. His conviction … more

6/19/24

Clean and affordable energy is in our future

Clean, affordable, reliable and safe is a good way to describe what renewable energy offers our families and communities. A recent NY Times article detailed the amazing change that is happening in … more

6/19/24

When words don’t convey one’s intent

Across the many years I spent working in the realm of academe, nothing gave me more pleasure and affirmation than donning my academic regalia to celebrate graduation. When I earned my master’s … more

David Colburn | 6/19/24

A male yellow-bellied sapsucker peeks around the trunk of my prized bur oak, which I grew from an acorn from a tree in the yard where I grew up.

The bird that won’t leave my oak alone

I have a love/hate relationship with a yellow-bellied sapsucker. It’s complicated, I know, and it has a long history. For years, a sapsucker has been attracted to the two most coveted trees in … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/19/24