Stories - The Timberjay

Eric Simula, in the stern, and other paddlers hit the water at Semer’s Park Sunday afternoon for the maiden voyage of the Burntside, a 20-foot Ojibwe-style birch bark canoe made at the Ely Folk School.

ELY – The “Burntside,” a 20-foot traditional Ojibwe –style canoe, hit the water for the first time off Semer’s Park last Sunday, the culmination of three summers of … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/10/22

District looks at class configurations for new year

REGIONAL- With the new school year fast approaching, ISD 2142 School Board members reviewed projected class sizes at the district’s five schools on Tuesday. They also filled vacant teaching … more

David Colburn | 8/10/22

Obituaries: August 12, 2022

Phyllis C. Nevala Phyllis Cresten Nevala, 84, formerly of Embarrass, died peacefully on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth. Thanks go out to Essentia … more

8/10/22

American Motel Tour stops at the MarJo

Kelly Kidd and Mike Kindel performed a wide selection of both well-known and original country songs during an outdoor concert at the MarJo Motel in Tower on Aug. 4. The two are touring the country as … more

8/10/22

The Wolf Center’s newest residents, Caz and Blackstone, were allowed to joined the rest of the Exhibit Pack late last week and were getting acquainted with Rieka, Axel and Grayson over the week.

Wolf Center’s new pups join exhibit pack

ELY – The newest residents at the International Wolf Center, Blackstone and Caz, are now part of the Exhibit Pack.After several months of getting acclimated to their new home and roommates, the … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/4/22

Board setting sights on reducing blight in Soudan

SOUDAN – The Breitung Town Board continued discussion on what can be done to remedy blight problems that continue to plague some area properties at their meeting on July 28.“We’ve … more

Rachel Brophy | 8/4/22

Three candidates vie for Ely mayor seat

ELY – Three candidates are participating in the Aug. 9 primary for Ely mayor. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.Two incumbent Ely city council members, Paul … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22

Standing on the deck of their home overlooking the fields and trees below, Craig and Valarie Flank display the Century Farm sign from the Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farm Bureau.

Flank Farm receives Century Farm award

BEAR RIVER- In 1906, Peter Flank, a 40-year-old Swedish immigrant, his wife, Anna, and their two young children, six-year-old Arthur and one-year-old Edith moved from their western Minnesota home of … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

Five-year-old Allison Bajan, of Ely, licks a blueberry cheescake ice cream cone Sunday morning at the 41st Ely Blueberry/Art Festival.

Back to normal

ELY – Following the festival-canceling coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and an epic storm in 2021 that left Whiteside Park in shambles, the 41st annual Blueberry/Art Festival here last weekend … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Ecklund bill would extend jobless benefits for 26 months

REGIONAL— Rep. Rob Ecklund has drafted legislation to extend unemployment benefits for laid off Northshore Mining workers for an additional 26 weeks. Cleveland Cliffs CEO Laurenco Goncalves … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Primary features several non-partisan races

REGIONAL— The general election won’t be held until Nov. 8 this year, but voters will help determine their eventual choices during the primary election set for this Tuesday, Aug. 9. The … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Even cowboys behind the fence look apprehensive as a huge and angry bull explodes out of the gate leaving its rider quickly off balance. Score one for the bull.

Ride 'em Cowboy

The 67th annual edition of the North Star Stampede in Effie, the country's oldest family-run rodeo continuously operating in the same arena, got back to nearly pure rodeo and fun this year, with … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

Members of the St. Louis County Volunteer Rescue Squad prepare to rappel hundreds of feet into the former Soudan mine pit.

Rescue squad goes over the edge in former mine pit

SOUDAN MINE— Almost two dozen members of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad went down in the Soudan Mine the hard way last Saturday. It was all part of a training exercise that the volunteers … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/3/22

Dan and Greta Burandt outside the Good Ol’ Days Bar and Grill in Tower. The couple took over ownership of the popular establishment last month.

Re-imagining the Good Ol’ Days

TOWER – Anyone who’s ever stepped foot in Tower’s iconic bar on the east end of Main Street most likely left with a belly full of good food and fond memories of Marilyn on the wall, … more

Rachel Brophy | 8/3/22

Dancers Brooke Pasmick, Gracie Pointer, Cora Olson, and Charlotte Hegman rehearse their piece “Movement” for the upcoming show

Ely’s Reflections Dance Company presents Math in Motion

REGIONAL - Residents of Winton may have noticed some busy dancers rehearsing outside the Winton Community Center this summer as the Reflections Dance Company (RDC) prepares for their annual summer … more

8/3/22

Ely’s Historic State Theater plans film festival

ELY - Ely’s Historic State Theater (EHST), was recently awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board grant to host Ely’s first annual film festival. The event is set to be held during the second … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22

Mark Haarman with a buckthorn sprout he dug out, roots and all.

Battling buckthorn

REGIONAL— Mark Haarman is a man with a mission. For years, Haarman, who lives near Ely, has been waging war against an invasive shrub that has the potential to fundamentally reshape the forests … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/3/22

A view of the Milky Way looking north on Namakan Lake.

Voyageurs to host three-day stargazing event

REGIONAL— The National Park Service and the Voyageurs Conservancy are celebrating the natural wonder of Voyageurs National Park’s night skies with the park’s second annual summer … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/3/22

Ely teacher honored for special education work

ELY – The early childhood special education program at ISD 696 recently received a major boost because of the gratitude of a local parent with an autistic child who wrote a nomination letter … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22

County board delays action on dispersed camping rules

REGIONAL- County commissioners recently delayed acting on proposed rules regulating dispersed camping in St. Louis County’s state tax-forfeited properties and county-owned lands, asking for … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

Freight train derails Saturday north of Cook

COOK- Fourteen rail cars of a northbound Canadian National freight train derailed Saturday night about seven miles north of Cook.The 123-car CN train was traveling through a remote area at about 7:47 … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

Costs keep growing for concession/restroom rehab at North Woods

VIRGiNIA- The $300,000 sports field concession stand and restroom rebuilding project at North Woods is going to cost even more, but how much more is yet to be determined. A portion of the extra cost … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22

VNP law enforcement

As we reported last week, Voyageurs National Park officials received an earful at Crane Lake from local residents and the owners of resorts and other businesses that serve the park over what appears … more

8/3/22 | 2 comments

An architect's rendering of the design of the Trailhead facility.

Trailhead facility soon to be a reality

ELY – With $3 million nearly in hand and after years of planning, city officials here are looking forward to beginning construction of the Ely Regional Trailhead facility at the west entrance … more

Keith Vandervort | 8/3/22 | 1 comment

Three people injured in fiery one-vehicle crash Sunday night

COOK- Three individuals were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries on Sunday as a result of a truck crash about five miles east of Cook on Sunday evening.At approximately 8 p.m. … more

8/3/22