Stories - The Timberjay

Park ranger Steve Pederson appears to choke local business owner Justin Ebel during a 2022 encounter.

Body cam footage from park tasing released

REGIONAL- Nearly nine months since first filing its request, the Timberjay has received body camera videos of the arrest and tasing of Ash River business owner Justin Ebel from the National Park … more

David Colburn | 5/3/23

Change is afoot in Orr as Carter retires, Scott calls it quits

ORR- A major focus of last week’s regular Orr City Council meeting was figuring out just what the city needs to do to accommodate the retirement of longtime city clerk/treasurer Cheri Carter. … more

David Colburn | 4/28/23

Nursing home crisis gets little aid from massive surplus

REGIONAL- Going into a legislative session with a $17.6 billion surplus to spend, Minnesota’s nursing home industry was hopeful Minnesota legislators would come through in a big way to help … more

David Colburn | 4/28/23

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

Protesters braved the cold and the wind on Saturday to protest the drag shows at the Grand Ely Lodge resort.

Culture wars come to Ely

ELY- A “Minnesota Nice” version of the culture wars broke out in Ely last Saturday, April 22, as a little over 30 protesters stood outside the Grand Ely Lodge in sub-freezing temperatures … more

Catie Clark | 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

Dana Hein fits the new windshield in place.

Putting a classic back to work

TOWER- Restoring wooden boats is not a “copy and paste” job. Every boat has a history, and every boat tells its own story.Jeff Larson and Dana Hein, who operate Sunrise River Boatworks in … more

Jodi Summit | 4/26/23

Eva Larson shows off some of her illustrations.

Tower teen about to become published illustrator

TOWER- Desirae Larson knows that her 13-year-old daughter Eva is a talented young artist. But when she posted some artwork that Eva had done for her online school’s art competition, it started … more

Jodi Summit | 4/26/23

An abstract merging of purples and greens at the apex of the sky above Lost Lake.

Night Dancers: The Aurora Borealis

Pamela Wettering captured these photos of a very active display of the northern lights recently. more

4/26/23

Erin Mae Miller is in Ely filming a new independent production

Producer talks indie filmmaking in Ely area

ELY-—The Timberjay recently sat down with movie producer Erin Mae Miller to talk about the business of making movies and how her film landed in Ely. The working title of the film is … more

Catie Clark | 4/26/23

Snow and wet ground is still plaguing area ball fields, like American Legion Memorial Field in Soudan. Lingering winter conditions have delayed the start of the spring sports season by nearly three weeks.

Snow delays frustrating for area teams

REGIONAL—If you’ve been missing reports on spring sports action around the area in the Timberjay lately, you can blame Mother Nature. Local high school athletes are used to postponements … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/26/23

On Monday, DNR fisheries workers were busy installing the netting and sorting platform at the hatchery this week in preparation for the upcoming egg harvest.

Another late start at the Pike River Hatchery

PIKE RIVER— It’s been another late start for operations at the Pike River Hatchery, as late April snows and continued chilly weather have slowed the spring walleye run. Despite the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/26/23

Study finds link between deer, spread of earthworms

REGIONAL— A newly-published study from the University of Minnesota has found a link between invasive earthworm populations, white-tailed deer and tree harvesting in northern forests.The … more

4/26/23 | 2 comments

Deer can cause plenty of damage to our ornamental flowers and vegetable gardens. But you can fight back.

Keeping deer from wreaking havoc in the garden

REGIONAL— It’s that quintessential sign of spring, after a long winter. Those tulips that you carefully planted and fertilized last fall are finally up and ready to open in their pink, … more

Marshall Helmberger | 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

Leaving the earth a better place

Three young men work in silence excavating the place where their grandmother’s body will be buried — free of harsh embalming chemicals or the effects of a fiery furnace. No concrete vault … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 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

Fox News and its lies

Fox News lies to its viewers for money. That’s among the many revelations that emerged in the lead-up to what many expected would be a blockbuster trial between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox … more

4/26/23 | 1 comment

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