Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota
Top stories
New focus on North Woods book banning
FIELD TWP- Quinn Krebsbach was fired from his library assistant position at North Woods School in October 2025 after purchasing a collection of books that included references to racism, LGBTQ+ themes …
Tower harbor work back on track
TOWER— After a wetland permitting snafu put development work around the Tower harbor and riverfront on a slow track in August, work has resumed on housing and utility construction on both sides of …
WWII soldier’s long journey home ends in Ely
ELY- Ray “Rico” Mondati had already watched honor guards form around his uncle’s grave, heard the rifle volley, listened as taps sounded across Ely Cemetery, and looked skyward as a C-130 …
Council backs bridge naming for Tim Kotzian, late city clerk Kotzian
TOWER— The Hwy. 169 bridge over the East Two River at the entrance to the city harbor here, may soon be named in honor of Tower’s former city clerk-treasurer, Tim Kotzian. Timothy Lee Kotzian, …
New homes, old memories on Eldien Hill
COOK- Long before it had a paved street and lots for sale, Eldien Hill was a place for picnics, sledding, skiing, and childhood adventures along the Little Fork River. Those memories were part of the …
House fire survivor tells his story, thanks first responders
GREENWOOD TWP- Five years ago, on Oct. 27, an explosion leveled the Gramse home on Everett Bay Rd. on Lake Vermilion. At Tuesday’s Greenwood Town Board meeting, survivor Mike Gramse (at right) …
Rural hospital officials warn of mounting crisis
REGIONAL—Greg Ruberg, the president of Aspirus Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors, had a simple answer for what would happen if one of northern Minnesota’s critical access hospitals closed. …
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Creating the future forest
LAKE VERMILION STATE PARK— There’s a remarkable dividing line here between the old and new portions of what is now called the Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park. The original park, …
A follow-up on the Hunters 4 Hunters “documentary”
Last week’s column on the “documentary” Hunters 4 Hunters released earlier this month drew some thoughtful pushback, and a few points deserve a follow-up. A longtime friend who appears in the …
REGIONAL— Bear hunters have had a phenomenal season this year, despite relatively abundant natural foods in many locations. Through Oct. 12, hunters in the state have registered 4,079 bears, …
While the intial dazziling burst of fall color has already become more subdued, there was still plenty of color to be found in the North Country this past week.
Timberjay Editorial
Stauber’s failure
Northeastern Minnesota has always sent people to Washington who worked for and answered to the people of the region. These were lawmakers who were willing to challenge a president of either party …
Will big money rule?
Anyone who has turned on a television, opened a mailbox or scrolled through their phone in northeastern Minnesota this fall knows something unusual is happening in the race for state Senate District …
Columnists
I’m a few steps closer to a Heinz 57
I was at a loss for a column topic this week when, on a whim, I logged into Ancestry.com to see whether its latest DNA update had arrived. It had. Serendipity is always welcome on deadline. For those …
Thank you for going above and beyond
Every week, the Timberjay’s reporters set out to do something that has become surprisingly rare in rural America: report the news of our communities, thoroughly and independently. From local city …
Vote as if your country depends on it
As the days slip away, bringing the midterm elections closer, we continue to see our mentally unstable president flailing about in ever-increasing bizarre gyrations, mimicking the downward spiral of …
A Century of Wilderness for the Boundary Waters
One hundred years ago, on Sept. 17, 1926, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture William Jardine provided the first wilderness designation for the area that would later be named the Boundary Waters Canoe Area …
Letters to the Editor
We need to return to Indigenous economics
“INDIGENOMICS,” authored by Carol Anne Hilton explains, “The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it.” Relational economics in terms of Indigenous thinking, sees land as sacred, calls …
School amendment far from a magic bullet
Lately, many local politicians, school boards and lobbyists have been relentlessly hawking the ballot amendment for the Permanent School Trust Fund. Here’s some needed perspective: Minnesota public …
Let’s offer thanks to judges who defend our democracy
I send out a dozen postcards every week to our federal judges who insist on doing their jobs and protecting our constitution, and I would like to encourage your readers to do this as well. When you …
Heating costs are skyrocketing this season
The cold weather heating season is just about upon us. Many people do not know of the increase in home heating oil that has occurred in the last couple months. Currently in Ely, the cost for 100 to …
Minnesotans would regret putting the GOP in charge
Let’s fast forward to the day after the 2026 midterm elections here in Minnesota. The Republicans have gained control of not only the governor’s seat, but all statewide offices along with control …
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Ely boys top field in home meet
ELY- The Ely boys cross country team defended its home course with a narrow victory at the Ely Invitational last Thursday, while the girls finished second in an equally tight team race. The Ely Golf …
Ely sweeps match at North Woods
FIELD TWP- Last year’s Section 7A champs, North Woods, hosted a team seeking to dethrone them and get back to the state tourney this year, Ely, on Thursday for the Grizzlies’ annual Dig Pink …Spikers pile up six more Ely wins
ELY- The Ely volleyball team made the most of a busy stretch, winning six matches in four days and dropping just one set along the way. The Timberwolves went 4-0 at the Mesabi East tournament on …
North Woods wins five of six
FIELD TWP- The North Woods volleyball team got back on track at the right time, shaking off a pair of losses to state-ranked opponents with five wins in six matches over a four-day stretch. The …
Northeast Range volleyball notches another win
BABBITT- Northeast Range came away from a busy stretch of volleyball with a tournament win and more signs of progress from a young team. The Nighthawks played four matches at the Mesabi East …
Wolves fall to Bluestreaks
CHISHOLM- The Chisholm Bluestreaks sent Ely home with the blues last Friday, as the Wolves’ losing streak stretched to six with a 14-6 loss. The bus ride home was especially long given that the …
Grizzlies fall 45-12 to Blackduck
REGIONAL- The North Woods football team found itself on the wrong side of a 45-12 final at Blackduck on Thursday in a game that turned on missed chances and several big plays by the Drakes. North …
Albert J. Reller
Albert “Al” John Reller, 83, of Soudan, died peacefully on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, with his loving wife MaryBeth Williams Reller at his side. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on …
Loretta F. Knutson
Loretta Fern Knutson, 89, of Shelby Township, Mich., passed away on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, at home, surrounded by loved ones. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12 at the …
Judith M. Ferguson
What do you say about this remarkable woman? Judith Mae Ferguson, lovingly known as Judy, was born on May 3, 1944, and passed away on Sept. 28, 2026, leaving behind a beautiful legacy of faith, love, …
Geraldine E. Sipola
Geraldine Elsie Pete Sipola, 94, of Ely, passed away at her home on Burntside Lake surrounded by her daughter and son-in-law, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. Per her request, there will not be a …
June J. Osborne
June J. Strong Osborne, 78, of Ely, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, at Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital. Burial took place at the Bois Forte Cemetery in Nett Lake on Thursday, Oct. 8. A …
Stories from the North Pole: an adventure hatched in Ely
ELY- Forty years after their dog sled expedition became the first unsupported trip to reach the North Pole, six of its eight members took the stage at the Ely State Theater. Some of their stories had …
New play space built at Vermilion Boys and Girls Club
VERMILION RESERVATION- Kaboom! It could be a loud explosion. But it might be something extraordinary. In this case, it was a group of volunteers coming together to build a new playground at the Boys …
Free feast, music, and more at solar commons event
TOWER- The Vermilion Country School and the Tower Economic Development Authority have reached an agreement to create the state’s first-ever Solar Commons, a method of converting financial savings …
Nett Lake hosts fall Miigwech Manoomin Powwow
NETT LAKE- Roxanne Goggleye took top honors in the wild rice (manoomin) recipe contest at the Miigwech Manoomin powwow last weekend with her puffed rice blueberry crisp. There were seven entries this …
Bois Forte writer blends traditional stories with supernatural horror
NETT LAKE—When Shane Drift gets up around 5 a.m. each morning, he puts on coffee and starts to write. Then he writes, and writes some more. “I served on our tribal council for eight years, and …
TheZebra.com reports that 1 in 3 drivers are uninsured or underinsured, increasing financial risk for insured motorists in accidents.
Mercury reports on automating personal banking tasks to save time and money, highlighting eight tasks like automatic savings and payment setups.
(BPT) - It's a Thursday evening at home, and all you want to do is relax with your family. However, the mental list of possible to-dos stops you from being fully present with your loved ones. …
TheZebra.com reports that Salt Lake City, Denver, and Austin are among the top 10 U.S. cities where renting is more affordable than buying.
(Feature Impact)
Conserving water, energy and resources is key to running an environmentally friendly household, and one of the best places to start is your bathroom. As one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, it's a small space that makes a big difference. Every flush, shower, twist of the tap and restock of restroom essentials is an opportunity to manage your ecological footprint.