News - The Timberjay

The City of Ely has approved $62,500 for its share of underwriting an Ely Ambulance Service operating loss.

ELY— The city of Ely will contribute $62,500 to the Ely Ambulance Service before the end of the year to help cover a flood of red ink that’s threatening to sink the service. The city … more

Marshall Helmberger | 10/5/22

Students from Tower-Soudan and Northeast Range were all smiles as they learned to canoe last Friday on Lake Vermilion.

Canoemobile brings outdoor classroom to town

VERMILION RESERVATION- The lawn behind the Vermilion Social Center was buzzing last Friday. Not with bees, but with busy elementary students from Tower-Soudan and Northeast Range.The sun was shining, … more

Jodi Summit | 10/5/22

RV park developer Dave Rose gestures while talking about the final steps to complete his new 32-unit RV park in Tower.

Persistence finally paid off

TOWER— “Once you get so deep, there’s no turning back.” If RV park developer Dave Rose needed a reason to persevere in his seven-year-long battle to build his Tower RV Resort, … more

Marshall Helmberger | 10/5/22 | 1 comment

Political activist Leah Rogne gestures during remarks during a pro-choice rally in Ely last Sunday.

Pro-choice rally packs the house at Ely’s Hidden Valley

ELY- It was nearly standing room only last Sunday for pro-choice voters attending “ElyVotesChoice,” an event held at the Hidden Valley Chalet and hosted by Ely EMPOWER. The EMPOWER … more

Rachel Brophy | 10/5/22

Dueling endorsements in Senate District 3

REGIONAL— Two former DFL state senators have split their endorsements in the race to fill the District 3 Senate seat on Nov. 8. Current District 3 Sen. Tom Bakk, who left the DFL in 2020 and … more

Marshall Helmberger | 10/5/22

A back view of the Pike River Dam and Engineer's House.

The ill-fated hydropower experiment of 1912

TOWER- Members of the Tower-Soudan Historical Society gathered at the Herbert R. Lamppa Civic Center on Sept. 27 for the group’s annual meeting. Tucker Nelson, editor of the Hometown Focus, … more

Jodi Summit | 10/5/22

Bois Forte to get $2.9 million for jobs program

NETT LAKE- Bois Forte Band members who have experienced job loss and employment hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will be getting assistance from a $2.9 million U.S. Department of Labor … more

David Colburn | 10/5/22 | 2 comments

“Hero pay” starts flowing to Minnesota front line workers

REGIONAL- Nearly 15 months after they were first authorized, “hero payments” to over a million of Minnesota’s frontline workers of the COVID pandemic started going out Wednesday. … more

David Colburn | 10/5/22

Obituaries: October 7, 2022

Daniel D. Rutchasky Daniel “Dan” David Rutchasky, 57, of Cook, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Mlaker Funeral … more

10/5/22

District failed to get the word out on board vacancy

TOWER— The late June death of Troy Swanson left both a vacancy and a controversy over his replacement on the St. Louis County School Board. Swanson, who had served as the representative from … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/28/22

Maus tapped as interim fire chief

GREENWOOD TWP- At a special meeting that lasted just over 10 minutes, the Greenwood Town Board appointed fire department member Jeff Maus as interim chief. The vote was 3-0, and Supervisors Mike … more

Jodi Summit | 9/28/22

County board awards $1.5 million to assist school project

ELY— Just days ago, the school board here had few good answers for covering $550,000 in cost overruns on the district’s facilities project.Yet salvation arrived on Tuesday morning as the … more

Rachel Brophy | 9/28/22

A large pack of half marathon runners made their way along Pioneer Road on Saturday.

No hitches on race day

ELY- While turnout for the Ely Marathon and the Boundary Waters Bank Half Marathon was a bit lighter than normal, 548 runners plunked down the registration fees to compete in friendly weather … more

David Colburn | 9/28/22

Covid another risk factor for stroke

REGIONAL— Ron Alarcon, of rural Tower, is lucky to be alive— and he knows it. Alarcon was driving to work to the Cook DNR office late last month and had just turned up Cty. Rd. 77 near … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/28/22

Concerns voiced about facilities project delays

ELY- The Sept. 26 meeting of the Ely school board held here on Monday night began by adding two agenda items addressing additional cost overruns as part of the scheduled 21st Century Facility Project … more

Rachel Brophy | 9/28/22

School tax levy to drop in 2023

REGIONAL- The St. Louis County School District’s property tax levy for 2023 is projected to go down slightly, but some taxpayers may still see an increase in the taxes they pay.Finance Director … more

David Colburn | 9/28/22

Sheriff candidate Lukovsky fined for corporate contributions

REGIONAL— A panel of three administrative law judges has imposed a $1,000 civil penalty for campaign violations against Jason Lukovsky, the current St. Louis County Undersheriff. Lukovsky, who … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/28/22

Board bans new deer farms to prevent CWD

REGIONAL—The St. Louis County Board has voted to prohibit new deer farms in the county in an effort to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease, or CWD. The unanimous vote updates the … more

9/28/22 | 1 comment

Obituaries: September 30, 2022

Ralph F. Christopherson Jr.Ralph F. Christopherson Jr., 82, lifelong resident of Virginia and Lake Vermilion, died on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at Edgewood Vista Memory Care in Virginia. A … more

9/28/22

County board approves 4.39 percent preliminary levy hike

REGIONAL- Inflation is putting the pinch on St. Louis County government, and the proposed 2023 maximum tax levy is going up by over four percent in part to compensate, but significant growth in the … more

David Colburn | 9/22/22

Township to enact short-term rental moratorium

EAGLES NEST TWP- Short-term vacation rentals are coming under new scrutiny and are likely to face at least a temporary moratorium based on town board action here on Tuesday. The town board will vote … more

Jodi Summit | 9/21/22

Is the pandemic really over?

“The pandemic is over,” or so said President Biden last Sunday on 60 Minutes, but that doesn’t mean the COVID-19 virus has disappeared in St. Louis County or elsewhere in the … more

David Colburn | 9/21/22 | 1 comment

Left: Last year’s canoe portage marathon winner was looking good as he came across the finish line in Whiteside Park amidst a large crowd of cheering fans. It all kicks off again on Saturday with the seventh running of the Ely Marathon.

A little sweat, a lot of fun

ELY – This weekend nearly 600 athletes will arrive in Ely to run… and run. Roughly 400 of them will take part in the 13.1 mile-long Boundary Waters Bank half-marathon, while close to 200 … more

Rachel Brophy | 9/21/22

‘Tis the season, for candidate debates

Editor's Note: An original version of this story stated that the Eighth District congressional debate in Brainerd was set to be held on Sept. 24. It is actually scheduled for Oct. 24. The Timberjay regrets the error. REGIONAL— With the Nov. 8 general election just over six weeks from now, and early voting already underway, the candidate forum season is upon us and voters in the North Country will have … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/21/22

Police chief urges patience during weekend’s marathon

ELY— Police Chief Chad Houde urged Ely residents to be patient this weekend due to a number of detours and road closures in advance of the Ely Marathon, set to be held on Saturday. “There … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/21/22