By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] BESSEMER — Reconstruction at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds is moving closer to reality, thanks to action taken at a May 8 meeting of the county’s Economic Development and Capital Improvements Committee. Committee members voted to advise engineers and the county’s insurer to collaborate on preparing plans to rebuild a 4-H horse barn, a hay barn and a grandstands structure. All three were lost to fire nearly eight months ago. The Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority is the county’s...

By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] HURLEY — The U.S. 51 utility reconstruction project, which began on April 29, is entering its second phase, and construction officials are reporting positive results so far. “Things are going well,” said Jeff Seamandel, project manager, at a Tuesday evening meeting of the Hurley City Council. Seamandel, who is employed by MSA Professional Services in Rhinelander, said that sanitary sewer and water utilities have been replaced on the highway stretch from Silver to Copper streets. The next...

By D. LANG [email protected] The Wakefield City Council voted on Monday evening to retain professional services in relation to $350,000 that the city received last fall in grant and loan funds for the city’s water project. In October of 2023, Wakefield was informed that it would be granted a $175,000 loan and a $175,000 grant from the Lead Service Line Replacement Program of the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. “State law requires municipal entities that receive funds from the (DWSRF), which are in the form of bonds,...

By D. Lang [email protected] BESSEMER — The Bessemer City Council approved on Monday evening a resolution supporting a 2024-25 fiscal year budget of $4,211,574. The city’s new fiscal year will run from July 1 of this year until June 30 of 2025. The general fund millage will be 17.3564 mills, and the Bessemer Public Library millage will be 1 mill. General and library millages are expected to raise $580,000 and $35,000, respectively. Estimates of expenditures are as follows: General Fund, $1,608,763.00; Major Streets, $404,700; Local...

By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] Members of the Gogebic County Personnel and Negotiations Committee on May 8 tabled action in relation to county fairground winter storage. The motion recognized the associated need to gather additional information from Marlene Saari-Mieloszyk, former fairground coordinator. An as-yet-undated letter signed by Daniel Siirila, committee chairman, includes a list of questions in relation to how fairground storage has been managed. He already had sent a letter of similar questions to Thomas Hampston, a...

By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] The Bessemer City Council took steps on May 8 to create a new position for a director of community development. Council members asked interim city manager Mandy Lake, with the assistance of other office staff, to create a rough draft of an application form for the pending new position, which may result as either part time or full time. Council members first questioned what title and responsibilities to associate with a new role. “I think it has to include economic development,” said councilman...

By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Ironwood City Commission on Monday adopted a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Gogebic County Council of Veterans Affairs. Effective July 1, the agreement says that the city will provide its traditional proportion of cost to the county’s Veterans Services Office “as budget appropriations allow.” The action was in response to a request from John Frello, the county’s Veterans Services officer, who in turn was responding to the city’s claim earlier this...

By PAMELA JANSSON [email protected] The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners on May 8 approved revised bylaws for the county Fair Board. The action followed a recommendation by the board’s Personnel and Negotiations Committee, which met just prior to the board meeting. No related discussion occurred in either meeting, but revisions made by James Lorenson were included within committee agenda materials. Lorenson chairs the county board and also is a member of the Fair Board. The first change reads as follows, under Article 1 Name,...

IRONWOOD --- The host Ironwood boys and girls both won the first Jim LaBlonde Memorial track-and-field invite Saturday. The school started the meet to honor LaBlonde, a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame who died five years ago. The 1997 graduate still holds the school records in the 100 and 200 dashes with times of 11.13 and 22.78 seconds, respectively. His parents, Jim and Marlene and his sister Dena Lundin and brother-in-law Dave Lundin attended the meet. “The LaBlonde Invite was more than just a typical track meet; it was a...

By JASON JUNO [email protected] BESSEMER --- Bessemer’s Tommy Trudgeon put his name in one record book Thursday and he’s hoping to rewrite a couple more before his senior season is finished. His time of 11.60 seconds was the fastest 100-meter dash in the history of Bessemer’s Marcy Bracket Invitational. “It was on my radar,” Trudgeon said. “I still got the school record to beat.” The old record was 11.62 seconds, set by South Shore-Washburn’s Brett Bulovsky in 2014. “It’s awesome, I am so happy for him,” Bessemer...

By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD --- The Ontonagon girls won the large Ironwood golf invite Wednesday, May 8 at Gogebic Country Club. The Gladiators’ Madyson Pantti earned medalist honors with a score of 108. She led the Gladiators to a team title with Drummond finishing second. Pantti finished fourth at U.P. Finals last year and the junior is having a strong season as Ontonagon’s top golfer with the graduation of last year’s U.P. champion, Emmy Bobula. “She’s always been a very good golfer,” Ontonagon coach...

HURLEY --- The Hurley baseball team avenged an early-season loss with a 6-5 victory over Washburn Wednesday, May 8. “Great win tonight,” Hurley coach Bart Innes said. Carter Hall tripled to tie the game in the fifth inning and he scored the go-ahead run on a single by Jayden Zaleski. Hall picked up the win on the mound. He struck out 11 in a complete-game effort with two walks, five hits and five runs (four earned) allowed. “Carter pitched another dandy,” Innes said. Devin Soltis finished with two triples and Hall, Jack Caudill and...