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

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

COVID activity getting harder to track

REGIONAL- For those who still believe COVID is a threat to their health, information about the virus for the communities in which they live is increasingly harder to come by. Recent developments in … more

David Colburn | 5/17/23 | 1 comment

August 14, 2020 e-edition

8/12/20 | 1 comment

District 3A Republicans share views as primary approaches

REGIONAL- A pair of Republicans are squaring off in the Aug. 9 state primary for the chance to unseat Minnesota House District 3A incumbent Representative Rob Ecklund in November, and while the two … more

David Colburn | 7/20/22 | 1 comment

A variety of THC-infused beverages are being sold at Mitska’s Market in Ely. It is one of at least three shops in town currently selling THC product

On the hunt for cannabinoids in Ely

ELY- With all the talk at city hall about regulating the sale of edible cannabinoid products, the Timberjay hit the streets and the Internet in hopes of discovering how difficult, or easy, it … more

Catie Clark | 3/8/23 | 1 comment

Do you support the Supreme Court's decision overturning the Defense of Marriage Act?

6/26/13 | 1 comment

Ely’s Kate Coughlin slides safely into second base during Tuesday’s contest with the Spartans.

Ely girls improve to 7-2 in week’s action

ELY – The Timberwolves softball team won two of three on the road late last week and brought their 6-1 record home this week where they lost to International Falls on Monday and beat … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/11/22 | 1 comment

A pair of rambunctious fisher kits find a nest box a fun place to play, but researchers found no evidence that adult females used the boxes for nesting with young.

Study sends fisher biologists back to the drawing board

REGIONAL— Three years ago, biologist Michael Joyce installed over 100 “nest” boxes designed to meet the specific needs of the fisher, Minnesota’s largest member of the weasel … more

Marshall Helmberger | 12/15/22 | 1 comment

2nd Amendment nonsense

The organized effort by conservative activists in northern Minnesota to push an agenda opposed to gun safety is deceptive and county commissioners across the region shouldn’t fall for it. The … more

3/8/23 | 1 comment

New gun restrictions approved

REGIONAL- Gov. Tim Walz has signed landmark gun control legislation expanding background checks for firearms and enacting a “red flag” provision enabling authorities to intervene when … more

David Colburn | 5/24/23 | 1 comment

The white pine’s remarkable legacy in America

REGIONAL— Earlier this week, PBS aired a two-part Ken Burns series, “The American Buffalo,” that recounted the senseless and tragic destruction of an iconic North American species … more

Marshall Helmberger | 10/19/23 | 1 comment

Tasty cranberries can be found in abundance in the right locations in area bogs. Areas with sphagnum moss hummocks and at least some sun are the best locations.

Wild cranberries are ripe in a bog near you

REGIONAL— This year’s bumper berry crop continues, as a bonanza of wild cranberries are just waiting for enterprising pickers who aren’t afraid to get their feet wet. These … more

Marshall Helmberger | 10/5/22 | 1 comment

Anglers gathered around Silver Rapids near Ely during the 2021 fishing opener.

Open water for opener

REGIONAL— Mother Nature delivered plenty of open water just ahead of Saturday’s fishing opener, although lingering ice on some area lakes could keep a few anglers from accessing their … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/11/22 | 1 comment

March 4, 2022 e-edition

3/2/22 | 1 comment

Cook Mayor Harold Johnston speaks with Sen. Grant Hauschild.

Hauschild roundtable highlights EMS challenges

SOUDAN- The challenges facing rural EMS were the focus of a roundtable discussion here last Thursday that brought nearly three dozen local stakeholders and interested community members together to … more

Jodi Summit | 10/25/23 | 1 comment

Towing the Wilderness Watch lawsuit into July

REGIONAL- The U.S. Forest Service has filed a 41-page motion to dismiss, for lack of jurisdiction, a longstanding lawsuit by Wilderness Watch that accuses the federal agency of allowing towboat use … more

5/25/23 | 1 comment

Houseboat operator facing charges in VNP incident

REGIONAL- Nearly six months after an Ash River houseboat operator was allegedly tased during a June 25 encounter with Voyageurs National Park enforcement officers, five charges stemming from the … more

David Colburn | 12/21/22 | 1 comment

A DNR x-ray reveals the lead sinker (see pointer) that killed this loon.

Is a state ban the only way to get the lead out?

When we think about the changes we can make to lessen our impact on the environment, tossing our lead-based fishing tackle and making the switch to non-lead alternatives would seem to be well up on … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/27/22 | 1 comment

Brrett Vetterkind, of Somerset, Wis. hoists a 51-1/2 inch musky he caught late last week on Lake Vermilion.

Monsters of the reef

LAKE VERMILION— For years, musky were known as “the fish of 10,000 casts,” but that no longer applies, at least on Lake Vermilion when the musky action heats up.Just ask Scott … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/27/22 | 1 comment

Ely’s Rom participates in Minnesota Day at the White House

THE WHITE HOUSE— The Boundary Waters received a call-out at the White House last week as part of the Minnesota Day event that highlighted some of the Biden administration’s policies and … more

Marshall Helmberger | 3/9/23 | 1 comment

Lake Vermilion Trail facing development challenges

REGIONAL— The future of the proposed Lake Vermilion Trail is likely to hinge on a decision that could be made as early as next week. After more than a decade of effort but limited progress, the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 10/25/23 | 1 comment

Pay raise claims called false, unfair

REGIONAL— Political attack ads that claim area DFL legislators voted to boost their pay by $15,000 in 2019 are patently false. That’s according to Joe Boyle, an International Falls … more

Marshall Helmberger | 10/12/22 | 1 comment

One of two Conoco Gas Stations located in Ely in the 1960s.

When gasoline was 29 cents a gallon in Ely

Most of us older than 65 years of age can remember when gasoline cost much, much less than today. Like maybe even $4 or more per gallon. That 29 cents back in 1964 would be worth about $3 today. Back … more

David Kess | 7/27/22 | 1 comment

August 13, 2021 e-edition

8/11/21 | 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