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Judge dismisses Twin Metals lawsuit seeking lease reinstatement

REGIONAL— A federal district judge in Washington, D.C. has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Twin Metals and Franconia Minerals that had sought to reverse the cancellation of mineral leases critical … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/13/23

Council approves rate increase at Hoodoo Point

TOWER— The city council here, on Monday, approved a ten-percent increase in the seasonal rate for RV campers at the Hoodoo Point Campground, but not before hearing from several of those … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/13/23

North Woods’ Addy Hartway goes up high for a block during their clash with Deer River on Monday.

First loss for Grizzlies

FIELD TWP – The North Woods volleyball team won five consecutive matches to open the season, but they couldn’t make it six on Tuesday at home against South Ridge, with the Panthers coming … more

David Colburn | 9/13/23

Wolves on a roll

GREENWAY— Last season, the Timberwolves notched a perfect 25-0 regular season record on the volleyball court. This year, it looks as though the team has its eyes on a repeat. The Wolves looked … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/13/23

North Woods’ Rogelio Noyes sets up to block a Mustangs defender.

Grizzlies fall hard to Mustangs

KELLIHER- The North Woods Grizzlies came out flat and fell behind early Friday against Kelliher-Northome, falling 28-0 on the road for their first loss of the season. North Woods received the opening … more

David Colburn | 9/13/23

Burckhardt tops at Titan

COLERAINE- North Woods/South Ridge cross country runner Alex Burckhardt nabbed his first big win of the season on Thursday, Sept. 7 at the GNK Titan Invitational in Coleraine. Racing in a field of 83 … more

David Colburn | 9/13/23

Near misses plague Ely in 16-0 loss

SANDSTONE—Defense and a big rushing performance by senior Deegan Richards were the bright spots for Ely as the Timberwolves kept East Central solidly in check for much of their contest at Bruce … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/13/23

Ben Burns, age 16, and his father Steve pose with the nice bear shot by Ben earlier this month as clients of the Udovich Guide Service.

Bear registrations down significantly

REGIONAL—Bear registrations through the first 11 days of the season were down 30 percent this year, as hunters were hampered by plentiful natural bear foods and the record heat that settled in … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/13/23 | 1 comment

With good numbers of drumming grouse this spring and a warm and dry June, the fall ruffed grouse outlook appears strong.

“It should be a phenomenal season”

REGIONAL— The 2023 ruffed grouse season looks to be one of the best in northern Minnesota in years, thanks to what appears to be outstanding reproduction thanks to a warm, dry month of June. … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/13/23 | 1 comment

Butternut squash are ripe when their skin is tan without the mottling apparent in unripe squash. The rind in a mature squash is also hard to dent with a fingernail.

When to pick your cucurbits

REGIONAL—As the North Country’s growing season winds down, local gardeners may be wondering when the time is right to harvest some of the cucurbits, like squash or melons, that … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/13/23

Look a little closer at fast fashion brands

Until recently, online retailers Wish and Alibaba were two of the most popular spaces to find ultra-cheap household goods, clothing, makeup, and last-minute Christmas and birthday gifts. These … more

Jen Shuster-Dahlin | 9/13/23

Late summer adventures and road trips

It’s 6 p.m. on a Monday evening and I’ve been sitting on the couch following a dinner of barbecued country ribs with green beans and red potatoes that I fixed in my Ninja Foodi. I always … more

Scarlet Stone | 9/13/23

New COVID boosters available; area seeing uptick in cases

REGIONAL- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval to newly formulated COVID booster shots on Monday, clearing the way for distribution at a time when COVID rates around the country … more

David Colburn | 9/13/23

Search continuing for missing Gheen man

GHEEN— The search for Glenn Stevenson, a Willow Valley Township man with Parkinson’s disease who went missing Sept. 2 near Gheen, has been fruitless as of Tuesday, but authorities … more

David Colburn | 9/13/23

A concept plan given a preliminary okay by the TEDA board calls for a hotel and additional mixed commercial/residential space at the harbor, with most residential development slated to take place on the north side of Hwy. 169 on the former Mesojedec property.

TEDA green lights harbor concept plan that includes hotel

TOWER— The Tower Economic Development Authority has given a unanimous green light to a concept plan that would bring a hotel, an adjacent commercial space, and a handful of second-floor … more

Jodi Summit | 9/13/23

Ely high school gym floor should be back in action soon

ELY- The new gymnasium floor at Ely Memorial High School should be ready for use next month, reported Facilities Director Tim Leeson at the Sept. 11 meeting of the Ely School Board. The floor was … more

Catie Clark | 9/13/23

Scammers are posting fake links on area school Facebook pages and then asking for credit card information.

Fans should be wary of game day streaming scammers

FIELD TWP- Avid North Woods Grizzlies football fans who didn’t make the two-hour trip to Kelliher on Friday for the game are just the sort of fans online scammers are trolling for. As the … more

David Colburn | 9/13/23

Obituaries: September 15, 2023

James D. Keranen James Donald “Jim” Keranen, 94, of Grand Rapids, passed away surrounded by family in the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, at Majestic Pines Senior Living in … more

9/13/23

The most unusual boat at the show was “Petertoon,” a combo Peterbilt truck cab and pontoon boat.

Eye-catching big rig is boat show standout

LAKE VERMILION- When people go to the Lake Vermilion Antique and Classic Boat show, they’re most often likely to find vintage vessels by time-honored makers like Chris-Craft, Stanley Boat … more

David Colburn | 9/7/23

The Twin Metals office in Ely, once busy, has seen limited activity in recent years.

Federal judge dismisses Twin Metals lawsuit

REGIONAL— A federal district judge in Washington, D.C. has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Twin Metals and Franconia Minerals that had sought to reverse the cancellation of mineral leases critical … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/7/23

Questions raised

For the past few years, former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson and many others have been asking questions about the state of Minnesota’s apparent willingness to issue permits for copper-nickel … more

9/6/23

The view from a dock in Canfield Bay on Lake Vermilion. Swirls of dense blue-green algae have been apparent there in recent days.

Blue, green, and stinky

REGIONAL— “The water’s stinky!” That was the assessment of a group of young visitors to Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park last week as a pronounced bloom of … more

Marshall Helmberger | 9/6/23

Senior center backers fill the council chambers

ELY— Supporters of the Ely Senior Center filled every seat at the city council meeting here on Tuesday as they pressed the council for some financial help to address the nonprofit’s … more

Catie Clark | 9/6/23

Students in the hallway of the newly-renovated school.

Building renovations, new staff make for exciting start at Vermilion Country School

TOWER- Vermilion Country School was all set to welcome their students on Sept. 5, with new staff and a newly renovated school building. Gone are the high ceilings and open nature of the former … more

Jodi Summit | 9/6/23

tudents in Ely appear a bit hesitant as they get off the school bus for the first day of classes.

Back to school

Timberjay staff members had cameras ready on Tuesday to capture a few images of children returning to school in Ely, at Tower-Soudan Elementary, and North Woods School. more

Timberjay staff | 9/6/23