Top Stories - The Timberjay

Secretary of State Steve Simon (l) was on a tour of Hibbing Taconite on Tuesday. He met with tribal officials and union pipefitters at Fortune Bay Resort Casino on Wednesday.

Simon has full agenda on Iron Range visit

REGIONAL— Secretary of State Steve Simon had a busy agenda during a trip to both ends of the Iron Range this week and he had a lot to talk about with local political and business leaders. While … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/14/23

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

Measure would bring big investments to the Range

REGIONAL- Property tax relief and millions of dollars in new spending could be on the way to the Iron Range and the North Country if bills pushed by two area lawmakers find their way into overall tax … more

David Colburn | 4/17/24

Shareholders OK purchase by Nippon

REGIONAL— U.S. Steel shareholders voted overwhelmingly this week to approve the sale of the historic domestic steel manufacturer to Nippon Steel, of Japan— but where it goes from there … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/17/24

The Gillson residence located at 45 E. Boundary St. in Ely.

Council takes next step on blighted Gillson property

ELY— Jason Gillson now has 30 days to address his blighted property at 45 E. Boundary St. following a Tuesday city council hearing during which Gillson said he’s willing to cooperate with … more

Catie Clark | 4/17/24

Paul McDonald’s referee team at his last basketball game, the Section 7A semi-final game between Carlton/Wrenshall and Mt. Iron-Buhl. Left-to-right: Frank Ivancich, Paul McDonald, Dave Clement

McDonald hangs up the whistle

ELY— When Paul McDonald walked off the basketball court for the last time at the Section 7A semifinal last month, he capped a 35-year career of officiating high school sports in Minnesota. … more

Catie Clark | 4/17/24

Black Bay campground back on county agenda

LAKE VERMILION— The prospective developer of a rustic campground near the mouth of Lake Vermilion’s Black Bay plans to appear before the St. Louis County Planning Commission next … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/5/23

The meeting room on Owens Town Clerk Shirley Woods’ property was packed for Tuesday’s annual town meeting, with many attendees interested in the controversy over Derusha Rd.

Township annual meeting ends in chaos

OWENS TWP – The Owens Township annual town meeting ended in fireworks Tuesday as the town clerk Shirley Woods and town board chair Wally Refsdahl resigned and Woods abruptly ended the meeting … more

David Colburn | 11/15/23

Ely finally passes new cannibinoid ordinance

ELY— After four months of moratoriums and failed first readings, the Ely City Council passed ordinance 367 on Tuesday, to license and regulate edible cannabinoid product dealers within city … more

Catie Clark | 4/5/23

A Google maps image of a portion of Birch Lake, including the mine-impacted lands on the lake’s south side, which are responsible for the recent impaired listing for sulfate. The Peter Mitchell pit is located just west of this image and drains into the Dunka River.

MPCA: Birch Lake impaired from sulfate discharges

BABBITT— The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has added Birch Lake to its draft list of the state’s impaired wild rice waters due to sulfate contamination from nearby mining operations. … more

Marshall Helmberger | 11/15/23

Meadows won’t face additional charges, at least for now

ELY— A 20-year-old Ely man won’t face additional charges after he intentionally ran down three deer with his pickup truck last month, but he may face a stiffer penalty than it initially … more

Marshall Helmberger | 4/5/23

Hinako Kuwamoto and Laura Rosendahl shop for gifts at the Nelimark.

COFFEE AN’ SHOPPING

EMBARRASS- Hundred-year-old Hinako Kuwamoto was busy picking out Christmas gifts at the Nelimark Homestead Museum on Saturday. Grandma, as many in Embarrass call her, was shopping with her … more

Jodi Summit | 11/15/23

River Carter, Lailana Stellmach, and Sri Stellmach finished their projects.

Cupcake smiles

Tower-Soudan Community Education sponsored a cupcake decorating class, just in time for the Easter holiday. Students piped, sprinkled, and used candy to decorate pre-made cupcaked, and Timberjay … more

Jodi Summit | 4/5/23

Emergency services top city council agenda, again

TOWER— Emergency services topped the discussion during the city council meeting here on Monday as councilors took up a request for new equipment from the fire department and a plan to stem … more

Marshall Helmberger | 11/15/23

IRRR grants OK’d for area communities

REGIONAL— The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRR), on Tuesday, awarded just over $7.1 million in grants and other funding affecting communities across the Taconite Tax Relief … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/8/22

Elizabeth Francis and Curt Moon carried a banner during the Grand Entry with names of those seeking encouragement during their healing journey.

Sobriety powwow promotes healing through connection

VIRGINA- On Saturday at the Iron Trail Motors Event Center, there were two very different events going on at the same time that had the parking lots filled to capacity. One was a ferocious hockey … more

David Colburn | 2/1/24

From left, The Conservation Fund CEO Larry Selzer, Indian Land Tenure Foundation President Cris Stainbrook, and Bois Forte Chairperson Cathy Chavers listen to the Bois Forte Singers perform during Tuesday's land restoration ceremony at Nett Lake.

Historic transaction returns tribal lands

NETT LAKE- The size of the Bois Forte Band reservation sectors at Nett Lake and Deer Creek grew by an astounding 28,000 acres on Tuesday through the largest tribal buyback of ancestral lands ever … more

David Colburn | 6/8/22

Timber Days Grand Marshal Steve Kalaja poses with his children, Parker and Evan on either side, Lila and Chloe in the middle, and Vince kneeling below.

Timber Days tabs Kajala for parade grand marshal

COOK- For those eagerly awaiting the big parade on Sunday that caps off the three-day Timber Days festival here, a word of advice. If the parade moves at the speed of its grand marshal, Steve Kajala, … more

David Colburn | 6/8/22

Tuesday’s ballot offers lots of choices for voters

REGIONAL— North Country voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots in a number of closely contested races at both state and local levels.Nearly 550,000 Minnesotans have requested … more

David Colburn | 11/2/22

Addie and Ben Wales, of St. Paul, during a recent visit to their Eagles Nest cabin and rental property.

Getaway turned rental property

REGIONAL- Addie and Ben Wales, of St. Paul, were just looking for a getaway place near Addie’s hometown of Ely when they found a log cabin on 40 acres of land in Eagles Nest Township in … more

David Colburn | 1/25/23

Vermilion Country School graduates include, from left, Owen Stellmach, Mahlia Shuster, Dakota Hanninen and Gage Monsrud.

Graduation 2022

Ely High School, North Woods School, and Vermilion Country School held commencement activities for their respective Classes of 2022 this past week. more

6/8/22

Walz signs Northshore unemployment extension workers

REGIONAL- Financial relief is on the way to laid off Northshore Mining workers after Gov. Tim Walz signed the $10 million unemployment extension package on Wednesday.The House version of the bill, … more

David Colburn | 1/25/23

Cade Gornick and daughter Ada were out on the streets of Tower for after-school trick-or-treating on Monday.

Lizards, wizards & unicorns

Halloween is always fun, but an extra boost in temperatures on Monday made it possible for trick-or-treaters to show off their costumes at their finest. Timberjay photgraphers were in Ely, Tower, and … more

Timberjay staff | 11/2/22

Elius Strong and Boone Broten appear fascinated with a book they’re reading together.

Programs take new approach to learning

REGIONAL- The new classroom furniture in the first, second, and third-grade classrooms at Tower-Soudan Elementary may seem a bit untraditional. But according to research on young brains and how they … more

Jodi Summit | 1/25/23

Capstar Drilling employees assembling the backflow preventer for installation on the drill rig near Babbitt.

Pulsar Helium starts deep drilling

Pulsar Helium starts deep drilling more

Catie Clark | 2/8/24