Top Stories - The Timberjay

The city of Tower's sidewalk snowblower was struggling to clear the sidewalks Thursday after a combined two-day snowfall total in excess of a foot blanketed the area. The storm also caused widespread power outages.

Winter storm brings widespread power outages

REGIONAL— The first major winter storm of the season proved to be an over-performer in northern St. Louis County, where snow totals substantially exceeded predictions, leaving many areas with … more

Marshall Helmberger | 12/15/22

Garrett Lamppa talks to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar about Lamppa Manufacturing’s newest sauna stove.

Senator gets a closer look

TOWER— Beginning late last year, Sen. Amy Klobuchar offered critical help from a distance as Lamppa Manufacturing faced a financial crisis stemming from bureaucratic incompetence and … more

Marshall Helmberger | 8/9/23

North Woods, NER to swap principals

REGIONAL- A new year will bring new leadership to two area schools, as North Woods Principal John Vukmanich and Northeast Range Principal Kelly Engman will swap roles beginning Jan. 1.North Woods … more

David Colburn | 12/15/22

Mayor notes threats to staff cars at library

ELY- Tuesday’s city council meeting here got off to an unusual start as Mayor Heidi Omerza updated the council on the threats being levied across the street from city hall in the Ely Library … more

Catie Clark | 10/18/23

Council OKs three-percent levy hike for next year

TOWER— For the first time in three years, the city council here has voted to increase the city’s tax levy, by three percent over the 2022 levy of $394,761. That will push the city’s … more

Marshall Helmberger | 12/15/22

A MnDOT snowplow was out working Hwy. 169 in heavy snow on Wednesday.

Winter wallop

REGIONAL— The area’s first major winter storm of the season struck with a vengeance on Wednesday with heavy, dense snow and considerable wind as a Colorado low moved across the Plains and … more

Marshall Helmberger | 12/15/22

Humphrey brings her musical mission to Ely

ELY- The First Presbyterian Church packed the house here recently to hear Anishinaabe folk musician, activist, and artist Annie Humphrey, who stopped in Ely as part of her tour to promote her new … more

Jen Shuster-Dahlin | 10/18/23

Six-year-old William Meehan, of Esko, gets some help from his grandmother Diane as he attempts to finish the large plate of chocolate chip pancakes

Smiles aplenty as Tower Café opens its doors

TOWER- The place was buzzing as Jen and Bob McDonough officially opened the doors to their next adventure, owning and operating the Tower Café, a longtime mainstay on Main Street that has been … more

Jodi Summit | 1/10/24

A map of one the three areas to be served by the new broadband funding awarded recently to Paul Bunyan Communications. Residences in the area should soon see internet access speeds of up to 10 gigabytes per second.

Paul Bunyan awarded grant for expanded broadband

REGIONAL- Only one North Country broadband proposal was funded by the Minnesota Dept. of Employment and Economic Development in the latest round of Border-to-Border grant awards released last … more

David Colburn | 12/15/22

Black Bay campground suit dismissed

LAKE VERMILION- Christine Wyrobek, owner of the partially developed Rough-N-It campground for disabled veterans on Lake Vermilion’s Black Bay, and Lance and Kari Kuhn have reached a voluntary … more

David Colburn | 1/10/24

Board cool to request for ambulance reassignments

GREENWOOD TWP— A proposal to reassign most of Greenwood Township to the Cook Ambulance Service’s coverage territory drew a mixed reaction from the town board here on Tuesday. The proposal … more

Jodi Summit | 1/10/24

Greenwood clerk leaves meeting

GREENWOOD TWP- The Greenwood Town Board had a united front on one major topic at their May 10 meeting– their refusal to grant the demand from elected clerk Debby Spicer for additional pay.The … more

Jodi Summit | 5/11/22

Two arrested in Embarrass greenhouse burglary

EMBARRASS- An Aurora woman and a homeless man are facing multiple criminal charges in connection with a break-in at an Embarrass greenhouse last week.St. Louis County Sheriff’s deputies and … more

David Colburn | 10/5/22

Dodd Technologies stage tech at the Ely Memorial High School production of Disney's Frozen

ELY PREPS FOR BIG PRODUCTION

ELY- One of the biggest stars in the Ely Memorial High School production of “Disney’s Frozen – The Broadway Musical” has no lines and sings no songs, but has a part in every … more

Catie Clark | 1/10/24

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

Council OKs ambulance bailout

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

Ely changes its name to Arendelle

ELY- Heidi Omerza, the Mayor of Ely, issued a proclamation at the beginning of the first city council meeting of the year, changing the name of the city to Arendelle as the council members looked on … more

Catie Clark | 1/10/24

Preschool program proposed

ELY –ISD 696 will likely implement a new three-year-old preschool program for the 2022-23 school year.According to Interim Superintendent John Klarich, K-5 Principal Anne Oelke introduced the … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/11/22

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

Trygg Road offers a scenic drive through pine woods. But sharp rocks along the road are leaving drivers flat.

Is there a fix for the flats?

EAGLES NEST TWP— What to do about Trygg Road? That’s the quandary facing St. Louis County public works officials as last year’s rash of flat tires on this several mile-long stretch … more

Marshall Helmberger | 3/20/24

Highs winds Monday blew ice slabs on shore at Lake Vermilion’s Birch Point, damaging docks.

Wind and ice wreak havoc

REGIONAL— Intense straight-line winds blew down trees across the region on Monday, knocking out power to nearly 2,000 Lake Country Power customers for a time. Few places were harder hit than … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/11/22

Jacob White smiles during the most recent Ely Film Festival, which attracted huge crowds.

New leadership at Ely theater

ELY- It’s been nearly four years since Ely’s Historic State Theater reopened its doors for the first time. And it set another milestone this past week when the board of directors that … more

Catie Clark | 3/20/24

A burning experience

ELY – With the snow just recently melted, fire season is up and running in northern Minnesota. About 20 students in the Wildland Fire Control and Management class at Vermilion Community College … more

Keith Vandervort | 5/12/22

Board works on response to AIPAC complaints

REGIONAL- For a fourth consecutive year, the ISD 2142 St. Louis County Schools American Indian Parent Advisory Council (AIPAC) had found the district to be noncompliant with state Indian Education … more

David Colburn | 3/20/24

Measure could lead to full-time Legislature

REGIONAL- Minnesota voters could see a trio of subjects consolidated into a single constitutional amendment question slated for this November seeking to overhaul certain operations of the Minnesota … more

David Colburn | 3/20/24

Embarrass Fair 2017 [Photo gallery]

8/30/17