News - The Timberjay

Resignation airs housing challenge for many workers

Rachel Frey, formerly of Ely, resigned her paraprofessional job at Ely Memorial High School, effective March 10, primarily over her inability to find affordable housing in the community. … more

Catie Clark | 3/16/23

isheries staff work quickly to remove sturgeon eggs from a Rainy River sturgeon for recovery stocking within the Red River basin.

DNR now leading egg collection for sturgeon recovery

REGIONAL— Sturgeon eggs from the Minnesota side of the Rainy River will soon be continuing in the effort to restore lake sturgeon populations in the Red River basin in western Minnesota and … more

5/31/23

You’ll want to use special eclipse glasses to see Monday’s partial eclipse in Minnesota.

Partial solar eclipse to be visible in area April 8

REGIONAL- The North Country will experience a partial solar eclipse this coming Monday, as the sun will be partially blocked by the moon as it passes between the sun and Earth. The partial solar … more

Catie Clark | 4/3/24

Three people injured in fiery one-vehicle crash Sunday night

COOK- Three individuals were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries on Sunday as a result of a truck crash about five miles east of Cook on Sunday evening.At approximately 8 p.m. … more

8/3/22

The former Zup's in Ely will be the new home for KJ's True Value Hardware.

J&L Hardware will have new name, new location in the new year

ELY- Inside the former Zup’s building, boxes of hardware inventory are stacked, waiting for their contents to be unpacked onto shelving. The quiet inside is interrupted every few minutes by the … more

Catie Clark | 12/28/22

Cook Timber Days promises new plus the favorites

COOK- As the annual Cook Timber Days celebration has evolved in recent years, revelers have come to expect a host of favorite activities, this year scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday June 9, … more

David Colburn | 5/31/23

Gordy Adams Jr. a victim of house fire

NETT LAKE- A house fire here on Sunday, March 24 claimed the life of the home’s resident, 66-year-old Gordon Adams Jr., marking a significant loss for the Nett Lake community. Adams was … more

David Colburn | 4/3/24

Bois Forte awarded $20 million broadband grant

BOIS FORTE- Over 3,000 homes and businesses in Bois Forte Band communities will be getting high-speed broadband after the Band was awarded a $20 million grant for the project on Tuesday.The award … more

10/12/22

Stuntz Bay's parking woes

SOUDAN- Stuntz Bay Association president Dan Wiirre updated the Breitung town board about the association’s upcoming projects and other news at their May 25 meeting. “We had two generous … more

Stephanie Ukkola | 5/31/23

School district looks to save on health insurance costs

FIELD TWP- Health insurance was on the ISD 2142 school board agenda on Tuesday as board members met at North Woods School. The board heard that circumstances have come together for a rare occurrence … more

David Colburn | 10/27/23

Clarification of last week’s story on permitting reform

EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week’s news report on an amendment to a bill reforming the permitting process for certain energy projects, authored by Sen. Grant Hauschild, included provisions in the … more

4/3/24

Obituaries: October 14, 2022

Maxine J. SandbergMaxine Joan Sandberg, 70, of Cook, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. A visitation will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15 from noon to 2 … more

10/12/22

Students in the Eco Club raised awareness about storm water pollution.

ECR awarded community conservationist award

REGIONAL- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD) awarded Ely Community Resource (ECR) the 2022 Community … more

12/28/22

Obituaries: October 27, 2023

Cathy M. Johnson Cathy Marjorie Johnson, 61, of Tower, passed away on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. Cathy was born in Cook to Frank and Evelyn (Porter) Dupree. A Traditional Wake was held on … more

10/25/23

New program coordinator at EFS Alexia Springer traces a pattern while Alison Bell gets down to cutting.

Lending a warm hand to kids in Ukraine

ELY- What do you do if you have too much of a good thing? That spark of a question was what initially ignited a fire of hard work for children far across the ocean who’ve been left with nothing … more

Rachel Brophy | 10/12/22

Mark Phillips in a summer shot taken at his home on Lake Vermilion.

He made his mark at Iron Range Resources

REGIONAL— After eight years at the helm of the most influential state agency on the Iron Range, Mark Phillips is heading into retirement— but not without having made his mark on the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 12/28/22

Obituaries: March 17, 2023

Robert “Bob” PoschRobert “Bob” F. Posch died Thursday, March 9, 2023 at the St. Cloud VA Care Center. His heart stopped after a seven-year battle with ALS, at 78 years plus. … more

3/16/23

Greyson Reichensperger kneels down to replace a dead battery on the team’s robot while teammate Ian Sunsdahl assists.

Northeast Range hosts statewide robotics meet

BABBITT— Creative brains were in high gear here this past Saturday as Northeast Range High School hosted its first-ever Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference (NMRC) tournament— and the … more

Jodi Summit | 11/2/23

CDC drops daily reporting as COVID strategies shift

REGIONAL- In one of the clearest signs yet of the changing COVID-19 pandemic landscape, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced last week that it was ending its daily reporting of new COVID … more

David Colburn | 10/12/22

Members of the Iron Mosquitoes robotics team were able to attend the AISES national conference in Palm Springs in October.

Robotics is opening doors for the Iron Mosquitoes

BABBITT— Winning a major sponsorship has opened doors for the Iron Mosquitoes, the robotics team from Northeast Range School. They’ve been on a roll ever since last May, when the team … more

Rachel Brophy | 12/28/22

Northland grant could aid Main Street projects

REGIONAL– The Northland Foundation has received a $4.28 million grant as part of the Mainstreet Revitalization program through the state Department of Employment and Economic Development … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/18/22

Flood damage loan application deadline coming soon

REGIONAL– For those who experienced physical damage to their property from this spring and summer’s historic flooding, only a few weeks remain to take advantage of U.S. Small Business … more

10/13/22

The promise of jobs drew thousands of immigrants to the region

During the early twentieth century, the population of the Iron Range was among the most ethnically diverse in Minnesota. Tens of thousands of immigrants arrived from Finland, Austria-Hungary, Italy, … more

David Lavigne | 12/28/22

Obituaries: January 19, 2024

Orrin A. Haugen Orrin Arnold Haugen, 87, of Duluth, a former longtime Hibbing resident, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Visitation will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20 from 10 … more

1/17/24

Freight train derails Saturday north of Cook

COOK- Fourteen rail cars of a northbound Canadian National freight train derailed Saturday night about seven miles north of Cook.The 123-car CN train was traveling through a remote area at about 7:47 … more

David Colburn | 8/3/22