News - The Timberjay

Gordon Smith poses with Mom and Dad, Edie Renner and Michael Smith for yet another picture before he heads off to start third grade.

Admin reports a smooth first day and enrollment up for ISD 696

ELY – Monday night’s meeting of the Ely School board began with Ray Marsnik pointing out the obvious absence of longtime Timberjay Ely editor Keith Vandervort at the meeting. Marsnik … more

Rachel Brophy | 9/14/22

Letter roils ongoing ambulance dispute

TOWER— Despite a lengthy agenda, members of the city council here spent considerable time at their monthly meeting taking issue with a divisive letter to the editor written by a member of the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 2/15/23

The areas in pink will benefit from a $5.5 million state broadband grant received by Paul Bunyan Communications.

State grant to bring broadband to parts of rural Cook

REGIONAL- Paul Bunyan Communications has been awarded a $5.5 million Minnesota Border-to-Border Broadband low-density pilot grant to expand its all fiber-optic GigaZone network into areas of Angora, … more

David Colburn | 7/19/23

Curt Moon, in full regalia, leads dancers during a powwow last Friday at Vermilion Country School in Tower. The powwow was educational in nature and provided students with details behind the tradition and the many styles used by dancers.

Learning the powwow way

TOWER- Curt Moon, a veteran and elder, led the dancers into the makeshift arena in the commons area at Vermilion Country School. The Lake Vermilion Singers drum group was seate d at the center. A … more

Jodi Summit | 2/28/24

Orr man dies while ricing on Vermilion River

CRANE LAKE- A day of harvesting wild rice on the Vermilion River turned to tragedy for a 43-year-old Orr man who died after his canoe apparently capsized on Saturday, Sept. 10.The search for Keith … more

David Colburn | 9/14/22

Witnesses mystified by tasing

REGIONAL- A South Dakota couple whose rental houseboat ran aground in Voyageurs National Park last summer is still at a loss to explain what led two park rangers to board a service boat operated by … more

David Colburn | 2/15/23

Park ranger Steve Pederson appears to choke local business owner Justin Ebel during a 2022 encounter.

Body cam footage from park tasing released

REGIONAL- Nearly nine months since first filing its request, the Timberjay has received body camera videos of the arrest and tasing of Ash River business owner Justin Ebel from the National Park … more

David Colburn | 5/3/23

Glencore a step closer to full ownership of PolyMet

REGIONAL— The international commodities trader Glencore may soon assume full ownership of PolyMet Mining, for about $73 million in cash. The massive Swiss-based company, which has faced a raft … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/19/23

Deanna Swenson, co-director of Well Being Development’s Ely Recovery Project spoke to the Ely City Council recently while fellow staffer Beth Chapman looks on. The group was there to discuss their proposal for new transitional housing.

Group eyeing transitional housing in Ely

ELY— The local nonprofit Well Being Development is hoping to turn class action lawsuit settlement funds into transitional housing for local residents recovering from the effects of substance … more

Catie Clark | 12/13/23

Babbitt EMS steers clear of controversy

BABBITT— At a time when many of the region’s small town ambulance services are struggling financially, Babbitt’s city-run service is managing to keep its head above water, while … more

Marshall Helmberger | 2/28/24

ISD 2142 board reviews plans to address bullying

VIRGINIA- With the new school year now in session, the ISD 2142 school board turned its attention Tuesday to what its schools are doing to address an issue of increasing concern toward the end of … more

David Colburn | 9/14/22

Phillips to retire as IRRR commissioner

REGIONAL— The Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation has begun the search for a new commissioner. Mark Phillips, who took the helm at the state agency, will be stepping down as … more

Marshall Helmberger | 11/23/22

Karmina Chosa, with her heart glasses, shows off her Valentine’s Day loot.

Party time at T-S Elementary

TOWER- Students and teachers at Tower-Soudan Elementary found a way to mix fun and learning, while taking advantage of a couple of milestones.Tuesday marked both the 100th day of school this year as … more

Jodi Summit | 2/15/23

Greenwood to return Isle of Pines bridge fund to road association

GREENWOOD TWP- The Greenwood Town Board, at their July 11 meeting, voted to close out the Isle of Pines Bridge Fund, and return the $31,166 to the Isle of Pines Road Association, a nonprofit that … more

Jodi Summit | 7/19/23

Council OKs two-percent levy increase

TOWER— The city council here, on Monday, approved a surplus 2024 budget that calls for spending of $2.055 million with anticipated revenue of $2.102 million. The revenue forecast includes a … more

Marshall Helmberger | 12/13/23

District to cut 11 teacher positions

TOWER- After saying for months that staff reductions were on the table due to budgetary concerns, ISD 2142 Superintendent Reggie Engebritson delivered the bad news to school board members at … more

David Colburn | 2/28/24

War Bonnet's Chaz Wagner tunes a guitar before an open air concert in Duluth this summer.

Native rock band War Bonnet releases new album

REGIONAL- Life has been good for Native rock band War Bonnet’s founder Chaz Wagner in 2022.For starters, he moved on from KBFT Bois Forte Radio to a position with the Hibbing and Chisholm … more

David Colburn | 11/23/22

Some Greenwood residents want fire response from Cook

GREENWOOD TWP- A resident and former township supervisor asked the Greenwood Town Board, Tuesday, to secure better fire protection for residents in the western portion of the … more

Jodi Summit | 2/15/23

Cracking down on short-term rental scofflaws evaders

REGIONAL- In 2020, St. Louis County established a requirement that people offering their properties as short-term rentals had to obtain a permit for the business.Three years and multiple notices … more

David Colburn | 5/3/23

Owens seeks to rebuild in wake of resignations

COOK- After a tumultuous November meeting at which the town board chair and town clerk resigned and attendees were abruptly ejected from the meeting with the assistance of a sheriff’s deputy, … more

David Colburn | 12/13/23

Hauschild seeks $180 million to rural ambulance crisis

REGIONAL- Calling the lack of funding and personnel for rural Minnesota ambulance services a crisis, Sen. Grant Hauschild joined other legislators and emergency responders last week in a press … more

David Colburn | 2/28/24

Four springer spaniels died in a Crane Lake house fire on Gold Coast Road on Sunday.

Crane Lake fire destroys three-bedroom home

CRANE LAKE- People in Crane Lake are rallying around Randy Stern after a Sunday morning fire destroyed his Gold Coast Road home.The fire was reported around 11:40 a.m. in the 7600 block of Gold Coast … more

David Colburn | 2/15/23

A mother reacts to the severe injury of her daughter in a mock car crash staged this week in Soudan.

Lessons to save a life

TOWER-SOUDAN- “If we can stop one kid from making bad decisions during prom and graduation season,” said Breitung Police Chief Dan Reing, “then all this effort is worth … more

Jodi Summit | 5/3/23

EMS woes top joint powers meeting

ELY- How to sustain rural emergency medical services topped the agenda on Monday during the annual meeting of the Community Economic Development Joint Powers Board here. The influential board is … more

Catie Clark | 12/13/23

Conditions prompt Pulsar Helium to change drilling method

BABBITT- Pulsar Helium Inc. announced an update on their Topaz helium exploration project southeast of Babbitt. The firm is in the process of changing the drilling method on the Jetstream #1 … more

Catie Clark | 2/28/24