News - The Timberjay

The path to the start of the Ancient Cedars Trail was totally submerged (swimmable if you were a dog!). The waters did recede by early last week and the boardwalk was not damaged, but some of the support beams floated away and will need replacing. The trail is open, but please walk with care.

TOWER-SOUDAN- The seven-plus inches of rain that fell in Tower and Soudan June 18 created headaches for many area residents, as the storm water system could not keep up with the hours of intense … more

Jodi Summit | 7/4/24

This accident east of the Y-Store on Hwy 169 sent four people to the hospital.

Hwy. 169 crash sends four to hospital, one with serious injuries

VERMILION LAKE TWP— A two-vehicle accident on Hwy. 169 last Friday, just east of the Y Store, sent four people to the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries. Ninety-one-year-old former … more

Marshall Helmberger | 7/4/24

Scuba diver dies in Crane Lake salvage effort

CRANE LAKE- A 50-year-old male scuba diver from Embarrass drowned on Sunday while attempting to salvage a piece of heavy equipment in Crane Lake. In an item posted to social media on Saturday, … more

7/4/24

Obituaries: July 5, 2024

Gretchen T. Green Gretchen Teal Green, 89, of Omaha, Neb., and Lake Vermilion-Tower, passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024. A celebration of life was held on Sunday, June 9 at the Montessori … more

7/4/24

Breitung Board open to new hiking trail route to McKinley Park

SOUDAN- The Breitung Town Board, during their June 20 meeting, expressed support for a hiking trail connecting McKinley Park Campground to the Pine Ridges trail system, but they weren’t willing … more

Jodi Summit | 6/28/24

Ely School Board approves deficit spending for 24/25

ELY- The Ely School Board approved a 2024-25 budget on Monday that includes a $133,457 deficit, marking a significant improvement from earlier projections of a half million-dollar budget shortfall. … more

Catie Clark | 6/28/24

The view down River Street in downtown Cook on Thursday.

Flood devastates Cook

COOK- Downtown Cook and surrounding neighborhoods were overwhelmed last week by a flash flood caused by torrential rains that fell on the city and the Little Fork River drainage basin last Tuesday. … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Sheriff Gordon Ramsay addresses an emergency session of the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners on June 20 as they prepare to approve an emergency disaster declaration.

County puts wheels in motion for disaster aid

REGIONAL- The St. Louis County Board held an emergency meeting in Virginia this past Thursday to approve a local emergency declaration in the wake of Tuesday’s torrential rain and subsequent … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Gov. Tim Walz talks with Theresa Drift, whose home was flooded, during his recent visit to Cook.

Walz tours flood-damaged city

COOK— Gov. Tim Walz traveled to Cook on Friday with area legislators and other state officials to assess the damage from the flash flood that inundated the town on Wednesday after torrential … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Ely man bites police officer in altercation

ELY- A 32-year-old Ely man remained in custody in the St. Louis County Jail this week after he allegedly bit an Ely police officer who was trying to buckle him into a squad car. Travis William … more

Catie Clark | 6/27/24

Water inundated virtually all of the seating at the Comet Theater during this past week’s flooding.

Cook’s historic Comet Theater faces major cleanup

COOK- From her spot in the boutique and coffee shop of the Comet Theater, Shelly Hlavinka had a front row seat to the rising flood crawling toward her last Wednesday. “It started getting higher … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Cook Lions accepting flood relief donations

COOK—The Cook Lions Club has announced that are providing ways for people to make monetary donations for flood relief in the wake of this week’s devastating flood in Cook. The club … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Volunteers step up to aid in Cook cleanup

COOK- Like so many others, Missy Bakker Roach just wanted to help when she came to Cook last Friday. Little did she know that she would wind up helping others to help. Roach said she mentioned to … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Greenwood dumps Data Practices Act compliance

GREENWOOD TWP- In a short and contentious special meeting last Thursday, the Greenwood Town Board on a split vote rescinded their adoption of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) that … more

David Colburn | 6/27/24

Welty challenging Stauber in August GOP primary

REGIONAL- Harry Welty, a former member of the Duluth School Board, a longtime Republican who calls himself a “Lincoln Democrat” has announced he will challenge Pete Stauber in the Aug. 13 … more

Marshall Helmberger | 6/27/24

Duluth man sentenced to 17 years for Babbitt attack

BABBITT- St. Louis County District Judge Michelle Anderson sentenced Josiah David Delvecchio, of Duluth, to 204 months in state prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to murder the owner of a … more

Catie Clark | 6/27/24

Obituaries: June 28, 2024

Barbara J. Matts Barbara Jean “Barb” Matts, 87, of Cook, died peacefully on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at home, surrounded by her family. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on … more

6/27/24

Cook officials issue Sunday flood update

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2024 Crystal Whitney, City of Cook crystal.whitney@alslib.info FLOODING UPDATE IN COOK, MINNESOTA On Thursday, June 20, city officials, staff … more

6/21/24

Volunteers used whatever bags they could find to sandbag the VFW to protect it from the rising waters.

Cook flood peaks, decline will be slow

COOK- Some good news from the Duluth National Weather Service office on Friday -- they reported the flood in Cook has peaked and will very slowly recede, with the possibility for flood waters to … more

David Colburn | 6/20/24

County board declares local disaster in wake of Tuesday's storm

REGIONAL- The St. Louis County Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting in Virginia on Thursday morning to approve a local emergency declaration in the wake of Tuesday’s devastating … more

6/20/24

List of county roads closed by storm

REGIONAL- St. Louis County released a list of county roads closed due to Tuesday's storm as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. Roads may be added or deleted to this list as assessments continue and … more

6/19/24

Hwy. 1 was closed indefinitely about four miles east of Hwy. 53 in Angora after floodwaters washed away a section of the state highway. MnDOT currently estimates the road will be closed for at least a week for repair.

Area hit by deluge

REGIONAL- Torrential rains on Tuesday, the likes of which haven’t been seen in the North Country in decades, created widespread flash flooding, extensive property damage, and wreaked havoc on … more

David Colburn | 6/19/24

Study calls for three-way EMS merger

ELY- The Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital once owned the local ambulance service here but gave it up over financial concerns. Yet a recently completed study suggests that the most cost-effective … more

Catie Clark | 6/19/24

Tower-Soudan’s main well fails, back-up in place

BREITUNG TWP- A “catastrophic failure” of the pump shaft that operates Tower-Soudan’s primary drinking water well over the weekend has the system running off the backup well, … more

Jodi Summit | 6/19/24

Unlike a similar meeting in International Falls that drew only three attendees, a large crowd turned out for the public comment meeting at Kabetogama Town Hall.

Kabetogama crowd not happy with revised frozen lake plan

KABETOGAMA- From the very first question Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Bob DeGross was asked at last Thursday’s town hall meeting in Kabetogama to review the park’s revised … more

David Colburn | 6/19/24