Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota
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Work begins on detector deployment
LAKE VERMILION— An enormous crane and an even larger barge to ferry it all across more than three miles of Lake Vermilion were being assembled here this week as part of what is expected to be a …
Minnesota’s most expensive race of all time?
REGIONAL- The race to represent northeastern Minnesota’s Third Senate District in the state Legislature beginning next year could well be the most expensive legislative campaign in Minnesota …
Rough-N-It adds resort as campground lawsuit awaits ruling - corrected
Rough-N-It adds resort as campground lawsuit awaits ruling - corrected
By David Colburn
LAKE VERMILION- Rough-N-It has purchased the former Vintage Vermilion resort on Lake Vermilion’s …
Skraba, Kania differ over economic development paths
REGIONAL- As northeastern Minnesota faces rising costs, housing shortages and challenges in rural health care, state Republican Rep. Roger Skraba and Democrat challenger Aaron Kania are facing off …
Wildfires cost region $9 million in lost visitor spending
ELY- The wildfires that forced the temporary closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness cost the Arrowhead region an estimated $9 million in economic activity, according to a University of …
Winton woman charged in alleged theft of gambling proceeds
ELY- A Winton woman who managed charitable gambling for the Ely Winton Rod & Gun Club is facing felony charges after investigators found missing proceeds and discrepancies in the organization’s …
WELY’s FM station finally returns to the airwaves
REGIONAL—WELY is officially on the air. After more than a year of delay, WELY’s 94.5 FM station is finally on the air with its own programming. It marks the completion of an 18-month project by …
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Losing Our Landmarks
For years, I relied on landmarks to orient myself to the world around me. That’s especially true when traveling in remote places, like the Lost Lake Swamp, one of my frequent destinations. …
Boone’s first buck
REGIONAL—Good things come to those who wait… just ask ten-year-old Boone Broten, of Tower, who shot his first deer, an impressive eight-point buck on Oct. 18. He and his father Dean had spent the …
The northwoods are home to birds that live here the entire year and those that are sensible enough to migrate south to warmer, if not tropical, climates. The evolutionary driver is food. The …
LAKE VERMILION STATE PARK— There’s a remarkable dividing line here between the old and new portions of what is now called the Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park. The original park, …
Timberjay Editorial
Is America worth saving?
America is in trouble. Around the world, and here at home, it is widely recognized that the America that led the western world for the past 80 years is no longer up to the challenge. In our …
An election that matters
Up here, we know the difference between a squall and a storm. A squall may kick up whitecaps on Big Bay, rattle the dock, but is replaced by sunshine 20 minutes later. A storm takes the roof. For two …
Columnists
Vote! It’s the best thing we can do for American and the world
Another election cycle is about to end. Tuesday Nov. 3 is the final chance we’ll have to cast our ballots. Polling results are pouring in from all across the country. It looks like Democrats have a …
What the woods know: What remains
There’s a certain kind of silence that comes when someone dies. Not the peaceful kind you find beside a lake at sunrise, or standing among the trees after a fresh snowfall. It’s a different …
I’m a few steps closer to a Heinz 57
I was at a loss for a column topic this week when, on a whim, I logged into Ancestry.com to see whether its latest DNA update had arrived. It had. Serendipity is always welcome on deadline. For those …
Thank you for going above and beyond
Every week, the Timberjay’s reporters set out to do something that has become surprisingly rare in rural America: report the news of our communities, thoroughly and independently. From local city …
Letters to the Editor
Ely topples Rock Ridge in senior night romp
ELY- The Timberwolves sent their seniors out with a sweep on Tuesday, closing the regular season with a 25-9, 25-15, 25-15 win over Rock Ridge on Senior Night. Peyton Huntington, Audrey Kallberg, …
Broncos buck NER/Ely in latest home meet
BABBITT- Northeast Range/Ely won four varsity events, including both freestyle relays, but International Falls came away with a 59-34 win over the Nighthawks here on Tuesday. Evelyn Moran and Lucy …Wolves crush in ‘Babbitt Bowl’
BABBITT- High school football returned to Joe Boffa Field for the first time in six years on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and Ely marked the occasion with its first win of the season, rolling past East …
Grizzlies drop road match to Greenway
REGIONAL- North Woods closed out its regular season with a four-set loss at Greenway on Tuesday, finishing with a 16-10 record heading into next week’s Section 7A volleyball tournament. The …
Grizzlies fall to Cook County
FIELD TWP- North Woods kept sixth-ranked Cook County within a touchdown through the opening quarter, but turnovers helped the Vikings pull away for a 43-6 win here on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The …
Northeast Range shows progress in home finale
BABBITT- Northeast Range closed out its home volleyball schedule with a three-set loss to Nashwauk-Keewatin on Monday, but Head Coach Misty Roseth saw plenty to appreciate as her young players …
TEAM Borealis wraps up season at state championship
CHISHOLM- Team Borealis wrapped up its mountain bike season this past weekend at the state championship races at Redhead Mountain Bike Park, with several riders posting strong finishes in the largest …
Peter D. Doran
Peter “Pete” Daly Doran, 74, of Ely, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, teacher, and loyal friend, passed away in Ely on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. Fittingly, he passed away doing what he …
Jacob P. Lilya
Jacob “Jake” Paul Lilya, 47, of Virginia, died on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at Essentia Health in Virginia. Burial will be at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Lakeview Cemetery in Tower, …
Kenneth L. Kultala
Kenneth Lee Kultala, 64, lifelong resident of Soudan, passed away on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Essentia Health St. Mary’s in Duluth, with family by his side. A celebration of life will be held from …
Naomi M. Hanks
Naomi Marie Hanks, 45, of Tower, died on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Virginia. Visitation was on Monday, Oct. 26 and Tribal Rites were on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Vermilion Wellness Center in Tower. …
Bunny Maki
Bunny Bailey Maki, 88, originally of Ely, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Roseville. A memorial gathering has not yet been scheduled. She is survived by her children, Sara Marcatto and Rick …
John M. Goedderz
John Mathew Goedderz, 74, of Babbitt, died on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at his residence in Babbitt. Arrangements are with Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Aurora.
Floyd M. Anderson
Floyd M. Anderson, 80, of Vermilion Lake Township, passed away on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. No formal services are planned at this time. Burial will be in …
Cynthia L. Nickolson
Cynthia “Cindy” L. Anderson Nickolson, 70, of Ely, died suddenly on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, while en route to St. Luke’s Aspirus in Duluth. A service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. …
This old house barn
EMBARRASS- The restoration of the Seitaniemi housebarn, built over 110 years ago by Alex Seitaniemi, an immigrant from Finland, is nearly 90-percent complete. And the work done this year has brought …
Movie shows how Iron Range ore helped build American
ELY- Ely’s Historic State Theater was packed with folks eager to learn some history of the Iron Range. They were also there to express heartfelt support for Ely local Pam Brunfelt, who is the …
The true scoop about the illustrious Ms. Vera Milion
TOWER-SOUDAN- At his funeral last Saturday, many old friends talked about Al Reller and his love of the theater. Longtime friend Jim Lah, who helped write Al’s obituary, noted that Al’s life was …
Tower bronc rider makes his mark
TOWER- Carter Peterson was the first rider out of the chute in the bareback bronc finals at Wojo’s Rodeo Circuit Finals in Thief River Falls. He was also the only one to stay on for the full eight …
Stories from the North Pole: an adventure hatched in Ely
ELY- Forty years after their dog sled expedition became the first unsupported trip to reach the North Pole, six of its eight members took the stage at the Ely State Theater. Some of their stories had …
Some options that might look like health insurance actually aren’t – and they may leave you stranded with large, unexpected medical expenses.
Closets by Design reports that school mornings are stressful due to time constraints and disorganization.
Rula reports that good mental health involves coping skills, strong relationships, and a sense of purpose.
KURU Footwear reports that being on your feet for eight hours can cause various physical issues like muscle fatigue, pain, and cardiovascular risks, emphasizing the need for varied movement and better workplace design to mitigate discomfort.
Closets by Design reports on feng shui's potential to reduce stress by organizing spaces for energy flow, aligning with research on clutter and well-being.