JANUARY
• Bob Anderson devoted almost a half-century to the city of Ely. That service was noted - and saluted - as city officials recognized Anderson on his retirement.
• Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital officials said that the hospital would no longer pursue plans that would have called for the hospital to regain ownership and operation of the area’s ambulance service.
• Cold temperatures combined with a lack of a significant snow base created problems for many property owners in Ely, with city officials warning about water line freeze-ups in town.
• An 86-year-old Ely woman was killed from injuries in a fire outside the nursing home. Marjorie Hible was a resident at Boundary Waters Care Center.
• A new study commissioned by the University of Minnesota highlighted the significant economic impact of ATV riders on the regional economy.
• Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital dodged a major bullet when the federal government reversed its plans to take away its Critical Access Hospital designation.
• Ely School Board members declined an inflationary increase in monthly pay, noting the precarious financial position of the Ely district.
• An Ely man faced nine months in jail after pleading guilty to two felonies in connection with a house fire and subsequent high-speed chase. Jason Gillson, 50, reached a plea bargain with county prosecutors.
• State Rep. Roger Skraba was sworn in at the state capitol and began a second term in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
• The U.S. Forest Service invited public comments on the massive Fernberg Corridor Project.
• The Ely Nordic Wolves boys ski team took third at a mega meet at Giants Ridge, an event featuring most of the state’s top boys teams. Eli Olson and Dylan Durkin were Ely’s top racers.
• Firefighters from the Morse-Fall Lake department battled bitterly cold conditions while extinguishing a blaze at a property on Burntside Lake off the Wolf Lake road.
• Bob Hendrickson, who ran food and beverage operations at the Grand Ely Lodge since the facility opened in 1996, announced his retirement but said he would continue to work as a bartender on a part-time basis.
• The award of clean-up funds will advance plans to develop the old depot in Ely, as the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded a $312,000 grant.
• Three Ely businesses were fined for selling edibles to minors. Found guilty in a sting operation were Ely Liquor, Mike’s Liquor and Stinky Pete’s.
• Overall police activity in Ely dipped in 2024, according to statistics released by the Ely Police Department.
• Kay Carter was named the new minister at Ely United Methodist Church.
• Ely goaltender Ben Leeson turned away 55 shots as the high school hockey team celebrated Senior Day with a 2-1 win over Wadena.
• Design plans were altered for the proposed nickel mine near Tamarack.
• Via Zoom, State Sen. Grant Hauschild and State Rep. Roger Skraba met with Ely School Board members in advance of the legislative session.
• Rylee Larsen was crowned queen and Max Cochran king during Winter Frolic Week at the high school.
• The city of Ely made a bid for state housing funds for its proposed apartment complex.
• The Ely Echo won 20 state awards at the Minnesota Newspaper Association annual convention in the Twin Cities. Included were six first-place awards in various categories.
• The area’s mining divide was on display as over 100 people turned out for a community forum put on by the Ely Braver Angels group.
FEBRUARY
• The annual Fun Run Snowmobile Event, which had over 1,000 participants, many of whom filled the ballroom at Fortune Bay Resort Casino for the wrap-up party where hundreds of prizes were awarded.
• U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber revived legislation to reverse a mineral withdrawal that has stymied the proposed Twin Metals Minnesota project.
• Ely dentist Spencer Wihlm received a loan forgiveness grant from a program sponsored by the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board to encourage dentists to relocate to the area.
• Former Range legislator Dave Lislegard was named executive director for Jobs for Minnesotans.
• Pulsar Helium indicated that its Babbitt helium deposit was the most significant in North America.
• Despite some public pushback, Ely council members appointed former member Paul Kess as the city’s representative on the Ely Area Lodging Tax Board.
• The Ely Nordic Wolves placed second at the single-class Minnesota state boys meet. The accomplishment came on the heels of section competition the week before, where the boys won the Section 7 title with Dylan Durkin winning the section overall title and Eli Olson and Oliver Hohenstein winning the relay.
• U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber looked to clear confusion surrounding the Canadian Remote Area Border Crossing Program.
• The Ely Winter Festival went on as scheduled, bringing visitors and residents to an array of events including the snow sculpting festival at Whiteside Park.
• Morse Township residents and the town board mourned the passing of longtime town board member Len Cersine, who spent 27 years on the board.
• The Great Nordic Beardfest returned with back-to-back nights of competition at Ely’s Historic State Theater.
• Longtime Ely Echo staff member Lisa Vidal bid farewell to the publication after a 25-year run.
• A revised budget showed the Ely School District projecting about $320,000 in deficit spending for 2024-25.
• The St. Louis County Board agreed to fund eight projects aimed at combating aquatic invasive species.
• The Gornik family was featured during their annual Presidents Day weekend tradition of making potato and blood sausage.
• Adam Masloski, executive director at Boundary Waters Care Center, was recognized with an outstanding leadership award.
• Moose Lake scored a 4-1 win over Ely and knocked the Timberwolves out of the Section 7A high school hockey playoffs.
• Vermilion downed Mesabi to win a berth in the NJCAA Region 13 men’s basketball playoffs for the first time in seven years.
• Carolyn Dehnbostel entered the Morse Township supervisor face as a write-in candidate.
• Sold again, WELY radio announced plans to return under the ownership of Civic Media, a Wisconsin-based company that operates 20 stations.
• The Ely Echo was once again named the official newspapers of both the city of Ely and the Ely School District.
• Comfortable temperatures and good snow conditions greeted 37 mushers and more than 300 dogs as part of the WolfTrack Classic Sled Dog Race. Musher Matthew Schmidt won the eight-dog race and Brian Bergen led 25 mushers in the six-dog event.
MARCH
• On a 5-2 vote, the Ely council shot down a request from the White Iron Chain of Lakes Association to support their application for state monies.
• Ely’s high school dance team held a season-ending program at the high school gymnasium.
• For a fourth straight season, Ely’s high school girls basketball team reached the Section 7A semifinals, but familiar nemesis Cromwell beat the Wolves 57-32.
• Ely’s Jace Huntbatch and Ben Leeson were both named to the All-Iron Range Conference hockey team.
• Mike Velcheff beat a write-in campaign and won a seat on the Morse Town Board, while Craig Seliskar was re-elected in Fall Lake Township.
• Ely School Board members looked at a proposal calling for about $460,000 in budget reductions for 2025-26.
• Legislation advanced by State Sen. Grant Hauschild would bring more school property taxes to Ely from seasonal recreational property owners.
• School board members approved a 2025-26 school calendar that included a shorter than usual winter break.
• Hundreds of people came to Ely for the community’s first-ever youth archery meet.
• Cold shooting plagued Ely’s high school boys basketball team in a Section 7A quarterfinal loss to Mt. Iron-Buhl.
• The Vermilion Community College baseball team went just 2-6 during a spring trip to Florida, but rebounded two weeks later with back-to-back doubleheaders sweeps of Mesabi and Central Lakes, amid frigid conditions on the artificial turf at Aurora.
• Utility rates were set to jump in Ely after the city council approved a rate increase sought by the Ely Utilities Commission.
• Plans to repurpose the old Community Center building as a hotel were progressing, with the name of the hotel slated to be the Ely International.
• Ely’s high school Knowledge Bowl team won a berth in the state tournament.
• An Iron Range legislator faced up to 10 years in prison, and faced calls to resign, after he was arrested in the Twin Cities and charged with soliciting prostitution from a 17-year-old girl. State Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) would eventually resign as a result of the controversy.
• The third annual Ely Film Festival proved to be the best yet, with more than 200 passes sold and hundreds of people turning out for films shown at Ely’s Historic State Theater.
• State Sen. Grant Hauschild pushed for legislation that would bring property tax relief for the state’s “mom and pop” resorts.
• The Ely Public Library reported a busy 2024, with nearly half of the facility’s 3,113 card holders living outside the city limits.
• Entries rolled in for the Ely Echo’s annual Ice Out Contest.
• Sabrah Hart of Ely was a section champion in archery.
• Sophomores Kaija Shultz, Audrey Kallberg and Amelia Penke all won spots on the All-IRC girls basketball team.
• Gov. Tim Walz issued a “back to the office” directive that could impact those who work at Minnesota Department of Revenue jobs in the Ely area.
• About 30 high school seniors took part in the annual senior class trip to Washington, D.C.
• The Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club received an equipment grant to support the region’s outdoor recreation.
• The neighboring St. Louis County School District 2142, which operates schools at Babbitt and Tower, adopted a four-day school week for the 2025-26 school year.
APRIL
• April Fools fun returned to Ely with the launch of the International Mosquito Center project, creating an online buzz and plenty of publicity over the spoof.
• An Ely woman was killed in a fire that engulfed a home at 254 North Fifth Avenue East.
• The Ely Events Committee announced the music lineup for the annual Rock the Park event in July.
• Ely council members backed an effort to expand franchise fees to broadband services.
• Ely senior Caid Chittum was named to the All-IRC team in boys basketball.
• About 160 people rallied against President Trump and Elon Musk in a “Hands Off” event held next to Whiteside Park.
• The Ely Chamber of Commerce held its annual Celebrate Ely event at Grand Ely Lodge, with Brian and Andrea Strom winning the Good Neighbor Award, Jessica Dunn the Customer Service Award, Ian Lah and the Northern Lakes Arts Association taking home the Jackpine Bob Community Spirit Award, and sisters Cindy Nickolson, Sandy Nickolson and Sue Anderson earning the Good Citizen Volunteer of the Year Award.
• A road construction project on Highway 2, announced by Lake County, would call for road closures and detours during the summer.
• Ely area lodging tax collections spurred debate at several public meetings, with a focus on trying to capture more revenue from vacation rental properties.
• U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D) unveiled legislation that would permanently ban precious metals projects on national forest land near Ely,
• Jeff MacKenzie took over as Ely’s new high school softball coach.
• Realignment by the Minnesota State High School League would move Ely’s high school football team from Class A to AA, beginning in the fall of 2025. The same realignment bumped traditional 9-man powers Mt. Iron-Buhl and Cherry up to Class A.
• The Ely Echo published its 30th Annual Progress Edition, featuring dozens of businesses and local projects.
• Ely library officials worked to squelch rumors that possible federal cuts would have an impact on the local facility.
• In a surprise move just weeks before the tourist season, the U.S. Forest Service passed BWCAW permit issuance off to local outfitters.
• A hearing on a legal case over towboat use in the BWCAW was held in federal court in Minneapolis.
• The Donald G. Gardner Humanities Trust awarded nearly $10,000 in grants to individuals and organizations.
• Dylan Durkin had three first-place finishes as Ely’s high school boys track team dominated a season-opening event.
• Ely city officials touted tangible results from a forgivable loan program that has created new jobs in the area.
• Ely’s Mike Forsman was re-elected to a spot on the Lake Country Power board of directors.
MAY
• The Ely Fire Department received a $550,000 gift for new equipment from the estate of Louis Gornik
• Ice out on Shagawa Lake occurred on May 4, with former Echo employee Bill Stickels III, who now lives in Cambridge, winning the annual Ice Out contest.
• Officials warned that blasting would occur on Harvey Street as a result of the soon-to-begin Harvey Street Project, which includes reconstruction on Harvey from Central to Ninth Avenue East.
• Vermilion Community College announced the additions of arboriculture and water operations certificate programs to meet job demands.
• More than 100 scholarships worth over $140,000 were distributed to Ely seniors during the high school’s annual awards day.
• Freshman Violet Udovich set a new school record in the 400 dash while taking first place at the Doc Savage Invitational.
• Despite a doubleheader sweep on the final day of the regular season, the Vermilion baseball team was knocked out of the region playoffs by a tiebreaker. Vermilion finished with a 20-22 record, including 11-9 in conference play.
• Uncontained wildfires put Babbitt residents on alert for possible evacuation.
• Graduation ceremonies were held at Vermilion Community College as the Class of 2025 bid farewell. Keith Turner, a former student and coach at the school, gave the keynote address.
• A St. Louis Park man was the victim of an apparent drowning in the BWCAW as rescue personnel recovered the body of Robert James, 62, in Iron Lake.
• Rummage sales and shopping “Crazy Day” were held May 17, as sponsored by the Ely Chamber of Commerce.
• State Sen. Grant Hauschild helped secure $18 million statewide for EMS operations.
• Ely was named one of the top 10 “secluded” towns in northeastern Minnesota, according to a travel website.
• Northern Lakes Arts Association announced plans to host four various youth camps.
• An Ely team helped fight forest fires from the sky.
• Vermilion Community College baseball catcher Martin Cubillan was named to the all-region team, while Cubillan and centerfielder Nick Berglund both earned All-MCAC North Division First Team recognition.
• Because of area wildfires, the Morse-Fall Lake Fire Department was set to benefit to the tune of $40,000.
• Family members of Victor Turula placed his stone at the Ely cemetery, 81 years after he was killed in France during World War II.
• New wolf pups arrived at Ely’s International Wolf Center.
• Irene Hartfield won the Ely Music and Drama Club’s 2024-25 Community Service Award.
• Carena DeBeltz finished first as the Northeast Range/Ely team won a girls golf meet at North Woods.
• Hundreds of people turned out at the cemetery for Ely’s annual Memorial Day ceremony. Family members of the late Calvin Herrala and Byron Moren presented wreaths.
• Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital picked up four awards from the Minnesota Hospital Association.
• “It’s not settled science,” claimed an advocate for copper-nickel mining projects, during a visit to the Ely Tuesday Group. The guest speaker was Julie Lucas, executive director of Mining Minnesota.
• Ely’s Violet Udovich set records while winning both the 200 and 400 dash at the subsection meet.
• Ely’s high school softball team was knocked out by South Ridge in the Section 7A playoffs.
• Ely’s high school graduating class of 2025 had its moment, as 49 members received diplomas. The commencement address was delivered by Tom Coombe, athletic director at the high school and editor of the Ely Echo.
JUNE
• A $3.7 million grant from the IRRRB seemed set to rescue plans for an apartment complex project planned by the city of Ely.
• A Tower man was charged in connection with reported burglaries in Greenwood and Vermilion townships. Facing charges was Jeffrey Bingham, 41.
• City public works staff moved quickly to contain a water main break that occurred near Semer’s Park.
• With a couple of successful squeeze plays, Ely’s high school baseball team upset Cherry and moved into the Section 7A finals, where the Wolves fell to defending champion South Ridge.
• Ely athletes Violet Udovich, Kaylin Visser and Kaija Shultz advanced to state in girls track, and Carena DeBeltz advanced in girls golf.
• Udovich went on to take second in the state in the high jump, at the state meet held at St. Michael-Albertville.
• Ely city officials were breathing a sigh of relief after local government aid cuts were spared from the state’s budget knife.
• Intern Harmony Fisher, a Cloquet native who attends Harvard, joined the Ely Echo staff for the summer.
• Construction on Harvey Street forced some alterations to the city’s July 4 parade route.
• The Trump Administration breathed new life into the Twin Metals Minnesota project with an announcement it would take action to reverse a mineral withdrawal put in place by the Biden Administration.
• Road conditions in the township were the hot topic as the Fall Lake town board gathered for a monthly meeting.
• The Superior National Forest proposed major increases in BWCAW recreation fees.
• A float plane for kids was unveiled in downtown Ely.
• A blight issue remained unresolved as council members in Ely hear pleas to grant further time for mandated repairs to a Boundary Street home.
• An assassin took the life of Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and also shot state lawmaker and his wife in the Twin Cities. Ely legislator Roger Skraba was deep in the woods on a guiding trip as the tragedy unfolded.
• Ely’s population grew slightly 3,276, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up 27 from the previous count of 3,249.
• The summer baseball season in Ely ramped up with the annual z’Up North Realty Junior Legion Classic, and the DQ Grill and Chill Legion Classic. Both events brought hundreds of people to town.
• Ely senior Caid Chittum made the All-State Class A Team for high school baseball.
• About 15 members of the Northeast Range/Ely trapshooting team took part in state competition.
• The Lake County Board brought its monthly meeting to the Fall Lake town hall, where they briefed township residents about various activities.
• The Ely Klown Band’s Jerry Fink was named Grand Marshal of the July 4 parade.
• Organizers said the annual Jake Forsman Memorial Car Show and Burnout Competition will not continue in 2025.
• Talks between city officials and representatives of the Ely Chamber of Commerce focused on the Chamber taking occupancy of the new trailhead building on the west entrance of Ely.
• Ely School Board members adopted a 2025-26 budget calling for a deficit of about $64,000.
• Ely’s Zoe MacKenzie, Clare Thomas and Peyton Huntington all won spots on the All-Arrowhead Conference softball team.
JULY
• Ely area residents and visitors filled sidewalks for the July 4 parade, and Whiteside Park was full for post-parade games and festivities. A fireworks celebration closed out the day.
• In advance of the Blueberry/Art Festival, Ely Chamber of Commerce officials said that Whiteside Park will be “bursting at the seams” with the largest number of booth spaces occupied since 2018.
•Area outfitters voiced concerns that last-minute BWCAW permit cancellations were posing problems.
• The Fall Lake Town Board voted to move forward on a community center project as well as the Sunset Road improvements.
• The Ely Watercolor Club held its annual show July 16-20.
• Musical act “The Reckoning” rocked the house and closed down the Rock the Park event held at Whiteside Park on July 5.
• Emmett Faltesek and Chelsey Youngberg were the winners at the annual Four on the Fourth race held around the Trezona Trail.
• High arsenic levels were found in a well in Ely.
• State Rep. Roger Skraba was named a “Legislator of Distinction” by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities.
• It was all systems go for a proposed dog park in Ely, to be located at the softball complex on the east end.
• Morse-Fall Lake EMT Johnnie Hyde won national recognition for 30 years of service.
• Wolf pups at the International Wolf Center began to acclimate to people while helping scientific research.
• Vexilar designers tested prototypes on Bear Island Lake.
• Storm systems brought heavy rains and some flash flooding in Ely, including on streets and in basements.
• Ely native Jeff Kromer accepted a summer internship with NASA.
• An Ely man faced multiple charges after a high-speed chase. Arrested near Virginia was Erik Rust.
• An opponent of copper-nickel mining projects in northeastern Minnesota spoke to the Tuesday Group and unraveled the various executive orders related to mining issued by President Trump.
• A middle school “scrubs camp” held in Ely sought to inspire future leaders of health care in rural Minnesota.
• Ely fell to Esko 7-6 in the Division II Northeast Substate Title Game, although both teams earned spots in the Division II American Legion Baseball State Tournament held in Ely.
• More than 300 people turned out at the Miners Dry for the American Legion Baseball Division II State Tournament Banquet, which included a keynote address by John Anderson, an Iron Range native and former head coach at the University of Minnesota.
• Despite some flash flooding earlier in the week, the Blueberry/Art Festival went on as planned and drew an estimated 40,000 people to the city park over the course of three days.
• Ely School Board members moved closer to action on a $5.25 million bounty for athletic facilities, identifying potential projects for construction to take place in 2026.
• Northern Lakes Arts Association presented its Broadway in the Boundary Waters Gala.
AUGUST
• New London-Spicer topped Montevideo 1-0 in the championship game and wrapped up the Division II State American Legion Baseball Tournament in Ely. The host Ely team went 1-2, including a consolation round win over La Crescent, and took home the state Sportsmanship Trophy also. Ely’s Caid Chittum made the all-state tournament team.
• The state tournament drew hundreds of people to Ely over the course of three days.
• Ely’s Heritage Fest was back for an encore, and the daylong event at the Pioneer Mine complex brought people out for tours, food and music.
• The Harvey Street Project remained on schedule with an October completion date eyed.
• Ely took part in National Night Out, with vast participation including a dunk tank during the Farmers Market event at Whiteside Park.
• The city of Ely received a “clean, healthy” audit report.
• Northern Tier High Adventure Base welcomed four international staff members for the summer.
• Ely’s Junior Legion baseball team downed Cherry 14-7 to win its second straight berth in the Division II State Tournament. Post 248 went 0-2 at the state event in Hayfield, falling to Montevideo and LeSueur-Henderson.
• City clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski and economic developer John Fedo showed off the new trailhead facility during a sneak preview event.
• The Ely Winter Festival contributed $695 to Ely school arts programs from proceeds raised during the event.
• The Ely Rotary Club held a casino night on Aug. 15.
• Design work was authorized on the school district’s $5.25 million athletic facility improvement project.
• The Ely Educational Foundation donated $87,000 to the school district for various projects and initiatives.
• Fall sports practices began both at Ely High School and Vermilion Community College, with VCC welcoming new coaches Sammy Redman Wiggen (volleyball) and Zuriel Cook (football).
• Hundreds of people attended an open house and ribbon cutting at the brand-new, $4.5 million trailhead facility and visitor center on the west entrance of Ely.
• The Ely Police Department took the first steps, with city council approval, to begin to equip its officers with body cameras.
• Range Mental Health expanded its psychiatric services to Ely with nurse practitioner Kathy Udovich.
• Pulsar Helium noted that its flow rates tripled for a deposit near Babbitt.
• A former Northeast Range teacher and youth minister was charged with three counts of sexual misconduct. Accused was Ryan Denzer-Johnson.
• A barefoot paddler found his way to every campsite in the BWCAW in eight months. Mark Zimmer is commonly known as “The Barefoot Paddler.”
• St. Louis County Commissioner Paul McDonald warned that unfunded mandates would result in a big increase in the county’s property tax levy.
• The renovated Ely Community Center, formerly known as the Senior Center, held an open house at the facility on First Avenue East.
• The Ely Events Group contributed $20,000 to the Ely School District from money raised during the all-class reunion.
• A new school year began at Vermilion Community College with enrollment on the upswing and school officials happy about more than $3 million in renovations to the school’s classroom building.
• Greenway beat Ely in high school volleyball and ended a 59-match home winning streak for the Wolves, one that dated back to 2017.SEPTEMBER
• Search and rescue personnel reported receiving multiple false alerts from satellite-enabled iPhones in the BWCAW.
• U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber led a Congressional hearing focused on six bills that would codify various presidential executive orders on mining into law.
• St. Louis County commissioners voted 6-1 to authorize a 12.4 percent property levy hike for 2026.
• Eight new Ely area residents shared their stories during the “Meet New Elyites” feature as part of the Tuesday Group luncheon.
• Iron mining industry leaders and regional officials packed a hearing in Virginia, as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency prepared to issue decisions related to mining-related permits.
• The Ely Police Department unveiled an 11-page draft policy regulating the use of body cameras by Ely officers.
• Barnum scored first-half points and roughed up the Timberwolves during the season-opener at Ely School Stadium.
• For the first time ever, Ely school enrollment fell under 500 as the district reported 484 students enrolled as of the first day of school. That’s a drop of 112 students in eight years.
• Ely police warned of potential “bike tampering” in town.
• The Harvest Moon Festival was held in Ely but faced colder than usual weather conditions. The festival ranked eighth in the country in a list of top fall festivals as compiled by USA Today.
• Pulsar Helium announced plans to launch a plant engineering study.
• Ely council members set a preliminary 2026 property tax levy calling for a 6.54 percent increase.
• Members of the Ely Area Lodging Tax Board voiced support for efforts that make sure some lodging tax funds don’t slip through the cracks, by taking greater effort to track down vacation rental property owners.
• Ely council member Al Forsman took time at the group’s regular meeting to address the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
• A bear that tipped the scales at 559 pounds was shot near Babbitt. Laura Gaulke harvested the bear on Sept. 2.
• Ely volleyball player Gretta Lowe picked up her 1,000th career set assist during a match for the Wolves.
• Former Ely Timberwolf Joey Pierce was named captain of the hockey team at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
• An Ely woman was injured in a vehicle crash near Eveleth. Barb Mathews, 78, was taken to the hospital in Virginia with non-life threatening injuries.
• New world records were set in the canoe portage division during the Ely Marathon. Overall about 1,000 people took part in at least one of the marathon events.
• Rescue personnel were dispatched to the BWCAW to aid a man with an axe wound to his leg.
OCTOBER
• Many people turned out for the Chapman Street Block Party. It included a ceremony at the “pocket park” as well as food items at various businesses.
• Ely’s Northern Lakes Arts Association marked its 40th anniversary with a gala event at the Boathouse Brewpub.
• An evening of Slovenian cinema was held at Ely’s Historic State Theater.
• Ely’s newest police officer will be a familiar face after council members voted to hire Babbitt Police Chief Troy Bissonette for an Ely officer position.
• An Ely man suffered serious injuries during a single vehicle rollover on the Echo Trail. Jeremy Swanson, 57, was airlifted to Duluth after bystanders pulled him out of a burning vehicle.
• State Sen. Grant Hauschild said he would not run for the Eighth District Congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber.
• Jesse Oelke and Menoline Dumonsel were crowned King and Queen as Ely High School held Fall Homecoming festivities.
• In the Homecoming football game, Ely beat Chisholm 32-20 behind the running of Jesse Oelke and Arturo Cameron and the Wolves followed up the next week with a win against East Central.
• The Ely Community Center held its first Golden Ladle soup contest, running out of soup because of the vast turnout.
• The restroom and shower facility at Bear Head Lake State Park was named America’s best, according to a ranking of public rest room spaces in the United States.
• Various veterans were honored with quilts from The Heart of the Woods Quilters group.
• Members of the State Senate and State House bonding committees visited to learn more about area projects in the running for state bonding funds, including the Ely water line project.
• Ely’s home schooled population grew in 2025, according to statistics compiled by the Ely School District. The data showed 35 children being home-schooled locally, up from 28 last year.
• The Nature Conservancy bought 12,000-plus acres in Lake County.
• Ely won the Arrowhead Conference volleyball championship with a three-set sweep over Mt. Iron-Buhl, in a contest played at Mesabi Community College in Virginia.
• Ely native Jerome Nemanich, who coaches at Sartell, was named to the Minnesota High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
• Hundreds of people protested on the sidewalks adjacent to Whiteside Park as part of the “No Kings” rallies held against the Trump Administration.
• The city of Ely and the Ely Chamber of Commerce reached a one-year deal calling for the Chamber to occupy and staff the new trailhead building.
• Pulsar Helium started a $6 million drilling program to find how much helium and other gases they have to work through as they drill 10 additional wells.
• The sale of a Boundary Street home is expected to resolve an ongoing blight issue there, city officials indicated.
• Lossing’s Powers Sports made a $1,500 donation to the Prospector ATV Club.
• Former Ely Timberwolf Lilli Rechichi cracked the lineup for the volleyball team at the College of St. Scholastica.
• Aitkin blew out Ely 63-6 in the first round of the Section 7AA high school football playoffs. The Wolves finished 2-7.
• State Sen. Grant Hauschild weighed in on both state and federal issues during a town hall event held at the Ely Community Center.
• The same day, Hauschild and State Rep. Roger Skraba visited with school board members and talked about issues including state funding and the impact of post secondary enrollment options on the local school district.
• Via a Facebook post, Ely’s Pebble Spa announced it was going out of business.
• A study commissioned by the Ely Chamber of Commerce showed the economic impact of Harvest Moon Festival vendors.
• Ely’s three-year reign as Section 7A volleyball champions ended when the Wolves fell to North Woods in the quarterfinal round of the 7A playoffs.
NOVEMBER
• Ely junior Molly Brophy qualified for the state high school girls cross country meet, where she finished 71st. Brophy was making her fifth straight appearance at state.
• Could roundabouts be in Ely’s future? That seemed to be the case after a public meeting where state transportation officials said data does not justify replacing the city’s two existing stoplights and they indicated that the recommended action was the placement of two mini-roundabouts on Sheridan Street, at the intersections of Central Avenue and Third Avenue East.
• An Ely home was damaged by fire at 1033 East Harvey Street. Nobody was home at the time.
• Hundreds turned out at Washington Auditorium for two performances of “Cinderella,” the high school fall musical.
• The city of Ely took initial steps toward revising its comprehensive plan.
• Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison held a town hall style meeting in Ely, visiting with area citizens on an assortment of issues.
• Ely’s Sadie Rechichi, Kaija Shultz and Charlotte Hegman all earned all-conference honors in volleyball.
• The Ely Area Lodging Tax Board set aside some lodging tax proceeds for 2026, approving two thirds of the amount requested by the Ely Tourism Bureau, the Ely Chamber of Commerce and the city of Ely. The Chamber and city requests were for staffing and maintenance of the trailhead building and drew protest from the tourism bureau, which maintained it should continue to receive 95 percent of the monies collected via the tax.
• After school board action, the press box at Ely’s football stadium will be renamed in honor of the late Bill Braun, a longtime Ely teacher and football coach.
• The sighting of a wolf on school grounds stirred passion and debate on social media.
• The Ely School District held a Veterans Day program at the the high school gymnasium, drawing attendance from both the entire student body and the community.
• Ely senior Via DeBeltz placed seventh in the 500 freestyle and medaled in the Section 7A high school girls swim meet, held in Duluth.
• Ely’s Chix with Stix women’s hockey team won a tournament at Marquette, Mich.
• Amid growing controversy over the prevalence of wolves, U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber renewed his call to delist the gray wolf from federal protection.
• The Ely Marathon was “put on pause,” amid the closure of the Pebble Spa, which have the same owners.
• The Fall Lake Board voted to seek funding for road improvements in the township.
• Twin Metals Minnesota proposed a new drilling program that would involve 19 borings east of Babbitt.
• Several people protested to the Ely City Council in the wake of Ely Area Lodging Tax Board representative Paul Kess’ vote to fund just two-thirds of what was requested by the Ely Tourism Bureau. Some asked that Kess be replaced on the board by a city council member.
• Northwoods Partners’ annual Festival of Trees began at the Grand Ely Lodge.
• Vermilion Community College began its men’s basketball season with new leadership, as Matt Shonder has stepped in as head coach to replace Dawson Dickson, who left to take a similar job in New Hampshire.
• Northeast Range/Ely won the Section 7A high school girls academic swimming championship, with a team grade point average of 3.97.
• Continued deficits have taken their toll on Ely School District reserves, with fund balances falling $2.5 million to $1.1 million in five years and raising the threat of statutory operating debt designation.
• A community survey commissioned by Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital identified mental health services, dental care and specialty care among the priorities identified by respondents.
• Lake County is developing plans for a new Tomahawk Road and the rehabilitation of the Stony River Bridge.
• Ben Johnson returned as the new head hockey coach for the Ely Timberwolves. Johnson also led the program from 2015-21.
• The Minnesota State High School League featured Ely High School in a monthly spotlight of member schools.
DECEMBER
• A request that Paul Kess be replaced as Ely’s representative on the Ely Area Lodging Tax Board was rejected by the city council on a 6-1 vote. Council member Emily Roose sought to replace Kess after he disregarded a council recommendation that the Ely Area Tourism Bureau receive 95 percent of lodging tax proceeds in 2026.
• Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital lost $1.3 million in the fiscal year that ended in September, according to figures released at the hospital’s annual meeting. Declines in visitor traffic helped lead to the loss.
• The Ely Police Department investigated reports that packages were being stolen from the doorsteps of area homes.
• The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board awarded the city of Ely a $150,000 grant for the reconstruction of four blocks of Pattison Street in 2026.
• Ely seniors Jayden Zemke and Jesse Oelke received all-district recognition for high school football.
• Declines in school enrollment led to a roughly 10 percent drop in the Ely School District’s property tax levy for 2026.
• Despite a roughly five percent increase in the city of Ely’s property tax levy, overall property taxes for most Ely property owners are set to go down next year, according to estimates released by the city of Ely.
• The Ely Folk School completed renovations to its kitchen.
• The Ely School Board approved a new contract agreement with the union that represents many school staff members. The deal with the AFSCME local includes a $500 stipend for 2025-26 and a subsequent 0.75 percent pay scale hike the following year.
• The Firewise program was a leading topic of discussion as Morse Town Board members held their monthly meeting.
• Three-pointers rained down from the Chisholm Bluestreaks as they beat Ely during a high school girls basketball game held at Target Center on the home court of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx.
• Facing criticism from supporters of VisitEly (Ely Area Tourism Bureau), members of the Ely Area Lodging Tax Board delayed release of funds set aside from lodging tax proceeds for 2026.
• The lodging tax discussions grew more testy as VisitEly declined a request by Ely’s Paul Kess that the group release contractor wage data.
• One Ely business, Clark/Voyageur Short Stop, failed a compliance check by Ely police related to the sale of cannabinoid edibles.
• The Ely Community Center announced the winners of its holiday lighting contest, including homes at 730 East Pattison, 20 East Wilson, 116 South 15th Avenue East, 945 East James, and 231 South 10th Avenue East.
• President Trump signed the Congressional Gold Medal Act honoring the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, a group that included Buzz Schneider of Babbitt.
• Longtime Ely High School Boys Basketball Head Coach Tom McDonald bagged his 600th career win when the Wolves blew out Floodwood. McDonald, who has coached at Ely since 1990, was presented the game ball by the team’s seniors.
• Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich announced that she would seek the State Senate seat held by Grant Hauschild, setting up a rematch of a close 2022 race won by Hauschild.
• A grim financial picture was painted at an Ely School Board study session, where members reviewed the latest numbers and began the discussion about cost-cutting measures for next year, even though the current budget year is only six months old.
• Projections showed as many as 51 high school students could take advantage of the post secondary enrollment options program and take courses at Vermilion Community College in 2026-27, which would cost the Ely schools more than $460,000 in revenue.
