News

Approaching news with open eyes and minds, that's what the Echo team provides its readers. Not the gossip of social media. You can count on Echo reporters facts.

FLOODING in Whiteside Park as well as on Sheridan and Pattison streets when a storm blew in Saturday night and dropped over two inches of rain in a short period. Photo courtesy Ely Police Department.

CURB AND GUTTER has been installed on 19th Ave. East, west of Vermilion Community College. Photo by Cam Weisert.

by Tom Coombe -

WORK CONTINUES on the waterline project between the city of Ely’s water tank and treatment plant. The project does not call for excavating or shutting down Sheridan Street. Photo by Anne Swenson.

Ely Senior Lunch Program is daily 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Join Ely area seniors for a daily lunch. Must be 60 years of age. Ely’s Senior Center 27 S. 1st Ave E, Ely.

Ely Marathon & Boundary Waters Bank Half Marathon, September 21, 2018 - September 22, 2018. Friday night kicks off with the Northern Lights 5K Glow Run at 7 p.m. Saturday morning the full marathon starts.

ATV Ride for Special Olympics Minnesota on Saturday, September 22. Start time is 10 am. This ride is guided by the Prospector Loop ATV Club and the Babbitt ATV Club.Wrap up BBQ at Silver Rapids Lodge and Karaoke by Ed Ely. 5 pm (open to the public) Registration is $25, day of the ride, $30. All proceeds go to the Northland 300 Ride for Special Olympics Minnesota.

Today, Sept. 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service published Advance Notices announcing its plan to revise two parts of the agency’s locatable mineral regulations. The Forest Service seeks public comment on its work to improve outdated and inefficient regulations for locatable minerals(link is external) and oil and gas resources on national forest lands.
“This is one of many efforts that our agency is undertaking to focus on our priority of regulatory reform,” said interim Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen. “Our goal is to make our processes as simple and efficient as possible while ensuring a sustainable environment for future generations.”

by Nick Wognum -

Ely area voters have a chance this week to see and hear from the candidates for a soon-to-be-vacant seat on the St. Louis County Board.
A public forum Thursday night at Vermilion Community College presents that opportunity, with Paul McDonald and Bernie Mettler both set to participate.
The event begins at 7 p.m. in the college theater.
Hosted by the local chapter of the American Association of University Women and Ely’s Rotary Club, the forum brings together the last two candidates remaining in the race to succeed retiring commissioner Tom Rukavina.
Mettler, who hails from Embarrass, finished first among seven candidates in an August primary while Ely’s McDonald took second.
Scheduled to be moderated by the Ely Echo’s Tom Coombe, the forum will include opening and closing statements from both candidates as well as an extended question-and-answer session on topics relevant to the role of county commissioner.

There was some progress in a dispute over 60 acres of tax forfeited land near the old city dump on Lookout Ridge Road.
With St. Louis County Comissioner Tom Rukavina mediating, representatives from Ely and the Town of Morse met on Wednesday morning.
Rukavina tabled the matter at Tuesday’s county board meeting and Morse recesed its regular meeting Tuesday night so both Terry Soderberg and Len Cersine could attend the meeting Wednesday. Mayor Chuck Novak represented the city council.
For the township, the issue comes down to annexation. If the city was able to acquire the 60 acres, it could work with landowner Ross Petersen to create an annexation corridor to the old city dump property.
City operations director Harold Langowski said the city is looking for funding to clean up the dump site and turn it into a housing development. Novak said the city could also look at light development in the line of a clothing company in the future.