News

You’ll quickly note that the Ely Echo is active in the community and on top of hometown news. The reason?

Because we live here, work and volunteer here, our kids go to school here, we pay taxes here. AND we have a commercial office building and address in Ely’s business district!

Our many readers have made us the largest circulation weekly newspaper in the area with more than double the number of readers than other area newspapers.

We take pride in supporting the Ely area with our newspaper, our time and our expertise as printers and publishers.

Subscribe by email as PDFs for $35 a year. Our website is free to all and holds about 10% of the weekly newspaper....

CO-WINNER of the Ely Chamber of Commerce’s Good Neighbor Business Award was Zup’s Food Market. Accepting the award from board member Chuck Zeugner was Jim Zupancich.

CO-WINNER of the Ely Chamber of Commerce’s Good Neighbor Business Award was Ely Northland Market. Accepting the award from board member Chuck Zeugner was Jim Richards.

TALKING LOGGING WERE Todd Piro of Fox News, Ely logger Mike Neielsen and Scott Dane of the Association of Contract Loggers and Truckers of Minnesota. Logger Elroy Kuehl invited the Echo’s Nick Wognum to travel with them for the day. For the full article and Nick’s photos, see this week’s Ely Echo. You’ll gain an understanding of the importance of this Ely industry and its future in the article. Ely’s hometown newspaper brings you news and insight into your neighbors and Ely traditions to broaden your understnading into this unique area. If you’re not yet a subscriber, open your mind and subscribe to the only true local newspaper with offices on Chapman Street in Ely’s downtown business section where visitors are welcome!

by Tom Coombe -

Patients at Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital will soon benefit from studies using the latest in x-ray technology made possible through a grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust’s Rural Healthcare Program.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital $595,455 for a fixed digital x-ray machine with fluoroscopy and a mobile digital x-ray machine, part of a $14.2 million initiative to upgrade x-ray technology at 49 rural hospitals in the Upper Midwest.
“We are very proud and excited to receive this incredible grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust,” said Michael Coyle, Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital CEO. “These funds will allow us to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and expanded services to Ely and our entire service area. We are very grateful for this opportunity.”

by Tom Coombe
Ely School Board members will search for another part-time superintendent to replace the departing Kevin Abrahamson.
They made that decision unanimously at a special meeting Monday, after briefly considering other options during their monthly study session earlier the same evening.
Until mid-April, the district will post for a .6 full-time equivalent superintendent and the board endorsed a timeline that would include interviews by the end of the month and perhaps selection of a new chief executive as soon as May.
Board members seemed largely satisfied with the district’s current administrative configuration, in place since Abrahamson was hired in 2015, and chose to maintain the superintendent position at .6 FTE rather than pursue other ideas that were floated.

by Tom Coombe
A nationally-recognized speaker is set to deliver the keynote address at an annual event sponsored by the Ely Chamber of Commerce.
Lynne Jensen Nelson, a former Fortune 500 company manager who founded an organization to inspire groups to excel and reach their potential, will speak Tuesday at Grand Ely Lodge for the “Smile, You’re in Ely” event put on by the Ely Chamber of Commerce.
Social hour begins at 5 p.m., with a dinner to follow and a program starting at 6:30 p.m.
Now in its 28th year, the Chamber “Smile” event includes a social, dinner and program at Grand Ely Lodge (5 p.m.) and serves as an annual meeting of sorts for the business organization..
Organizers annually choose a speaker to deliver an engaging and often inspirational message, and this year they’ve turned to Nelson.

News of our families, school children important events, news of area businesses, a variety ,of opinions, sports, columninsts. This week the Ely Echo's ShagE Lake Ice Out Contest wrapped up for entries - Spring is on its way! Want to try out the Echo's email edition? send me an email (thepub@elyecho.com) and I'll send you a sample.

Chelesnik named Unsung Hero
WRAPPING UP the Ely Echo’s Unsung Hero award for 2019, the final nomination was from Jim Garni (right) for long-time neighbor David Chelesnik. Garni wrote: “For the past three years, Dave has been keeping our driveway and sidewalks clear of snow all winter. He has done this on his own without us even asking, So great to have a neighbor like that. So nice to come home to a house with the driveway and sidewalks clear of snow. Thanks Dave!” Garni said of David Chelesnik’s shoveling and kind care, “I’m happy that he does this. I appreciate it. Never had to ask him to do it. I keep telling him he doesn’t need to do it but he says: “I need the exercise....” And I said, “Yes he does...(Don’t we all.)” ... “I appreciate it, I’ll tell you that.” David, “We’ve been neighbors almost 50 years. I know more about the outside of his house than he does....” Good neighbors... they stood and talked a while longer... Photo by Pam Roberts