News

It’s back to distance learning for students at Ely’s Memorial building following a rise in the number of positive Covid tests.
Superintendent Erik Erie confirmed the change on Thursday afternoon.
“The students in the Memorial building will be moving to distance learning starting tomorrow,” said Erie. “They will return on April 6.”
This affects only students in the Memorial building.
“Washington Elementary will be in person as they are now,” said Erie.
He said the change follows more students testing positive for coronavirus.
“The reason is the case count has risen dramatically even in the last day. It went from three at the end of the day yesterday, it had been one, it’s gone up to eight today and we expect possibly some more.
“And the number of groups already in quarantine because of the cases probably necessitates this move.
Erie said the decision was made after discussions with St. Louis County Public Health.

by Tom Coombe
The next steps in Ely’s nearly $20 million school improvement project have come with a shocking development for school officials, staff and students: the Industrial Arts Building must be vacant by April 1.
Earlier talk of a mid-May timeline was upended by a bombshell, which superintendent Erik Erie described as a “shocker to all of us,” that became public at Monday’s school board meeting.
The shocker has created a mad scramble of sorts as school officials look to move industrial arts and music classes to a new location on campus, with Happy Days Preschool in search of a new home as well.
School board chairman Ray Marsnik voiced concerns about the impact on the district’s industrial arts classes while a former board member - James Pointer - went before his former colleagues Monday and argued without success that the district take a different approach.

The Superior National Forest announced that as part of the Great American Outdoors Act four local projects have been selected for fiscal year 2021.
The selected projects will be the first round of improvements to address deferred maintenance on the Forest while improving visitors’ experience.
“The resources we have here at the Superior attract visitors from across the nation and our local communities. We want to provide a quality experience people will remember,”said Aaron Kania, Kawishiwi District Ranger.
“Upgrading and repairing these facilities, trails and campground amenities through Great American Outdoors Act funds will allow us to do just that and better handle increasing visitation.”
The Great American Outdoors Act responds to the growing $5.9 billion backlog of deferred maintenance on national forest and grasslands, which includes $3.7 billion for roads and bridges and $1.5 billion for visitor centers, campgrounds and other facilities.

Acting United States Attorney W. Anders Folk announced March 9 the guilty plea of Jennifer Lynn Boutto, 32, to one count of embezzlement and theft of Tribal funds. Boutto, who was charged by felony information on December 14, 2020, pleaded guilty before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court. A sentencing date will be scheduled at a later time.

by Nick Wognum
The U.S. Forest Service was applying some of its own device to remove fire dangers from around the Kawishiwi Ranger District office in Ely.
With signs on the highway warning of smoke ahead, fires were burned this past week to get rid of balsam trees and other vegetation.
“We’re working on hazardous fuels reduction around our compound. We’re taking out all the balsam, trying to get rid of that fire hazard,” said Backe. “We also have spruce budworm in this area causing problems.”
Backe said there are 25 acres being treated around the complex and some federal land will be treated by the International Wolf Center.
By reducing the balsam and trimming up branches, Backe said landowners can make their properties more resistant to fire.

by Tom Coombe
Customers of the Ely Utilities Commission could soon be in for a case of sticker shock.
Later this spring, utility rate payers in the city may be paying seven percent more for electric service, as part of an increase proposed by the EUC in the wake of wholesale rate hikes implemented by the city’s electric provider- Minnesota Power.
City council members took the first step towards authorizing the consumer rate hike, scheduling a public hearing for March 15 at 5 p.m., prior to the next regular meeting.
Approval by the council is needed before the increase will take place, but members generally approve increases forwarded by the EUC and there were no sign of resistance on Tuesday.
“Seven percent is what we’re getting from Minnesota Power and we can’t absorb it,” said mayor Chuck Novak.
The impact on Ely residents and business owners will depend on their consumption of electricity and current bills.

by Tom Coombe
Thursday was a milestone day, of sorts, at Ely Memorial High School.
For the first time in more than a year, the entire high school student body gathered together.
The occasion was the school’s first pep rally since February, 2020, held as part of Winter Frolic Week.
Julia Schwinghamer was crowned queen and Riley Bishop reigned as king over the festivities, which also included a performance by the school’s dance team and a game of “Big Ball Soccer.”
The pep rally marked another step in a return back to normal at the school, where the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a series of event cancellations, sport shutdowns, schedule adjustments and even long periods of time where school was not in session for in-person learning.
Students in Ely have been back in-person since early-February and the pep rally was put together at the request of the student council.

by Tom Coombe
Ely School Board members got a glimpse of the future on Monday.
Both with a brief video presentation and formal drawings (see in this edition), architects presented a look at the anticipated finished product, once a nearly $20 million school improvement project comes to fruition next year.
At the monthly board study session, the board got both an update and the most detailed look yet at drawings for the centerpiece of the project - a new building that will link the Washington and Memorial buildings.
The new structure will do much more than connect the existing schools, it will serve as the sparkling new entrance to the campus and house a new gymnasium, cafeteria, media center, common spaces, offices and classrooms.
The presentation included drawings (see page 11) that showed the interior of the building from multiple angles, with the gyymnasium at the right of the structure, on the side closest to the Washington building.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, a dog out for a run with its owner had an encounter with a wolf after the dog ran into the woods. The dog sustained injuries that required surgery. A report was made to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources by the dog’s owner, detailing her encounter with the wolf near Burntside Lake. A second encounter occurred on Friday, Feb. 19, around noon on Little Long Lake with what was believed to be the same pack of wolves. Russ and Cathy Vanderboom own the dog that had the second encounter on Little Long Lake.

by Nick Wognum
Eagles Nest Fire Department chief Larry McCray is marking 50 years of being a firefighter.
McCray started his career in Michigan when he was 18 years old.
“I started with my local volunteer fire department right out of high school,” said McCray. “It’s kind of funny, I joined the fire department a month before I got married so I remind my wife of that sometimes, I’m still with the fire service.”
McCray served 30 years in the same department in a Brownstown Township 10 miles south of Detroit, achieving the rank of captain. The township served 32,000 people in a 32-square mile area. The department had 3,800 calls a year.
In 2000 the department went from volunteer to career. McCray left his job as a operations manager for a trucking company to realize his lifelong dream.
“I told my wife this is always what I wanted to do,” said McCray. “And she said do what you want to do.”