News

BACK AT VCC to deliver the commencement address at this year’s Vermilion graduation was Eli Dotts. Dotts graduated from VCC five years ago, went on to Bemidji State University and is now employed as a teacher and coach in western Minnesota. Paul McDonald, who in July will become Dotts’ father-in-law, looked on with college dean Jeff Nelson. Graduation hotos by Eric Sherman

by Tom Coombe -

Congressmen Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber watch as U.S. Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Joe Balash signs the lease agreements.

by Tom Coombe -

As school draws to a close, the summer season awakens. Get all the Ely area news in the Ely Echo. Are you a subscriber? You could be!

WATER WONDER - A drone photo of the power dam and boats fishing in the foam on the opening weekend of the 2019 fishing season. Photo by Bryan Worth.

Martin Kubik of the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee on the Powwow Trail.

CELEBRATING with a ribbon cutting last week for the new CT scanner at the Ely-Bloomenson Hospital during an open house. On hand were Jason Zabokrtsky of the Ely Chamber of Commerce, hospital employees Susan McCormick and Victor Aime, hospital administrator Michael Coyle, Ely mayor Chuck Novak and Dr. Robert L. Savereide. Coyle thanked Jodi Martin for writing the grant used to purchase the machine.

HAVING FUN at the Ely middle school concert on Tuesday were Peyton Gregory, Emile Wojcik, Henry Zgonc, Gabe Mann, Sean Ogburn, Colt Kvistad, and Colton Bramley. Photo by Hailey Worth.

by Tom Coombe -

by Nancy McReady
Lake County Commissioner Pete Walsh attended the Fall Lake Township meeting Tuesday and updated the board on the broadband purchase which will be finalized July 3.
“They will have an investment up in this area with unfinished connections,” said Walsh. He said there is still intention of completing service to Fall Lake.
As to the lodging tax, Walsh said Lake County would be collecting the tax which would be returned to the Ely/Fall Lake area. He said Lake County is also planning to extend the lodging tax to campgrounds.
The last thing Walsh informed the board about was that an appraisal is being done on the Boundary Waters land to recalculate Lake County’s PILT payments.
Supervisor Rod Gruba said he has traveled all the township roads but he and supervisor Craig Seliskar will check all roads again before the June meeting.

Spring load restrictions, which have been in place since mid March, will be lifted next week. Road restrictions will end on Tuesday, May 14, for both the North and North-Central Frost Zones, which cover all of St. Louis County. Certain roads may continue to have load limits based on their particular condition. Signs will clearly mark those roads.