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Beginning October 1, 2018, recreation reservation services on the Superior National Forest were upgraded within the nation-wide recreation.gov website. These include stronger security controls, better protection of Personally Identifiable Information, and increased fraud protection. The new system also enables real-time notification of availability and reservation of campsites in Superior National Forest developed campgrounds as well as Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) quota permits.
In addition, as of January 2019, the Forest will implement a 2017 administrative decision to make all BWCAW quota permits, for all entry points, available for reservation using the first come, first served model. This new, modernized system provides a simpler, more efficient, and equitable way for the public to reserve BWCAW quota permits and offers improved tools for people to plan their trips.

The Town of Morse board approved a paving project if the contractor can get the work done this year.
The board greenlighted the $101,293 quote from Mesabi Bituminous for the Cedar Lake Road project.
Board chair Terry Soderberg said he spoke with Tom Nemanich of Mesabi Bituminous who told him the company may be able to get it done yet this year depending on the weather.
Soderberg said he heard from the DNR and they are no longer interested in buying Gusty Island on Burntside Lake. He said the Trust for Public Land is either going to keep it or sell it but will have to continue to pay property taxes on it.
Soderberg said the DNR told him there are other parcels in Morse that don’t have other revenues coming from them and may be able to be sold in the future.
Soderberg said the township is still trying to get the $700,000 the county took off the tax roles.

by Tom Coombe -

by Tom Coombe -
Students at Ely Memorial High School graduate at a much higher rate than their counterparts statewide.
That was one of the takeaways from a report delivered by high school principal Megan Anderson earlier in the month.
Ely’s seven-year graduation rate is nearly 98 percent, compared to an 87 percent rate for all Minnesota high school students.
“It’s really great to be 10 percent above the state average, which is where we’ve historically been,” Anderson told school board members at their Oct. 8 meeting.
The data is compiled by the Minnesota Department of Education, and the seven-year average tracks students through their high school years and three additional years.
Ely also fares above the state averages for graduation within four years.
About 88 percent of Ely’s students graduate within four years of beginning ninth grade, up from an 82.7 percent rate across Minnesota.
Proficiency tests

The Ely area includes the surrounding townships of Morse, Fall Lake and Eagles Nest and the City of Winton. The Echo knows the people who reside in the area and are proud to have them as subscribers and readers. The Echo by email is sent out on Friday mornings and is a complete news version in full color. It is $30 for a full year, sent anywhere in the world! Great for when you're traveling and away from home. Call 218-365-3141

UP, UP AND AWAY - Students in a science class at Ely High School prepared to release a weather balloon Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Field before the entire student body. The balloon is on its way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as it gathers weather readings along the way. Photo by Tom Coombe.

Ely Cub Scout Pack 170 went out to Veterans on the Lake on Saturday, Oct. 13 to do some fall clean up. SCOOPING UP pine needles were Brennan Rue, Jack Rintala, Cubmaster Zach Rue, Laydan Hart, Talan Hart, Myles Scharber, Blake Stalboerger, Sawyer Anderson and Ayden Scharber.ers helping out included: Zach Rue, Ayden Scharber, Tommy Kerntz, Brennan Rue, Sawyer Anderson, Brooks Brenny, Sawyer Anderson, Elliot Eastham, Ella Rue; 2nd Row-Ayden Scharber, Laydan Hart, Chance Wavrin, Jack Rintala, Brennan Rue, Lucas Stalboerger, Grady Anderson, Talan Hart, Brooks Brenny, Tommy Kerntz, Myles Scharber, Annika Eastham; 3rd Row-Stefanie Scharber, Ryan Anderson, Megan Anderson, VFW Commander Mike Pope, Seija Packila, Cubmaster Zach Rue, Dan Hart, Tom Kerntz, Beth Stalboerger. Cubmaster Zach Rue along with Ayden Scharber, Brennan Rue, Jack Rintala, Tommy Kerntz, Sawyer Anderson and Brooks Brenny.

SNOW IN OCTOBER - Kada Basarich got an introduction to snow with the cold weather that hit Ely last week. Photo by Pam Roberts.

CAPTURED by photographer Eric Sherman were a calf and a yearling moose wandering a gravel road.

Minnesota Power announced today that it will install four electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, each supported by a 5-kilowatt solar installation, in the region where the company provides electricity.
The charging stations will be located in Ely, Virginia, Two Harbors and Motley.
Construction began last week in Ely and crews will move south to the other charging stations, with all expected to be complete by the end of the year.
The four charging stations are part of Minnesota Power’s plan to build a charging network in northeastern Minnesota to provide more charging options for motorists.