Breaking News

Robert "Bob" Kovall, 99, of Ely, a proud U.S. Army veteran, passed away today, Monday March 25, 2019 at the Boundary Waters Care Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Kerntz Funeral Home.

Ely suffered another blow to the local economy when Shopko announced all stores would close in June. While this is an example of corporate mismanagement and the impact of Amazon, losing a major business hurts Ely.
First and foremost we will have employees who will be out of a job. Efforts are underway by Up North Jobs to help these people find employment when the paychecks stop. There are jobs that will be available at the time of year, but not many that are year-round.
Our tourism economy provides jobs for people during the summer months but when restaurants, resorts and stores close in the fall, those jobs disappear.
The impact even hits us at the Ely Echo. We have been inserting Shopko flyers in our paper for years and had inserts scheduled out into May. Not only will we lose that business going forward, we’re likely going to be out $3,000 in bills the company now claims it will not pay.

There are times when the agenda sent out for an Ely City Council meeting is more interesting reading than any news report of the same meeting afterward.
For instance, what caught my eye on the agenda before the March 19 meeting is that therein are minutes from all the city’s committees: Parks & Rec, DGGHTrust, Housing & Rehab, P & Z, Heritage, Budget, Employee Relations, Utilities Commission, Ely Steering ABC minutes and more. One plan noted is for: “Google My Business listings will make it easy for Ely businesses to manage their business profiles so that they can stand out online. Currently most businesses have no information provided. There are 130 businesses in the downtown area. Budget $9,514.” Make that 129 businesses. Another business is also now closing.

by Tom Coombe
The Ely City Council’s decision to send its legal publishing business came with a price - one of nearly $4,000.
Earlier this week, council members approved payment of $3,855 to the Klun Law Firm, for legal fees associated with the dispute over the January decision to name the Tower-based Timberjay as the city’s officials newspaper.
The decision prompted legal and ethical challenges, was revisited at a pair of subsequent council meetings and led to the formation of a task force, which held a secret meeting to discuss the issue.
It also resulted in hours of work for city attorney Kelly Klun, who was directed by council members to look into the matter and prepared extensive packets of information as the controversy erupted.

Leroy Jenson, 73, Embarrass, passed away Friday, March 22, 2019 in Ely Bloomenson Hospital with wife Pam by his side. Arrangements and full obituary are pending with Kerntz Funeral Home, Ely.

Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) made the following statement applauding the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to issue its Section 404 wetlands permit and Record of Decision for the NorthMet Project, the final permit needed to begin development of northeastern Minnesota’s valuable natural resources.

“This decision is excellent news as PolyMet now holds all necessary permits to construct and operate a project bringing prosperity to our region for decades,” said Stauber. “Families in northeastern Minnesota have been waiting fourteen years, throughout the longest environmental review in our state’s history, for PolyMet to begin mining the NorthMet ore body. This project will create hundreds of jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue for improvement of our infrastructure and schools.”

St. Paul, Minn., March 22, 2019 – Poly Met Mining, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PolyMet Mining Corp. (together “PolyMet” or the “company”) TSX: POM; NYSE American: PLM, announced today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued its Record of Decision and Section 404 wetlands permit for the NorthMet Project. Along with recently issued state permits, PolyMet now holds all necessary permits to construct and operate the NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals mine and processing plant located near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota.

by Tom Coombe -

New recycling locations eyed, looking for public land;

Seniors’ annual Washington D.C. trip turns 25

Shopko to shutter all of its stores by mid-June

New recycling locations eyed, looking for public land

Piragis makes state list - Ely business named one of Minnesota’s “essential outdoor stores”

Paper dispute costs city $4K

Cabaret starts its two week run at VCC on Thursday, March 28

AND PHOTOS GALORE!
Isn't it time YOU subscribed to Ely's HOMETOWN newspaper? Locally owned with offices on Chapman Street

ON THE BENCH - Blake Schaller, Peyton Gregory, Tommy Homer, Owen Brekke and Kaiden Zupancich watch Ty Walker pass the puck in the Pee Wee B State Tournament in Plymouth.

by Tom Coombe -