Breaking News

by Tom Coombe -

Another Ely business is slated to close, one of the two dollar stores, to go along with the Ely Bowling Alley. Jobs are lost and the area suffers financially.
At city hall this past week the council was smart enough to shop local when buying a vehicle for the police department. Those dollars will help keep Mike Motors in Ely.
We only wish the council had that in mind when they decided to send money to Tower to have the city legals published. Those dollars are gone and this local newspaper suffers. With the loss of Shopko, it’s been a double whammy for a small business trying to make payroll and as an added bonus, the first half of property taxes this week.
Business owners know every time someone goes out of town for a product or even a medical procedure, those dollars go away and don’t come back. We’d like to see the law changed where cities and school districts have to hire local employees, but that’s another issue.

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.

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Women of Grace Quilters had a busy and productive winter sewing a variety of quilts which filled all the Grace Lutheran church pews recently. Now they are raising funds to ship the donation. The women include: Marge Haugen, Val Lovsness, Corinne Beals, Shirley Parish and Shirley Ronn.

A GRAND REOPENING at Sir G’s Italian Restaurant in Ely, after a sewer line break caused major water damage at the popular Ely eatery. Ely Chamber of Commerce representative Mary Zupancich (right) spoke at the May 2 grand reopening celebration, as owners Dan and Heidi Peace cut the ribbon with their daughter, Jade. Photo by Tom Coombe

GRAND OPENING of Gracie’s Plant Works at 22 West Sheridan Street was held on Friday, May 3 with an official ribbon cutting by the City of Ely and the Ely Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Eva Sebesta.

Teams and individuals from Study North participated in the Celebration Talent Competition at Symphony Hall, DECC in Duluth - April 5-7 All of the teams scores qualified them for an opportunity to compete at Nationals this summer in Minneapolis and Wisconsin Dells.

Mini Competition Team: Audrey Engen, Isabelle Chick, Evelie Cooley-Cramer, Cylvia DeBeltz, Grace Flynn, Aila Harding, Sabrah Hart, Madison Jonas, Bria Marshall, Chezne Nickolson, Charlee Nielsen, Jesse Oelke, Ella Perish, Tracy Thibodeaux, Rhys Truty. Hip Hop Routine - High Gold Award and Category Winner; Jazz Routine - High Gold Award

More photos in this week’s Ely Echo - on newsstands today! Parent of a dancer at Studio North? You can order copies on the Echo website.

Fleet Reserve Association awarded Dick Zahn of Ely with a 50 year membership pin and dinner for volunteers at Veterans on the Lake last week. Dick Zahn is awarded for 50 year membership with the Fleet Reserve Association. The members of Viking Branch 136 represented by secretary Gene Jernigan, paid tribute to their shipmate Dick Zahn for his long, loyal and diligent service. Zahn received a 50 year gold lapel pin and certificate commemorating his service since 1968. Photo by Pam Roberts.