Breaking News

ON TOUR - the Ely Rotary Club and the Rotary Interact Club along with their guests went on a behind-the-scenes tour with Tanner Ott to see all the exciting work happening at the State Theater.

In Costa Rica were Jeff Artnz, JoLynn Arntz, Lavern Murphy, Janae Murphy, Jere Murphy and Dawson Murphy - and they had their Ely Echo along!

EASTER BASKETS for Doris and Bud Adamic were
presented by Ely American Legion Auxiliary members
Chotsie Harri and Patti Buffington last week. Photo
by Nick Wognum.

Scott M. Johnson, 65, of Ely, passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at his home surrounded by his family. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

The Morse town board is hoping the state will come through with funding for a broadband project.
Extending broadband to areas in Morse that have dial-up type service was discussed at a meeting Tuesday night.
State Rep. Rob Ecklund is the chief author of a bill that would provide $15 million in 2019, $35 million in 2020 and $35 million in 2021 for broadband projects across the state.
A senate bill has no funding for 2019 and $30 million in 2020.
Ecklund said Thursday his bill has been moving ahead in the House.
“It’s been added to the jobs bill as an article in it. We’ll be voting on it the first Tuesday after Easter recess.
“To speak to Morse Township and Fall Lake Township, I’ve talked to Dana McKenzie at the Office of Broadband and she figures both those areas should qualify if there’s a provider that comes up with a proposal request.

Another classmate has been taken from us. Richard Mobilia passed away on February 28. My condolences to his family.
Richard and I had a great working relationship as bus boys at Vertin’s Restaurant when it was located in the Forest Hotel building. We worked so well together the waitresses would actually request our services during the busy summer months when the tourists flocked to Ely.
The two of us kept the tables and booths clean so customers could make their menu choices, pay their bill and leave a generous tip for their server which was sometimes shared with us. During the busy summer months we worked without taking a break. Those white jackets we had to wear had us sweating like gladiators. We had all this fun for a salary of fifty cents an hour, a small fortune in those days.

William “Bill” Campbell, 84, of Ely, passed away on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the Boundary Waters Care Center. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

Boundary Waters Advisory Committee will present “Volunteers to Bring Back the Powwow Trail” on April 16, at noon at the Tuesday Group meeting Grand Ely Lodge.
Martin Kubik, lifelong BWCAW trails advocate, will talk about how volunteers, in collaboration with the US Forest Service and Frost River are working to restore the historic Powwow Trail, which was ravaged by the Pagami Creek Fire in 2011.
Emerging from ashes, this trail is now rising amidst of new, vigorous, green growth of healthy jack pine forest.
BWA Committee, a grass roots non profit has now worked since the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire to restore the favorite hiking trail.
Although the path was cleared by the Forest Service crews after the fire, the USFS ceased maintenance and thousands of trees fell across the path while a vigorous growth of jack pines has obliterated the trail, making it impassable.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: this week the Echo previews Ely’s baseball and softball teams. Track to be featured next week)

by Tom Coombe -

Want to get to know Ely better? Want to discover what’s happening in the Ely schools abd college?

You can't miss with the Ely Echo. Interesting columnists and a special treat this week - Photos from {Just about everybody reads the Ely Echo!”
Readers who travel take along their Echo to share in exotic places around the world. This week they were in Chicago, Texas, on a cruise, Oklahoma and Thailand.
If you have one, send it in. As soon as there is space, we’ll get it in to share with over 7,000 Echo readers! Email it and the info to: thepub@elyecho.com