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A caretaker at Silbey Manor apartments is being credited with putting out a fire on Thursday morning.
Michelle Milton of the Ely HRA said while putting out fires isn’t part of Brian Boettcher’s job description, “basically he saved our building.”
Milton said a new resident was cooking pork chops and left the apartment for a short time. When she returned the stove had started on fire.
Boettcher heard the commotion in the apartment and went to help.
“He went in and saw the flames and the smoke so he grabbed the fire extinguisher and tried to put the fire out,” said Milton. “He had it out but it started up again so he asked her if she had a wool blanket and he put that on top of the fire and it put it out.”
The apartment suffered fire damage to the stove and the range hood along with smoke damage.

by Tom Coombe -

Ely's Luke Olson will battle for a state high school track championship on Saturday.

After Friday's preliminaries, the Ely junior is in first place in the 800 meter run at the state meet in St. Paul. Olson had the fastest time among 18 runners competing in three heats on a sweltering 90-degree day on the campus of Hamline University.

The Section 7A champion finished in 1:55.84 and was one of nine competitors to move on to the finals, set for approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Olson was the only Ely athlete to reach the finals - as the remainder of the Wolves' state individual and relay qualifiers were unable to advance past the preliminaries.

Junior Eric Omerza came the closest to moving on, finishing one spot away and taking 10th in the triple jump. Teammate Raif Olson competed in the 300 hurdles and was 16th, while the Ely boys' four-by-400 relay of Omerza, Nate Nettifee, Emmett Faltesek and Raif Olson was also 16th.

Dear Editor:
Anti-mining groups and politicians rail against copper nickel mining, but never mention the six-year EIS that was already completed in 2012.
In December 2016, President Obama signed an executive order to withdraw 234,328 acres of land in the Superior National Forest from mining exploration and denied Twin Metals the renewal of their leases.
They never mention that according to the Federal Register, a study was to take ‘up to 2 years’ to determine if a 20-year ban should be placed on future mining and exploration.
When President Trump took office in January 2017, the two-year study began. It ended in 21 months with no new science to require a 20-year ban of copper nickel mining.

No wonder the Echo is the largest circulation north country Ely publication! It’s brimful with color photos and the latest news. A variety of columnists and the O’clock hour introduces you to folks in Ely. Plus you get the North Country Angler and all the fishing news. Sign up for the email edition which is sent as a pdf for just $35 a year. Or oder the print edition you can hold in your hands! 218-365-3141.

CELEBRATING after commencement exercises were the 2019 graduates of Ely Memorial High School by throwing their graduation caps up in the air.

by Tom Coombe -

Flames along Hwy. 1. Photo by Jenn Cole-Foster.

by Tom Coombe -

Connecting for a key hit - Ely’s Tyler Hoousey has been swinging a hot bat for the Wolves. Photo by Joe Bianco

by Tom Coombe -

High School trapshooting across the state of Minnesota completed the final week of the regular season on May 25 but that doesn’t mean the guns get oiled and put away anytime soon.
With the State Championship right around the corner the Babbitt Conservation Club has opened its trap range four nights a week giving athletes more opportunities to shoot as often and as much as they want.
Northeast Range is scheduled to shoot on Thursday, June 13 beginning at 8 a.m. at the Alexandria Shooting Park which is the State Tournament qualifier.
The Club also took time to treat the team to its annual Open House/Fun Shoot. It was a time for the team to pass out season awards, enjoy a BBQ and participate in the Annie Oakley Tournament.
Winning the overall High Gun award this year was Joseph Foster with a season average of 21.33. He also won the boys division with runners up being Josh Pohlman and Tracker Koivisto.

William (Bill) Ojala, 84, of Baxter passed away on Friday, May 31, 2019 at Senior Class Care in Pequot Lakes. Bill was born April 20, 1935 in Ely, MN to Esther (Riikola) and Taito Ojala. Upon graduation from Ely High School, he attended Ely Junior College and received his Associate in Science degree in 1955. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in 1960 at University of Duluth and then a Master of Science Degree at Bemidji State College in 1965. He married Sena Kor in June of 1958. They lived in Bemidj where he taught High School Biology for 13 years. In 1971 he moved his family to Brainerd where he was employed as a job counselor at Rural MN~CEP until his retirement. He enjoyed walks in the woods, reading and music. He could tell you the name of any tree, plant, or bird that he saw.