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by Tom Coombe
This host team was no pushover.
Ely didn’t earn its way into this year’s Junior Legion Division II State Baseball Tournament, but one wouldn’t have known that based on the results.
Post 248 picked up one win in the tournament and nearly knocked off the eventual state champion while finishing sixth in the eight-team field.
In the opening round, Ely gave unbeaten Montevideo a scare before falling 4-3 before a huge opening night crowd at Veterans Memorial Field.
The consolation round game on Aug. 5 was even more exciting for Post 248, which got a shutout from pitcher Drew Marolt and the defensive play of the weekend from outfielder Sam Leeson in a 1-0 win against Hayfield.
Sleepy Eye pulled away in the seventh inning for a 6-2 win over the hosts in Saturday’s consolation final but by then, a young Ely team had turned more than a few heads.

by Tom Coombe
Two local mayors scored convincing Republican primary wins Tuesday, taking the next step in their respective bids to represent the region in St. Paul.
Babbitt’s Andrea Zupancich won the primary in State Senate District 3 while Ely’s Roger Skraba cruised in House District 3A.
Both racked up huge margins on their home turf and finished with just shy of 70 percent of the vote in their spacious districts.
Zupancich, who hopes to succeed longtime area legislator and State Sen. Tom Bakk, will face Democrat Grant Hauschild in the November general election.
Skraba moves on to face the incumbent Democrat, State Rep. Rob Ecklund of International Falls.
While both Zupancich and Skraba won party endorsement earlier in the year, both wound up with primary opposition.
Zupancich defeated former iron mining industry lobbyist Kelsey Johnson, racking up 69 percent of the vote and winning the raw vote 5,762-2,581.

by Tom Coombe
Fears turned into reality Monday, when Ely school officials decided to push back the start of the 2022-23 school year because of the slow-moving construction project on campus.
Rather than Sept. 6, the first day of students is now set for Monday, Sept. 12, following a 5-0 vote of the school board.
The move was recommended by district administrators.
“We need to get in front of this now,” said superintendent John Klarich. “I don’t want to drop a bomb on the public and the students five days before school is going to start.”
Klarich cited a “double whammy,” both the work being done on the exterior of the campus and uncertainties whether the interior can be cleaned and readied in time, as culprits for the recommendation.
“I’m most worried about out front, having that paved,” said Klarich. “Any delay in that and we will not have that available to us on what would be the first day of school.”

by Nick Wognum
Calvin Herrala was born 98 years ago in Ely’s Tanner Hospital. On Aug. 4 he was recognized for his World War II service with a Quilt of Valor.
He was one of a number of veterans saluted by the Ely Baseball Association at an opening night program in conjunction with the start of the Minnesota Junior Legion Baseball Division II State Tournament.
Herrala grew up in Ely and would graduate from high school in 1942. According to his daughter, Jennifer Herrala Webb, Calvin came home one day in the spring of 1943 and found a postcard telling him to report to Fort Snelling.
“He had applied to a program the year before where he could go right into the Army through an educational program,” said Webb.
Calvin Herrala entered the service in April of 1943.
On May 22, 2010, Webb contacted her dad, Calvin Herrala, and asked him to again tell the story of how “he won World War II.”

Races for the state legislature often don’t generate a lot of attention. Sure, locally they do but if you’re looking for the latest polls in a primary, you’re going to have to look further up the ballots.
Both Ely mayor Roger Skraba and Babbitt mayor Andrea Zupancich were confident going into Tuesday’s primary election. But until the votes were tabulated, anything was possible for the two Republicans.
By 11 p.m. it was apparent Skraba would go on to challenge Rep. Rob Ecklund and Zupancich would face Democrat Grant Hauschild to replace retiring Sen. Tom Bakk.
First hurdle down, the biggest one yet to go. There is a lot on the line for the Ely area which could have local representation in St. Paul for the first time. In the past decades it’s been Cook, Orr, International Falls and Two Harbors that have enjoyed one of their residents voting in St. Paul.

Arrests/Citations:
• Traffic Stop- Individual issued a citation for Driving after Revocation.
Complaints:
• Animal Disturbance- Officers were contacted about two dogs in a vehicle. The owner of the vehicle was located and the air conditioner was on.
• Loud Music- Officers were contacted about loud music that was playing. Officers were unable to locate the music.
• Medical- Officers assisted the Ely Ambulance with a medical.
• Disturbance- Officers were called about a person walking around talking on the phone yelling. Officers were unable to locate the person.
• Loud Music- Officers were contacted about loud music that was playing. Officers were unable to locate the music.
• Medical- Officers assisted the Ely Ambulance with a medical.
• Public Assist- Individual applied for a permit to purchase.
• Public Assist- Individual applied for a permit to purchase.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The City of Winton is seeking applications for a part time Deputy Clerk position for 4 hours per week. For more information and to obtain a job description and application form, please contact Anne Jackson, Winton City Clerk at 218-365-5941 or email wintoncityclerk@gmail.com. Applications should be received by 5:00pm, September 5, 2022.

MEETING NOTICE

The September Regular Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 due to the Labor Day holiday.

CALL FOR BIDS

STATE OF MINNESOTA
COUNTY OF ST. LOUIS
DISTRICT COURT
SIXTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

No. 69DU-CV-22-1281

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

In the Matter of the Petition of National Bank of Commerce in Relation to Certificate of Title No. 331682 issued for land in the County of St. Louis and State of Minnesota.

TO: The Unknown Heirs of John W. Bodin, Todd Halvorson, Barbara Richards and Occupants.

Let Us Pause To Honor the Memory of
Raymond Joseph Godward, Jr.

by Tom Coombe
A somewhat quiet primary election season comes to a head this week.
Voters in the Ely area and across the state will go to the polls on Tuesday, but few races seem to have captured much attention.
Within the Ely city limits, a three-candidate field for mayor will be trimmed to two.
Across the area, the contest that may be the most competitive is a Republican primary for State Senate, with Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich, who has the party endorsement, facing off with former mining industry lobbyist Kelsey Johnson.
St. Louis County also has one high-profile contest, with three candidates vying to move on to the general election for county sheriff..
Primary elections typically don’t generate the turnout of general elections in the fall when sometimes 80 percent or more of the electorate cast ballots.