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Articles by Keith Vandervort
Ely Football practices amidst ongoing construction
Keith Vandervort Posted 9/1/22 ELY - The ongoing construction has also made it difficult for the football team, under the direction of second-year head coach Louie Gerzin.Part of the Wolves’ practice field is not usable … This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
Nighthawks have solid outing at I-Falls
Keith Vandervort INTERNATIONAL FALLS – The Northeast Range Nighthawks swim team won three individual events and two relay races last Tuesday at International Falls, but lost the dual meet 104-77. Junior NER swimmer Lily Tedrick added to her record-setting season and won the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:32.11. Junior Kelly Thompson finished the 50 Freestyle in 29.30, for a first-place win, squeaking by International Falls swimmer Esther Anderson’s 30.82.
Ely drops out of high school football playoffs
Keith Vandervort ELY – The Ely High School football team dropped their final regular season game 26-0 to Kelliher/Northhome North Central Stars Wednesday night, and abruptly ended their season this morning by dropping out of the Minnesota State High School League playoffs. ISD 696 athletic director Tom Coombe told the Timberjay on Thursday afternoon, when queried about the Timberwolves’ postseason, “Long-story short, yes and no.
New Ely Zup’s Market to open ‘softly’ next week
Keith Vandervort ELY – The new and expanded Zup’s Market will open next Wednesday, Oct. 27, with what manager Jimmy Zupancich said will be a “soft, soft opening.” Late last week, as wholesale distributors and store employees rushed to fill the endless shelves of the new 35,000-square-foot facility with a plethora of groceries and dry goods, construction crews were putting in lights outside and hanging signage.
Another new school record for NER’s Tedrick
Keith Vandervort CLOQUET – Northeast Range High School’s standout swimmer Lily Tedrick just keeps shaving time off the clock. She broke her own record yet again this month, this time against Cloquet/Esko/Carlton at a dual meet last Thursday. The junior took first place in the 100 Butterfly event with a time of 1:06.90. That broke her previous record of 1:08.00 set earlier this month at the Rock Ridge Triangular.
ISD 696 face-mask strategy remains under development: School board could consider recommendations on Monday
Keith Vandervort ELY - The ISD 696 Ely Safe Learning Plan Advisory Council (ESLPAC) continues to develop a strategy to keep students and staff in classrooms while at the same time minding public health protocols, especially a face mask requirement, to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. More stakeholders were included for the advisory council’s meeting last Thursday, Oct. 14, and another meeting was held on Wednesday, Oct.
Dozens of students quit Ely school since start of year
Keith Vandervort ELY – The administration’s last-minute mandate of requiring face masks indoors at Ely schools as the new school year began apparently led to an unprecedented plunge in school enrollment at ISD 696, as many families followed through on threats to pull their kids out of school because of the requirement intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The smallest enrollment numbers in school history were already reported at the beginning of the school year, 530 students as of Sept.
Ely property owner avoids ‘blight’ action by cleaning up
Keith Vandervort ELY – A blight house issue was resolved by city council members here Tuesday night. A public hearing to discuss a nuisance property at 1061 E Madison St., held prior to the regular meeting, was quickly adjourned following an updated condition report by building official Doug Whitney. He reported that the owner, Greg MacCallum, and tenants Kyle and Lisa Marie MacCallum had cleaned up the property. “We’ve been working with this property for quite some time,” Whitney said.
Ely Veterans Clinic renovation completed
Keith Vandervort ELY - The Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic here just completed a renovation that added 2,400 square feet of remodeled space and 5,040 square feet of new space. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration was held last Friday. The completed project enables the outpatient clinic to provide additional health services, including mental health care, primary and internal medicine, and women’s health care to area military veterans.
Ely School Board takes over decision-making on COVID-19: Rescinds school superintendent’s authority to set pandemic policies
Keith Vandervort ELY – ISD 696 school board members Monday night rescinded the authority of the superintendent here to implement COVID-19 public health mitigation strategies and will approve all changes to school safe learning policies regarding the coronavirus pandemic themselves.
Native American justice project launched in Ely: Awareness ... then change
Keith Vandervort ELY – “Although American Indian women and girls make up just one percent of the state’s population, from 2010 through 2018, eight percent of all murdered women and girls in Minnesota were American Indian. From 27 to 54 American Indian women and girls in Minnesota were missing in any given month from 2012 to 2020.” Those statistics drew gasps of disbelief and hushed murmurs from an overflow crowd at the Grand Ely Lodge here this week as State Sen.
NER’s Tedrick scores two firsts at Rock Ridge tourney
Keith Vandervort REGIONAL – The Northeast Range High School girls swim team scored 101 points competing against six other teams last Saturday at the Taconite Invitational Meet at Mesabi East. Senior swimmer Lily Tedrick continues to shine for the Nighthawks as she took third in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:33.19. She also placed third in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 1:09.94.
Ely Council to interview assistant police chief candidate
Keith Vandervort ELY – The position of Assistant Police Chief for the city of Ely will be filled with candidate interviews conducted by the entire city council. The process was altered following an objection Tuesday night to have an interview committee decide on the department’s second supervisory position.
Ely to host Native American justice project
Keith Vandervort ELY – A Native American justice project, “Awareness…Then Change” will launch Tuesday, Oct. 12 with a Tuesday Group presentation at the Grand Ely Lodge featuring Minnesota State Sen. Mary Kunesh, co-chair of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Task Force. Sen. Kunesh, the daughter and granddaughter of members of the Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Tribe, is the first Native American woman elected to the State Senate.
Wolves’ struggles continue at Cromwell: Drop to 1-4 after 32-8 loss to the Cardinals
Keith Vandervort CROMWELL— A trip to Cromwell did little to ease the Timberwolves’ gridiron struggles last Friday as they lost 32-8 to the Cardinals to drop to 1-4 on the season. Cromwell scored at will in the early going, racking up an 18-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. They added seven more before the break to take a 25-0 lead into the locker room. The Wolves added a single touchdown on a short run by Erron Anderson early in the third quarter.
Ely school board braces for anti-maskers: COVID-19 mandate decisions on agenda for Monday meeting
Keith Vandervort ELY – With two active cases of COVID-19 reported in the Washington school here last week and this, and biweekly case rates continuing an upward spike for the northern part of the county, the school’s protective face mask mandate will likely continue this fall.
NER tops Chisholm for first win of the season
Keith Vandervort CHISHOLM – The Northeast Range High School girls swim team won their first meet of the season at Chisholm last Thursday. The Nighthawks beat the Bluestreaks, 56-36. NER’s Morgan McClelland took first in the 200 Freestyle with a time of 2:21.72, followed by Anna Larson in second in 2:25.85. Lily Tedrick posted a first-place time of 1:07.51 in the 100 Butterfly. McLelland and Lauren Olson finished first and second in the 500 Freestyle with times of 6:47.77 and 7:20.71.
Walls and roof ready to go up at Ely school project
Keith Vandervort ELY – Steel roof joists are on the construction site, and precast wall units will delivered and placed next week for the $20 million building and renovation project for Ely schools. A new senior project manager for Kraus-Anderson took over the project this week. Todd Erickson updated the school board Monday night during a monthly study session.
Another tough outing for T-Wolves: In third straight blowout loss, Ely falls 50-0 to Cherry
Keith Vandervort ELY– The Timberwolves’ troubles on the gridiron continued last Friday as they fell 50-0 to Cherry, dropping their record to 1-3 on the season. It was the third straight blowout loss for the struggling Ely squad. “Offensively, it was not a good game for us, said Coach Louis Gerzin. “Cherry was big up front and we were outplayed on the line of scrimmage.” The Tigers all but shut down the Timberwolves’ offense, allowing just three Ely first downs in the contest.
DFL opens new outreach office in Ely
Keith Vandervort Posted 9/30/21 ELY – Dozens of supporters attended a grand opening celebration here last Sunday for the new office for the St. Louis County DFL Organizing Unit 03. The new headquarters is located at 1311 E. … This item is available in full to subscribers. Please log in to continue E-mail Password Log in Need an account? Print subscribers If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.
Ely school district continues with face mask mandate
Keith Vandervort ELY – As ISD 696 administrators continue to monitor dramatically rising COVID-19 case rate data in the Ely area, revisions to the Safe Learning Reopening Plan for the current school year continue to be made.
Canoe portager shatters own record: Anthony Peter covered 26.2 miles in 4:23.20
Keith Vandervort ELY – A sunny sky, cool temperatures and west winds greeted participants and their fans at the 2021 Ely Marathon races last weekend that returned after a year off in 2020 because of the coronavirus. “We were really happy with the turnout,” said organizer Wendy Lindsay. “We had lots more registrations than previous years.
Another blowout loss for Timberwolves
Keith Vandervort BIGFORK – The Timberwolves suffered their second straight lopsided loss here last Friday as the Huskies’ defense ruled the day on route to a 62-14 win over Ely. “We came up against a very good Bigfork team,” said Ely Head Coach Louis Gerzin. “I thought we did not execute very well defensively.
Enrollment continues to drop at Ely schools
Keith Vandervort ELY – ISD 696 enrollment is down nearly 30 students this year compared to last, according to district administrators. And enrollment kept dropping this week. Enrollment in grades K-12 was reported at 531 students to start the2021-22 school year, down 28 from a year ago at this point. The enrollment figure is also12 less than reported at the end of the previous school year last June.
Ely proposes 4.5-percent property tax levy increase
Keith Vandervort ELY – Property tax payers here are looking at a 4.5-percent levy increase next year. City council members Tuesday night approved a 2022 maximum tax levy of $1,977,900, an increase of $85,600 from the 2021 budget. Council member Paul Kess noted that as the maximum levy amount was set this week, the actual budget and final tax levy will be set in December. “We are hopeful we can bring this down,” he said.
Political group threatens to sue ISD 696
Keith Vandervort ELY – The Ely school district was accused on Wednesday of trampling on the constitutional rights of students and threatened with litigation by Young America’s Foundation over the postponement of the student council’s 9/11 memorial event.
Ely marks 20th anniversary of 9/11
Keith Vandervort ELY –Following ISD 696’s postponement of a 9/11 memorial event that was organized by the school’s student council, an alternative site was found at the last minute for the “Never Forget” Memorial Ceremony last Friday at the Veterans Memorial adjacent to the Trezona Trail. With thousands of American flags positioned around the site, dozens of city residents attended the event that marked the 20th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Ely school board gets an earful on masking
Keith Vandervort ELY – ISD 696 Superintendent Erik Erie came under attack, sometimes personally, by scores of district residents this week who remain upset with the school administration’s 11th–hour decision to mandate the wearing of protective face masks indoors on campus for the beginning of the new school year. The Ely school board met in the Memorial High School gymnasium for their regular monthly meeting Monday night to accommodate the mostly partisan crowd, estimated to be in the hundreds.
Runners, some with canoes, ready for Ely Marathon
Keith Vandervort ELY – Adventurous runners and their fans will descend on this town at the end of the road next weekend for the 5th annual Ely Marathon and Boundary Waters Bank Half Marathon. Some of the 250 registered runners will also bring their canoes to run the 26.2-mile route in the Marathon Portage Division. “This is the only official race of its kind,” Race Organizer Wendy Lindsay said.
Ely safe school advisory council reconvenes
Keith Vandervort ELY – By the second day of the new school year, a confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Ely schools, yet the controversial K-12 face mask mandate was the main topic at the Ely Safe Learning Plan Advisory Council meeting last Thursday. ISD 696 administrators have been forced to defend the controversial measure and indicated that the face-covering requirements will continue for at least another week, and likely longer, while COVID-19 surges in the community.
Greenwood Fire containment at 75 percent
Keith Vandervort REGIONAL: - While the Greenwood Fire grew slightly to nearly 27,000 acres last weekend, the blaze, located southwest of Isabella, was near 75-percent contained by midweek, and the number of fire fighters assigned to extinguish itwas reduced to about 300. The Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 turned over command of the Greenwood Fire to the Type 3 Minnesota Incident Management Team C on Tuesday. Ignited by lightning, and detected on Aug.
Rangers’ offense overpowers Timberwolves
Keith Vandervort ELY – An explosive Rangers offensive was too hot for Ely to handle here last Friday as Mt. Iron-Buhl routed the Timberwolves 72-6. It was a repeat performance for the now 2-0 Rangers, who crushed Hill City in their season opener, 74-6. Rangers quarterback Asher Zubich put on a virtual passing clinic in the early going, as he found senior tight end Hunter Weigel for four touchdown passes in the first half.
Ely city council considers public art project
Keith Vandervort ELY – City council members here expressed concerns at a public hearing this week about the donated bronze canoe sculptures proposed for Whiteside Park, including possible vandalism, safety, location, and the need for two similar pieces of public art. While no citizens participated in the hearing, held prior to the council’s regular business meeting Tuesday night, council members discussed the issue at length.
New Zup’s Market nearing completion in Ely
Keith Vandervort ELY – “My father and my uncles would be so proud of this,” Theresa Jamnick, granddaughter of the original John Zupancich Sr., said as she marveled at the size and scope of the new market set to open here next month. Jamnick is the daughter of Edward Zupancich, who along with five brothers maintained a life of community service by carrying on the grocery tradition across the region. She paid an impromptu visit to the store last Friday and took a quick tour.
Ely school cancels 9/11 tribute event
Keith Vandervort UPDATED: ELY – A special tribute event at Ely school memorializing the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks planned has been called off. In an email announcement to local media on Wednesday afternoon, after the Timberjay’s deadline, Ely Memorial High School 6-12 Principal Megan Anderson wrote, “The Ely Student Council 9/11 Event scheduled for September 10th has been canceled.
Ely’s Harvest Moon Festival runs Friday-Sunday in Whiteside Park
Keith Vandervort ELY – Ely is hosting the 2021 Harvest Moon Festival this weekend in Whiteside Park. This year’s festival will feature about 100 booths filled with arts, crafts, and food. For all of those who missed visiting the Blueberry/Art Festival, which was canceled after a Friday evening storm damaged vendors’ booths, took out power, and felled large trees in Whiteside Park, Harvest Moon is a second chance to browse and shop unique handmade arts and crafts items.
ISD 696 declares mask-to-school mandate
Keith Vandervort ELY –As the 2021-22 school year got underway this week, all students, staff and visitors to Ely schools were required to wear protective face masks due to public health concerns over the spiking coronavirus pandemic in the community.
Greenwood fire at least 50 percent contained
Keith Vandervort REGIONAL – Fire crews working to contain wildfires burning in northeast Minnesota were aided by cool temperatures and scattered rain showers over the last week, and by Tuesday the Greenwood Fire, burning west of Isabella, remained at 26,112 acres and was nearly 50 percent contained. As many as 344 personnel were reported to be working on the fire.
Ely defense snuffs Raptors
Keith Vandervort ELY – A new season, a new coach, and with more than twice as many players in uniform as their opponent, the Timberwolves cruised to a 26-6 home-opening win over Carlton here on Friday night. Ely took the opening kickoff for six, in a drive capped by a five-yard run by junior Erron Anderson. Anderson had a stellar night for Ely, rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the first half. His second score came from two yards out in the second quarter.
Face masks required for all at ISD 696
Keith Vandervort ELY – Beginning immediately, all Ely schools students, staff and visitors are required to wear protective face masks due to public health concerns over the spiking coronavirus pandemic in the community. In a letter to ISD 696 families on Friday, the school administrative team said, “In accordance with new Minnesota Department of Health Guidance, recommendations from local health care providers and the public notice from Essentia Health released (on Sept.
Fire crews work to get the upper hand
Keith Vandervort REGIONAL –More than 500 U.S. Forest Service crew members battling the Greenwood Fire are finally gaining on the 40-square-mile blaze this week. This past weekend the area reportedly received the most rain in a 24-hour period the area around the fire has received all year. More rain was anticipated for later this week. The fire, first spotted on Aug.
NER swimmers post two wins in season opener
Keith Vandervort Posted 9/1/21 BABBITT– The Northeast Range girls swim team finished first in two events Tuesday night in the Nighthawks’ first home meet of the season against International Falls.Anna Larson posted a … This item is available in full to subscribers. Please log in to continue E-mail Password Log in Need an account? Print subscribers If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.
Red Cross staffed Babbitt Municipal Center for evacuees
Keith Vandervort BABBITT – As firefighters welcomed weekend rains to gain a foothold at the 26,000-acre Greenwood Fire, the American Red Cross Northland Chapter’s temporary evacuation shelter at the Babbitt Municipal Center was closed on Monday. Officials said the decision was made due to the changing needs of the people affected by the nearby wildfire. The Red Cross said even though the shelter closed after just a week, services are still available, and to call 1-844-292-7677 for assistance.
NER players to hit the football field for Ely
Keith Vandervort ELY- As the Ely Memorial High School football team hits the field on Friday, Sept. 3, two players from Northeast Range will suit up in red and white as the Timberwolves take on Carlton in their season opener.
Construction material, labor shortages causing school project challenges
Keith Vandervort ELY – Construction timeline changes are starting to creep into the $20 million facilities renovation underway on the Ely school campus. Shortages in both building materials and laborers are continuing challenges to progress as summer turns to fall. There is a real chance that the new building will not be fully enclosed by the time winter arrives, prohibiting or at least delaying the continuation of inside work for many months.
Ely, NER football teams merge for season
Keith Vandervort ELY- The football field here at Ely Memorial High School suddenly looks a lot less lonely as a last-minute agreement with Northeast Range High School in Babbitt means that the Timberwolves and the Nighthawks will field a combined team this year.
Three squares a day
Keith Vandervort ELY – Britton’s Café here closed to the public last Thursday and will remain so until all the nearby wildfires are extinguished and all the firefighters return home. No, owner Bonnie Jacobson and her staff are not on vacation. Far from it.
ISD 696 ready to open as coronavirus pandemic continues
Keith Vandervort ELY – School board members here are not all comfortable with some of the precautions spelled out in a school reopening plan they approved this week as the 2021-22 school year is set to begin during a continuing coronavirus pandemic.
Ely Post Office public art preserved
Keith Vandervort ELY – The 1940s-era murals in the Ely Post Office were given a once-in-a-lifetime cleaning, renovation and preservation this week. The two murals, one depicting a mining scene and the other celebrating the wilderness, have been part of the landmark United States Treasury building here since shortly after it was built in 1938.
Boundary Waters closure extended
Keith Vandervort REGIONAL— For the first time in nearly half a century, the U.S. Forest Service closed the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness due to a rash of wildfires that have exploded across the national forest and in nearby Canada in recent weeks. The closure began last Saturday and is in effect at least until Friday, Sept. 3, after the Forest Service announced mid-week that they are extending their initial one-week closure of the wilderness.
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