Ely city council passes resolution reaffirming support for Twin Metals and PolyMet mining projects. All council members present voted in favor with Al Forsman wearing a blue We Support Mining shirt. The crowd applauded the passage.
MN National Guard: Two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters with Bambi water buckets are in Northern Minnesota to provide support to DNR wildfire activities by providing aerial fire suppression capabilities. 16 soldiers and two airmen from the 148th Fighter Wing have been activated.
CONFIRMED: BWCA will close today. Refunds are being processed for permits within the BWCA beginning Aug. 21, due to multiple fires and extreme drought.
Wildfire burning west of Ely near Lucky Boy. Chinook helicopter and Morse-Fall Lake fire battling. Lots of wind. Extreme fire conditions with low humidity.
There are few politicians who make an impact to the level Tom Rukavina did in our area. He pulled no punches, fought for what he believed in and stood tall among elected officials. We will miss working with him and our wide-ranging interviews. A true Ranger and man of the people.
Ely Airport is refueling planes and filling tankers with retardant for the Greenwood Fire. Two additional tankers will be coming in from Ontario as the fire has grown to 1,500 acres. While other airports are running out of Jet A fuel, Ely has been able to continue to get fuel.
Minnesota State Senator Tom Bakk (I-Cook) announced today he will not seek re-election for another term in the Senate and will retire at the end of the year.
USFS: New: Greenwood Fire 🔥 8.15.21
The Greenwood Fire was detected today around 3 pm. The fire is near Greenwood Lake approx 15 miles SW of Isabella. The current size estimated to be a couple hundred acres and moving quickly.
Without any public input, Ely school Superintendent Erik Erie makes a last minute change to require masks for all K-12 students, staff, and visitors in all indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.
.
@GovTimWalz
Please consider the harm your youth sports mask mandate is doing to our kids:
- 39 lost consciousness
- 18 got concussions
- 3 had spinal cord injuries
- 18 went to the ER
- 1 traumatic injury required life flight
When is enough enough?
#MSHSL
#mnleg
Local loggers and excavating companies including Casey Peterson Landscaping and Excavating have been contracted by the Forest Service to work on stopping the Greenwood Fire.
Ely girls upset South Ridge 69-63 tonight in a quarterfinal Section 7A game. Ely will now face Cromwell on Wednesday at 7 pm at UMD in a semifinal game. BIg win for sixth seeded Ely over third seeded South Ridge.
St. Louis County Rescue Squad: UPDATE: All patients and uninjured scouts arrived at Moose Landing by 0349. Rescue personnel are all accounted for and have returned safely to the Command Post. Official press releases will be handled through Lake County Sheriff's Office later
Ely high school prom parade leaves from Miners Drive complete with a police escort. They will circle Miners Lake and cruise Sheridan Street.
@ElyPolice
A visitor by Canoe Country Outfitters in Ely was escorted (encouraged?) out of town this morning with help from Mark Olson who was directing traffic so the bear could cross Sheridan and head south, according to Ely fire chief Tom Erchul.
Greenwood Fire scanner reports indicate firefighters were being forced out of the McDougal Lake area. From Ely massive smoke clouds can be seen where there is a view to the south. Photos of the plume from Swanson’s gravel pit and Passi Road by Terry Soderberg.
A lucky Minnesota Millionaire Raffle player in Ely is waking up this morning to discover that their ticket is worth $1 million. The ticket was sold at Voyageur Short Stop, located at 1815 E. Sheridan St. in Ely.
$1 million prize winning numbers, in ascending order:
091593
442917
After double checking his Minnesota Millionaire Raffle ticket “eight times” to make sure that he was not mistaken, Andy Gibbons of Ely did something many brand new millionaires would not; Gibbons went to work.
Wolves win a Section 7 playoff game for first time in more than a decade with 4-3 win over International Falls. Freshman Chase Sandberg with 52 saves. Two goals each by Nick Mattila and Luke Olson. Second seeded Denfeld up next Tuesday at 5:15 pm. Ely beat Denfeld in 2000.
Today's guidance from the Climate Prediction Center shows the probability of normal to above normal rain from August 30 through September 7 for the Northland.
#mnwx
#wiwx
Andy Gibbons: “It didn’t really sink in until about 9 a.m.,” he said. “I wasn’t really sure until I heard it through Facebook that the winner was from Ely.” Gibbons finally took time off work to claim the $1 million prize on Jan. 3.
Sen. Grant Hauschild announced today as 2023 Legislative Session winds down that the following entities will receive state funds from various funding sources:
* $4 Million for Ely Public Schools through the IRRRB
* $300,000 to Veterans on the Lake Resort
* $200,000 to the City
Downtown Ely is hopping with people lined up at vendor booths and filling up local shops. The festival may have been canceled but there’s still plenty to see, buy and do!
AT 1429 THE LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS STARTING EVACUATIONS IN THE AREA AROUND HWY 1 NEAR HWY 2 AND ON THE TOMAHAWK TRAIL AMONGST OTHER ROADS IN THE AREA. THERE WILL BE DEPUTIES CHECKING IN ON EACH ADDRESS THAT NEEDS TO BE EVACUATED BECAUSE OF THE GREENWOOD FIRE
Congratulations to the Ely Timberwolves basketball team on the 87-44 over Hill City in the 1st round of the playoffs Wednesday night. Ely faces
#3
seed Lakeview on Saturday at 7:15 pm at UMD.
Ice out on Shagawa Lake! As declared by Grand Ely Lodge, the official time is 1:48 pm on May 1. Winner of the Ely Echo Ice Out Contest will be announced next week!
@GrandElyLodge
After many days at 37%, the
#GreenwoodFire
containment jumps to 49%. The acreage also changed to 26,112 acres, just over 40 square miles. Loggers are still on scene working on fire breaks.