Iron Belt
LATEST NEWS
Rerouting of Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline attracted 8 hours of testimony. Here are key takeaways
MADISON – Eight hours of public testimony Tuesday laid bare the divide over whether a Canadian oil company should be allowed to reroute a controversial pipeline. Supporters, speaking at hearing in Ashland, championed the economic benefits the development would bring to the far northern area of Wisconsin. Critics spoke to the risks to...
ABR Wants (One Of) YOU!
The purported “Diggins” email wanting to ask me a question, asking me to call, and listing a phone number, landed in my spam folder. Gmail warned inside a blood-red banner: This message seems dangerous. Similar messages were used to steal personal information. Avoid clicking on links …. The...
Building for success; A Q&A with Oredockers baseball coach Chris Kempf
Baseball season is in full swing for Bay Area teams from Little Leagues to the Upper 13 League but, for high school teams in Bayfield, Drummond, Mellen, South Shore, Washburn and Ashland, the pitching, running, catching and hitting are over. While the Washburn Castle Guards enjoyed the most success this spring in winning an NLC championship and advancing to sectionals, the Ashland Oredockers defined their season with steady improvement and momentum that carried them into a hard fought extra innings 4-3 loss in a regional final game against host Medford on May 29. Medford then advanced to sectional finals before...
Northern Lights Conference: All-Conference Baseball Selections
A host of players from NLC champion Washburn, Drummond, and Mellen were selected to the All-NLC first and second teams, on June 4. Among these were several from the Mellen Granite Diggers who will return next season for Coach of the Year selection Steve Eder. These ‘Diggers will aim at improving on their 8-4 conference record from spring 2024, and push to lay claim to a conference title which has belonged to Washburn in whole or in part for the past three seasons. Selections follow: ...
Butternut celebrates class of 2024
Butternut High School celebrated the graduation of 14 seniors at a May 25 commencement. Graduating senior Luke Murphy gave the humorously warm welcome to guests, kidding any doubters that half the class would be eligible to graduate, by pointing out that all were present in “bath robes and silly square hats.” He thanked those who provided the support to get through the difficult times and prepare the students for the next phase of their young lives. ...
Large amount of fentanyl seized by local law enforcement
A man from Chicago charged with possessing more than 100 grams of dangerous drugs with intent to deliver made his initial appearance Monday. Authorities say Charles Mathus, 56, was found with 111 grams of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $55,000, according to a news release from the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken into custody May 20 in Sanborn near the Bad River Casino following a collaboration between the Michigan State Police and the Ashland and Bayfield County Sheriff’s offices. ...
Vaughn Library plans progress
Plans for renovating the Vaughn Public Library in Ashland are moving forward after the city and architecture firm Engberg Anderson Inc. out of Milwaukee signed the contract. The 19th-century library building will be renovated and modernized Funding for the $388,452 contract comes from the $4.3 million the city is borrowing for the first phase. The first phase calls for improvement of code compliance, energy efficiency, waterproofing the foundation, adding fire...
David R. Obery Northern Great Lakes Visitor’s Center to temporarily close
The David R. Obery Northern Great Lakes Visitor’s Center will be closed to the public from June 3 through June 29, 2024. During this time the Visitor Center parking lot and entrance drive will be re-paved. The Aldo Leopold Trail system will remain open and available for hiking. The...
Public invited to attend D-Day anniversary event
June 6 marks the 80th anniversary of the World War II operation D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in military history. The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by more than 195,000 naval personnel from eight countries. Almost 133,000 troops from the United States, the British Commonwealth and their allies landed on D-Day, according to the National Archives. To commemorate the event, the public is invited to attend...
Engines still idling
The green flag has yet to fly to kick off a 60th season of ABC Raceway events with uncooperative weather delaying the races. The Saturday night series will now try to kick off with the first night of the FastLane Motorsports Northland Super Stock Series on Saturday, June 1, presented by the NAPA Auto Parts Stores of Ashland and Washburn. The Super Stock Series includes stops on nine nights over the next three weekends at eight different tracks in northwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota. ABC is offering an unprecedented purse including $4,000 for the winner and four-figure paychecks to each...
Man arrested for intent to deliver after being found with over 100 grams of fentanyl
ASHLAND, Wis. - A man in Ashland was arrested after being found with over 100 grams of fentanyl. 56-year-old Charles Mathus of Chicago was arrested on charges of possession with intent to deliver dangerous drugs. The estimated street value of the fentanyl found is $50,000. Mathus was taken into custody...
Ashland High School student fails to appear in court for sentencing
A warrant has been issued for an Ashland High School student who failed to appear in court Tuesday for a plea hearing and sentencing on charges of possession of THC and possession of a dangerous weapon on school grounds. Authorities say Brady Ludwikoski, 18, of Ashland, brought a knife, marijuana and drug paraphernalia onto school grounds in September. His attorney, Catherine Chevailer, said she didn’t know where Ludwikoski was Tuesday. She was unable to get a hold of him prior to his court date because...
Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center closed to public from June 3 through June 29
The David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center near Ashland will be closed to the public from June 3-June 29. During this time, the Center parking lot and entrance drive will be re-paved. “We are all excited to see this project completed.This will greatly improve our visitor experience and service,” said USDA Forest Service Visitor Center Director Lauren Romstad in a news release. The Aldo Leopold Trail system remains...
Paving crew member helps put out fire
Quick thought helped keep a house fire from destroying a home this week. A crew member repaving MacArthur Avenue in Ashland is credited for calling in a fire Wednesday afternoon and helping put out the flames. The unidentified crew member saw the flames at 622 MacArthur Avenue in Ashland and reported the fire at around 2:40 p.m., Ashland Fire Chief Stuart Matthias said. No one was home at the time,...
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.