Thanksgiving Day volunteers—32 of them, including some not pictured—take a brief break as they prepare for the community Thanksgiving Day dinner served at First Presbyterian Church in Iron River on Nov. 22. The group prepared over 230 dinners—delivered, take-outs and sit-down. Among the volunteers were Bruce and Jo Callovi, Luci and Dan Dupras, Sally Blyze, Gayle Dae, Sheeba Vanderlin, Joyce Stapleton, Cyndi Courchene, Jan Colville, Sherry Wartner, Ron Baake Jr., Debbie Hill Olson, Keith and Lesley Olson, Marilyn Budzak, Chris Langenberg, Carolyn and Conrad Fredlund and Linda Maki.

CRYSTAL FALLS—Insurance premiums coupled with the cost of arresting, adjudicating and incarcerating criminals will chew up more than half of Iron County’s proposed 2013 budget, according to documents being review by the Board of Commissioners.

IRON RIVER—The Iron River Brownfield Authority will move forward with plans to remove lead paint from the old Central School building, as efforts continue to convert the building into apartments.

IRON RIVER—Discussions regarding the high school drafting program continued at the November meeting of the West Iron County School Board.
The topic was brought up briefly at the October meeting, but with Superintendent Chris Thomson hoping to look further into the sustainability of the program, no decisions had been made.

County road commissioners show off one of three new plow trucks that county crews will be using this winter. The first to arrive is this 2013 Peterbilt. The $238,000 truck features a Monroe Equipment radius dump spreader, underbody scraper front plow and patrol wing. Road Commission crews have been preparing for winter snow plowing duties. Road commissioners are, from left, Dan Germic, Joe Sabol, Charles Battan, Carl Sholander and Ernie Schmidt.
By Mark Lewis
IRON COUNTY—A Bates Township landowner will retain rights to access his family camp by crossing a neighbor’s property after an Iron County Road Commission decision Nov. 13.

CASPIAN— A new public works department building may be in the cards for the city of Caspian, after a move by the City Commission at its Nov. 7 meeting.
GEI Consultants’ Mark Stoor was given the go-ahead to look further into the concept and bring a proposal back to the board. Although there is no grant money available, there is a possibility of what City Manager John Stokoski called “an incredibly low interest rate” on a Rural Development loan.

A vehicle driven by 21-year-old Kenton man rolled over in icy conditions north of Amasa on U.S. 141 on Nov. 13. (Sheriff’s Department photo)
CRYSTAL FALLS--Deputies from the Iron County Sheriff’s Office investigated a single vehicle rollover accident on U.S. 141 near the Net River in Hematite Township.

IRON COUNTY—A former Alpha village clerk is free on bond and scheduled for a Nov. 26 Circuit Court pretrial hearing on eight felony charges.
Nicholas John Rickman, 34, of Alpha faces three counts of forgery, three counts of uttering and publishing and one count each of embezzlement by a public official and embezzlement by a public official of tax monies, according to court documents.

Peg James of NorthStar Health Systems serves West Iron County third graders snacks from their school garden during a Harvest Celebration at the hospital’s cafeteria. The program was a collaboration between the hospital and the WIC schools.
IRON RIVER—A group of West Iron County students enjoyed the fruits of their labor Nov. 5 when they returned to NorthStar Health Systems for the first Harvest Celebration.

CRYSTAL FALLS— Cuts and increased efficiency were key to eliminating Crystal Falls’ $400,000 deficit in less time than projected, according to a report from Mayor Janet Hendrickson.