HIBBING — Hibbing Public Utilities will host a landowner-specific meeting as it is in the early design phases of a new overhead transmission line The meeting will be at the Maple Hill Community Club at 6 p.m The Southern Interconnect Project includes about 3 miles of new 115-kV line between the existing Great River Energy substation on Maple Hill Road and an existing Minnesota Power line south of Town Line Road The project also supports the build of a new substation near Hibbing’s water treatment facility “The project will address the needs of our local system to add additional redundancy and links to the grid," stated Hibbing Public Utility General Manager Luke Peterson in a news release "Constructing this new line and adding two new connection points will take Hibbing from relying on one aging grid connection to having three independent connections for HPU to source & deliver power.” a fire was reported at the 7th Avenue Apartments in the 3200 block of 7th Avenue East in Hibbing heavy smoke and flames were visible coming out of a second-floor apartment Responders learned that residents were trapped on the second floor due to large amounts of smoke in the hallway and that the resident of the apartment where the fire was located was unaccounted for Residents were then evacuated from all three floors of the complex and the one resident was taken to the Hibbing hospital for smoke inhalation Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control and Eveleth were on the scene to provide medical assistance Residents were allowed back into their units around 3 a.m. except for the unit where the fire occurred and two other units that sustained smoke and water damage The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Hibbing Fire Department and the State Fire Marshall and the extent of the damage has yet to be reported Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Vicki Kaping at vkaping@wdio.com or (218) 727-6864 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Our dearly loved Daniel Paul Kunze (Danny) He will be remembered for his big heart and as the friendly Danny will always be known for his ability to take anything apart and mostly put it back together Most of his adult life was spent in Keewatin and Hibbing Danny will be greatly missed by his Fiance and Roo along with too many family and friends to name Danny is preceded in death by his grandfather Being an Organ Donor was of utmost importance to Danny at the Nashwauk Alliance Church in Nashwauk please join family and friends for a meal in honor of Daniel at the church Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors this column will feature a lot of geography you could find yourself as a part of a body of water flowing in one direction or the other there's a good chance you're going to end up in Lake Superior because that's the direction most water flows in the region you'll probably end up part of the Mississippi River which could take you down eventually to the Gulf of Mexico But there's an area on the Iron Range where a drop of water could fall and end up flowing in any one of these three directions: The Hill of Three Waters just outside of Hibbing "Where that hill sits is a point where you have three different watersheds coming together," said meteorologist Woody Unruh of the National Weather Service it's a high point where the three divides meet." Points where two basins meet are fairly commonplace Unruh listed the divide between the Great Lakes Basin and the Mississippi River at Savanna Portage State Park near McGregor or the divide that feeds into the Brule or St Croix watersheds in Wisconsin near Solon Springs But there are only half a dozen other places in the United States where a triple point exists where waters flow into three different oceans "The most well-known ones are up in the Rocky Mountains where we see the Continental Divide," Unruh said "This is a combination of the Laurentian Divide meeting with the St The untouched wood-covered hill is not publicly accessible due to mining operations surrounding it and photography isn't allowed at the site itself Cleveland Cliffs and the previous mining companies left the site pristine as it also holds cultural significance for the Bois Forte Ojibwe But the Mine View visitor center exhibition space is currently under construction the city is working with officials from the Bois Forte Reservation to put a new display in the visitor center about the Hill of Three Waters the design of the new visitor center up at the mine view we constructed a small window in the building that is dedicated to the Hill of Three Waters and points visitors directly at it so visitors can get an idea of the exact location of it," Arola said The mine view visitors' site is under construction but is expected to be open to the public fairly soon A 39-year-old Hibbing man was arraigned in St Louis County District Court in Hibbing on Thursday members of the Lake Superior Violent Offender’s Task Force Sheriff’s deputies and Hibbing Police executed a search warrant at 3590 Koivula Road on Wednesday During the execution of the search warrant Cody Joe Koski was arrested for an outstanding arrest warrant According to a report from the Sheriff’s office and psilocybin mushrooms at Koski’s residence The report says Koski’s infant child was also removed from the home Koski was arraigned Thursday on charges of 1st degree sale methamphetamine 5th degree possession of fentanyl/psilocybin mushrooms child endangerment and possession of metal knuckles Dakota attended Hibbing High School and went on to get his CDL He had a great sense of humor and always played jokes on his friends and family Dakota enjoyed playing darts and played in a league every Wednesday; traveling and experiencing new things; he especially liked visiting Las Vegas; spending time at Toivo's Pub in Hibbing; and having fires with friends and family and loved spending every moment with him that he could and Courtney Dilley; paternal grandparents and Andrew Koski; and many other family and friends.  Dakota is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents A Celebration of life will be held on Saturday at the Sportsman Restaurant and Tavern in Hibbing from 2 to 6 p.m.  Multiple Iron Range fire crews are responding to the house fire in Hibbing Thursday morning on the 3700 block of 5th Avenue East The Northland Firewire calls it a very active scene and videos show smoke coming from the windows of the structure to Andrew “Bunno” and Betty (Sande) Versich in Hibbing Mark graduated from Hibbing Schools and continued his education at Hibbing Community College Thomas completing his bachelor’s degree From there Mark went to Medical School at UMD and finished his residency in Grand Forks with the University of North Dakota He was employed as a physician with Fairview Mesabi Clinic in Hibbing Mark was a member of the Hibbing Elks Lodge and was the Medical Director for the Silica Volunteer Fire Department In Mark’s dedication to his medical services to the surrounding community and saved the lives of two people in their time of need.  hosting Saturday dinners at “the Shack” during the Fall season and especially enjoyed spending time up north at the family cabin on Namakan Lake Funeral services for Mark will be 12:00 noon at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hibbing Bill Skarich will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial Visitation will be from 9:30 am until the 12:00 Mass at the church on Friday Interment will be in the Maple Hill Cemetery of Hibbing Arrangements are with the Dougherty Funeral Home of Hibbing  Please join either through our website or the Blessed Sacrament Church's website Click to watch was charged for alleged animal abuse on Friday Ross faces two counts; one for Overwork/Mistreat Animals-Torture which has a max sentence of 2 years imprisonment and one for Overwork/Mistreat Animals-Deprive of Food/Shelter which has a maximum sentence of 90 days imprisonment law enforcement received a report of the mistreatment of a pet dog on April 1 The reporting party stated that Ross had been abusing his dog and that both the dog’s hind legs were broken The reporting party further told law enforcement that Ross had recently purchased a female Great Dane/Mastiff puppy The first time the reporting party saw the dog Ross allegedly told the reporting party that he had broken the dog’s leg and felt bad for doing so Ross would throw the dog from the back steps of his residence causing the dog to scream loudly Court documents went on to state that Ross would then take a cushion and wrap the dog in it to muffle the noise and then throw the dog back into the house Officers then responded to the accused’s home No one responded to their knock at the door One of the women stated they were there to take the dog after they heard its legs were broken One of the women also indicated that the dog’s legs were broken in front of her son officers then got a statement from the woman’s son who stated he was at Ross’s residence about a month ago when he observed the dog urinating on Ross’s bed Ross then allegedly threw the dog across the room the dog peed in kitchen and Ross allegedly held the dog down and strangled her Law enforcement again visited Ross’s residence on April 2 with his probation officer and Ross brought him to the kitchen where the dog was lying on a foam mattress the officer said he observed that the dog was very skinny and that their ribs and spine were both showing through their skin The officer asked if something was wrong with the dog When asked why the dog would not come when the officer called Ross stated that her legs had been messed up since she was little when the dog took a dive off a concrete block in the backyard Ross then said a friend of his had done this Ross stated that the dog’s legs had been an issue for about two weeks but bore little to no weight on her hind legs Officers then told Ross that there were reports of him beating the dog to which he replied “Okay” The dog was then taken to the squad car and transported to a local animal hospital The hospital then began treating the dog where it was determined the dog was malnourished The doctor stated that “with proper nutrition and supportive care the dog may attain a good quality of life in the future.” Officers arrested Ross on charge of animal torture His initial court appearance is scheduled for Thursday Hibbing Police Chief Steven Estey told WDIO that the dog is improving and that they will be working on getting the dog into a new home in the future It is with heavy hearts we announce the death of John Michael Kearney at the Solvay Hospice House in Duluth after a courageous 2 ½ year battle with colon cancer He was a Hibbing graduate with the class of 1964 he spent 3 ½ years in the Air Force with service in Thailand and many other locations during the Vietnam War era He received the Air Force Air Medal for meritorious service during one of his overseas assignments he returned to Hibbing to attend Hibbing Community College where he met his future wife John went on to receive his teaching degree at Bemidji State University and embarked on his 32-year teaching career There was not a single day that he wanted to be something else His teaching career began at Cold Spring ROCORI Elementary School teaching Special Ed He was fortunate to spend the rest of his teaching career in his hometown of Hibbing teaching at Cobb Cook and Greenhaven Elementary Schools He touched many lives and many of you touched him as well He was blessed to coach elementary boys and girls basketball boys and girls high school cross country and boys track He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years daughter Erin (Chris) Bellefy with children Alex and Grace of Hermantown; son Michael (Steph) Kearney with children Travis Portner and Ethan Kearney of Superior brothers Robert Kearney and Roger (Ilona) Kearney all of Hibbing Brother-in-law Harry (Mary) Larson of Hibbing He was preceded in death by his father John Kearney Sr.; his mother and stepfather Evalyne and Robert Erickson his nephew Bryan Patrick Kearney and uncles Nikcevich and the entire Oncology Unit for their care; the Essentia Hospice group for their patience and guidance and lastly the staff at Solvay Hospice House for their compassionate end-of-life care with full military honors at Maple Hill Cemetery in Hibbing will be at 11:00 am with a celebration of life to follow at The Androy Hotel the family requests donations be made to St He will be deeply missed but forever remembered with love and gratitude by all who were fortunate to know him Arrangements are with the Dougherty Funeral Home of Hibbing.  – Authorities say they arrested a Hibbing man “for (the) charge of animal torture” after multiple people came forward as witnesses to the alleged abuse of the man’s young dog Hibbing Police arrested 35-year-old Trevor Michael Ross on Friday for one felony count of animal cruelty amounting to torture and one misdemeanor count for deprivation of food or shelter 1 that Ross was abusing a recently purchased “great dane/mastiff puppy.” The reporting party allegedly witnessed Ross throw the dog off his back porch To “quiet the dog,” Ross “would take a cushion and wrap the dog in it to muffle the noise,” the witness said the individual “indicated his belief that she (the dog) was going to die from her injuries.” Police responded to Ross’s residence later that evening after the reporting party said people were on their way to take the dog two women arrived around this time in a vehicle One of the women said she intended on taking the dog one of them claimed her son had witnessed Ross abuse the dog officers met with the woman’s son to take his statement While at Ross’s home about a month ago Ross then allegedly “threw the dog across the floor.” Around 20 minutes later the dog urinated in the kitchen; which is when Ross “held the dog down to the floor and started to strangle her,” according to the witness He said the dog appeared “wobbly looking,” after Ross “stopped strangling the dog.” The woman’s son said he visited the residence on another occasion and “observed (that) the dog was barely able to walk and was shaking.” Hibbing Police along with Ross’s probation officer visited his residence later in the day on Apr The criminal complaint described the “small dog to be very skinny her ribs and spine were both showing through the skin.” Officers attempted to call the dog over but it did not move “The dog appeared to want to come to the officer but was unable to move,” according to the criminal complaint Officers asked why the dog didn’t come when called Ross said “her legs have been messed up since she was little.” Ross then said “the dog took a dive off of the concrete block.” Ross later claimed it was caused by his friend When asked if the dog could walk Ross said she could she “bore little to no weight on her hind legs.” Officers confronted Ross with the reports of animal abuse The dog was transported by police to the Mesaba Animal Hospital The treating veterinarian “was appalled by the dog’s condition.” An examination determined the dog was malnourished and “intervertebral disc disease.” The complaint said the extent of the dog’s injuries required further testing An X-ray done on the dog later found an additional unhealed fracture in its leg that would require surgery was beloved among his former teammates and townmates whose skate fatally cut former University of Minnesota Duluth hockey player Adam Johnson’s neck during a 2023 game in England the Crown Prosecution Services said Tuesday a 29-year-old Hibbing native who was playing for the Nottingham Panthers was in the offensive zone during the October game when the Sheffield Steelers’ defenseman’s skate blade connected with Johnson’s neck just below his helmet Johnson dropped to the ice and was helped off by a teammate Petgrave was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in the days following Johnson’s death. He was quickly released on bail “This is a shocking and deeply upsetting incident,” Michael Quinn “The CPS and the South Yorkshire Police have worked closely together to determine whether any criminal charges should be brought against the other ice hockey player involved.” Quinn said after a thorough investigation of the evidence it was determined there was not a “realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal offenses.” Johnson joined the UMD Bulldogs in 2015 and played for two years He’s best known for a game-winning goal against Boston University that sent UMD from the Western Regional Final to the NCAA Frozen Four In the days after his death, fellow Hibbing native and Johnson’s former coach Scott Sandelin had revisited that key play “I’ve watched that goal probably 40 times already,” Sandelin said and Johnson signed with the Pittsburg Penguins with two years of college eligibility remaining He played 13 games with the Penguins between 2018-2020 Coaching staff at UMD did not want to comment according to a spokesperson for the university Johnson was in his first season with the UK Elite Ice Hockey League when he died He was a star on his high school hockey team who helped the Bluejackets advance to the Minnesota State Class A tournament in 2011 Johnson had a natural hat trick in the semifinals though they were unable to beat Hermantown who retired from coaching after Johnson graduated said he still hadn’t seen the video of the moment of contact It’s not how he wanted to remember Johnson “I can’t say enough good things about Adam,” he said During a 2023 memorial at his packed hometown arena, Johnson was described by several people as a “hometown hero.” He was well-liked, enjoyed ribbing his friends and was known for his mischievous grin Christa Lawler covers Duluth and surrounding areas for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the North Report newsletter at www.startribune.com/northreport. High Schools Owen Marsolek hurled 17 strikeouts to lead the Hilltoppers to a 3-0 victory at Siebert Field on Monday “We remain committed to our mission of sharing Palestinian culture and cuisine albeit in ways yet to be determined,” its owners wrote The program placed occupational therapy graduate students in regional classrooms 1957 to Palmer and Shirley Ann (Moen) Thune in Chisholm Wayne graduated from Hibbing High School class of 1976 Wayne was sales manager and co-owner of Fraboni’s Wholesale Distributor along with his brother Mark in Hibbing and making the rounds with his coffee clubs and during the week you would find Wayne at the Lucky 7.  Funeral services for Wayne will be 11:00 am at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hibbing Visitation will be from 9:00 am until the 11:00 am memorial service at the church on Saturday A private interment will be in Maple Hill Cemetery of Hibbing Click to watch the Hibbing Police Department responded to a 911 call about an assaulted male on the 3700 block of 1st Avenue It was further reported that the victim may have been stabbed and a description of the suspects and the suspect vehicle was provided to dispatch Louis County Deputies were able to locate the suspect vehicle near 1st Avenue and Howard Street The suspects fled in the vehicle and were pursued by Deputies and Hibbing Police With the successful use of spike strips on Highway 37 near Highway 7 the pursuit ended on Townline Road near Peary Road The two suspects fled from the vehicle on foot Deputies and the Eveleth K9 unit tracked the suspects and took them into custody without further incident are currently being held in the Hibbing Jail with pending charges that include Aggravated Robbery The victim was treated at the Hibbing Hospital and released HIBBING — The former Kahler/Hibbing Park Hotel is receiving an overhaul under its new owner Bodanapu acquired the property located at 1402 E It was also the site of the former Grandma’s in the Park Bar and Grill which is not affiliated with the Grandma’s restaurant chain of Duluth The hotel had long served as a popular gathering place for wedding parties class reunions and special events before permanently closing during the pandemic “Most events that occurred in the city of Hibbing were held in this hotel,” said Mayor Pete Hyduke and it's an economic driver for your region and your community It's all the spinoff economic development that happens when you stay in a community that has been lost.” the Hampton Inn Hibbing was built to help fill the hospitality void “The city had conducted a study around what the need for hotel rooms was,” Hibbing Economic Development Authority Community Development Director Betsy Olivanti said The 2021 study indicated that the newly constructed Hampton was operating at 80%-90% capacity with visitors staying for various youth sport league activities and tournaments year-round.  With the exception of the existing Hibbing Inn & Suites or the new Hampton Inn visitors otherwise opted to stay roughly 30 minutes away when unable to find available local lodging And with the events that are throughout the year I know a lot of the people have gone to Virginia even as far as Grand Rapids to fill their needs because we just haven't had enough hotel space in the city.” hotels from Hibbing to Hoyt Lakes generated $500,000 in lodging taxes a destination marketing organization that serves as the tourism bureau to promote the area.  our overnight visitors in those communities spend $63 million a year,” said Beth Pierce “That's a pretty significant amount for our small towns up here.” Beyond the challenges and condition of the vacant building Bodanapu recognized an opportunity to restore it as a community gathering space Outdoor recreation is also a huge draw for visitors to the Iron Range from ATVing to snowmobiling and mountain biking The hotel’s proximity to the 150-mile paved Mesabi Trail 25 miles of trails at Chisholm’s Redhead Mountain Bike Park and the Hull–Rust–Mahoning Open Pit Iron Mine was also appealing to the entrepreneur “I always look for unique projects,” Bodanapu said “I am not hesitant or afraid of anything that is complex in nature.” With a technical and engineering background Bodanapu had experience with single-family homes gas stations and apartments in the Twin Cities The initial cost of renovation was estimated to be around $2.5 million given the disastrous condition of the building along with rising inflation and construction costs the project has now run upward of $7 million “I still have more work to do,” Bodanapu added The building was completely gutted to replace its insulation “More than 3,000 tons of stuff was taken out from the building in order to clean up and do it right,” Bodanapu said The hotel was renamed to honor Hibbing’s 150-year mining history consisted of 56 rooms (16 suites and 40 standard units) restaurant and 34 more rooms are anticipated to be completed by early 2026 as part of phase two “My plan is to make this a one-stop-shop concept,” Bodanapu said “The third phase consists of an extension to add two or three fast food restaurant chains.” we hear nothing but positive things,” Olivanti said really great job to renovate that former property the pool and restaurant will be back online soon.” who also sits on the Iron Range Tourism Bureau Board worked closely with Bodanapu in partnership with the Northland Small Business Development Center and Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation to gain financing in the form of grants and loans for the interior demolition and renovation of the property “People have a lot of memories of that hotel,” Pierce added “To have some new life breathed into it is really exciting for people.” Hibbing/Chisholm will contest its first state boys hockey tournament since 2011 as the No 1 seed in Class A after pairings for the prestigious event were released by the Minnesota State High School League on Saturday morning The Bluejackets will take on eighth-seeded Luverne at 6 p.m on Wednesday in the third of four quarterfinals at Xcel Energy Center This is the first year in which all eight teams in the field are assigned seeds — previously the last three teams were randomly drawn which is what the Bluejackets were when they played here in 2011 when they upset Rochester Lourdes before a semifinal loss to Hermantown whose home rink is 10 miles north of the Iowa state line and 17 miles east of the South Dakota state line in the state’s extreme southwestern corner do have a common opponent with the Bluejackets Luverne lost 4-1 to Cloquet-Esko-Carlton on Dec Cloud in their first game with a Section 7A team since the 2017 state tournament in which the Cardinals took Hermantown to overtime before losing Hibbing defeated Cloquet-Esko-Carlton in OT in the 7A final on Wednesday in Duluth Another interesting matchup with local ties could await in the semifinal on Friday afternoon as the winner of the Bluejackets and Cardinals will face either No Northern Lakes is the program run by legendary former Duluth East coach Mike Randolph After Randolph became the state’s all-time winningest coach when the Lightning won their season opener taking the Section 6A title on Thursday night with a 4-3 win over Alexandria Area in St Randolph led East to the state tournament 18 times The opposite side of the Class A bracket features an opening quarterfinal between the last two Class A state champs: No Orono and Mahtomedi are all returners from 2024 Thursday’s AA bracket starts with a particularly spicy matchup between No and the transfer of 2023-24 starting goalie Cal Conway to Stillwater for which he was suspended for nine weeks by the MSHSL which is where Randolph stopped between East and Northern Lakes Louis County Sheriff's Office on Monday identified the 46-year-old Chisholm man killed Saturday afternoon in a motorcycle crash in Cherry Township as Shawn Harold Hage responders and law enforcement were dispatched at approximately 4:34 p.m to Highway 5 near the intersection of Herman Road about 5 miles east of Hibbing An eyewitness reported Hage had been traveling north on the highway and failed to navigate a turn crossing the centerline and entering a steep water-filled ditch beside the southbound lane This caused Hage to be ejected from the motorcycle Citizens on the scene attempted to provide lifesaving efforts "Based upon observations on scene it appears that speeding and alcohol consumption are contributing factors to the accident," the news release said The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff's office and Midwest Medical Examiner's Office April 14 with the victim's name.  It was originally posted at 8:38 p.m The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency has awarded them nearly $26 million dollars for a new and will replace 52 units at the aging Greenhaven Apartments You may remember the initial plan was to put the housing at Cobb Cook Park But after the community challenged that decision the project was moved to the 4000 block of 5th Avenue West and there be some alternations to the original plan but the unit mix will stay the same and the community areas in our new building,” shared Jackie Prescott “Local taxes will not go up due to this project,” Prescott added Funding is also coming from Iron Range Resources Hibbing Public Utilities (HPU) released a statement on Thursday March 13 to address public concern with the city’s drinking water quality and infrastructure Hibbing faces the challenges of aging and outdated infrastructure,” explained Eliot Dixon Communication & Programs Specialist with HPU “With 50% of Hibbing watermains beyond their expected service life our residents are subject to an average of 25 significant watermain breaks per year These breaks undoubtedly have a negative effect on the quality of service provided by the utility.” Dixon said that Hibbing’s water is tested daily and is safe to drink He went on to say that any discoloration of water being seen by Hibbing residents is likely the result of aging pipes and rusting he recommends people run their water for a couple of minutes and then they will see the clear water again He continued that HPU has been taking “bold” actions to address to address the issue Dixon cited the launch of HPU’s Watermain Capital Improvement Plan in 2022 as an example Dixon said the plan is “a 10-year strategic initiative aimed at annually replacing at least 2% of the water distribution system Since the adoption of this plan HPU has replaced 17,000 feet of watermains over 7 projects and will be replacing another 11,000 feet in 2025 alone.”HPU is also using “trenchless” replacement techniques and say this is the first time those techniques have been used north of the metro HPU’s General Manager recently testified before the MN House Capital Investment Committee drawing attention to Hibbing’s infrastructure needs and also urging bipartisan support for a state bond bill toassist Hibbing After a close loss to East Grand Forks 7-5 on Friday #1 Hibbing/Chisholm boy’s hockey dropped into the third-place matchup against #6 Orono set for Saturday Orono would take the third-place title with a 5-1 win over the Bluejackets Scoring wouldn’t start until late into the second period when Orono’s Brenner Kanive would take a shot from the circle to put the Spartans on the board It would only take seconds for the Spartans to put themselves up 2-0 with a backhanded shot from Talan Reuter Just over two minutes into the third period Orono would extend their lead to 3-0 with a backhanded shot from Rory Kvern on the power-play The Bluejackets respond quickly with a deep-shot goal from Blake Riccio to makes things a two-point game Kvern strikes again on another power play to bring the score to 4-1 in favor of the Spartans Hibbing/Chisholm ends their season with a 20-11 record and take home the State Class A fourth-place title for the 2024-25 season the top-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm boys hockey team rolled to an empathic 7-0 Class A state quarterfinal win over No This marked the Bluejackets’ first state tournament appearance since 2011 I’m still kind of in shock that we’re here Absolutely,” junior forward Ben Galli said RELATED STORY: Hibbing/Chisholm takes the Section 7A title for the first time since 2011 Tate Swanson cracked open the scoring for the Bluejackets giving them the 1-0 lead just 1:15 into the game Just over a minute later Hunter Gustavsson doubled their lead to 2-0 Jace Kampsula and Ben Galli continued the Bluejackets’ offensive onslaught each scoring once to give Hibbing/Chisholm the 4-0 lead after the first period The Bluejackets led in shots on goal 12-7 after one frame Swanson came out fast again in the second period scoring his second goal of the game 1:36 into the frame for the 5-0 lead and his younger brother Cole Swanson scored on the power play with 2:14 left in the period In the third period Jackson Strukel added the final Bluejackets goal for the 7-0 win Hibbing/Chisholm goaltender Rex Walli started in net earning 15 saves and Gavin Lamphere closed it out making 6 saves The final shots on goal count was 40-21 in favor of the Bluejackets I think everyone’s just coming together,” senior forward Jace Kampsula said The already special day was made extra special by the return of Dylan Vesel who missed the Section 7A championship game due to illness I think one of the favorites on the team for the boys He’s had some health stuff going on and got good news Everyone on the team is excited,” head coach Aaron Jamnick said No. 1 Hibbing/Chisholm (20-9) advances to the semifinals for the first time since 2011, and will seek their first title berth since 1994. Puck drop is set for Friday at 1 p.m. against the winner of the No. 5 Northern Lakes vs. No. 4 East Grand Forks quarterfinal set for 8 p.m. Wednesday night. For the full Class A bracket, Click here. How to Watch the MSHSL Tournaments – Law enforcement say they found “unused children’s underwear” and “a bouncy house,” when searching the home of a Hibbing man charged with sharing explicit videos of minors on a messaging app 45-year-old Joshua John Eckstrom of Hibbing was charged with nine felony counts for disseminating CSAM over the messaging app ‘Kik.’ The investigation into Eckstrom was initiated when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik on accounts that were registered to Eckstrom The NCMEC shared Eckstrom’s account information and IP address with the Minnesota BCA who subsequently shared it with the Hibbing Police Investigators processed the information provided by Kik and identified multiple videos shared from the accounts as recently as Feb Hibbing Police arrested Eckstrom on Wednesday Eckstrom admitted to owning the Kik accounts Eckstrom told investigators he had sent and received videos but “It’s not like I was taking the pictures or anything like that It was just being shared through a chat room.” When investigators asked why he sent the videos You think you’re anonymous using nothing but a username as your mask… Nothing on there was real.” While Eckstrom stated he does not have children “small unused children’s underwear in (his) bottom nightstand drawer Brett Henry Wheeler Vesel was born December 26 He graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and was employed at Applied Engineering of Fargo musical ability and kindness is what he will be remembered most for Brett’s unexpected departure is devastating and he will be missed by all who loved him.  David and Laurie (Duff) Vesel of Hibbing; sister Will Larson who he was so proud of; godparents and MaryBeth Zylka of Duluth; along with many loving Aunts Brett is preceded in death by his grandparents Bradley and Marion Duff of Duluth; and namesake Joseph Bretto of Hibbing.  A Memorial Service will be held on March 22 at 12:30 PM at the Dougherty Funeral Home in Hibbing with a visitation from 11 AM – 12:30 PM and a light luncheon to follow Steve Tomberlin will be officiating the service A private interment at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Hibbing Please submit memories or photos of Brett to Office@doughertyofhibbing.com or www.doughertyofhibbing.com.  at Guardian Angels Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hibbing to Andrew and Louise (Maracchini) Selvo in Hibbing Andy graduated from Hibbing High School and earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota He was later employed by the State of Minnesota in a management consultant role with the Department of Rehabilitation Services they raised their three daughters in Hibbing Andy belonged to various boards and organizations throughout his life He served on the Blessed Sacrament Church finance council the board of directors for CWDC Industries and was a past chairman of the board for Guardian Angels Health and Rehabilitation Center.  spending time at the family cabin on Big Sturgeon Andy and Judy loved visiting presidential libraries around the country as well as playing cards with many of their lifelong friends Andy loved spending time with his grandchildren Andy also was very proud of his hometown of Hibbing and its history and historic locations Judy Selvo (2015); in-laws Cole and Rose Kilen; and his brother-in-law Funeral services for Andy will be at 11:30 am Daniel Weiske will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial Visitation will be from 10:00 am until the 11:30 am funeral Mass at the church on Friday Interment will be in Maple Hill Cemetery of Hibbing Andy’s family would like to thank the entire staff at Guardian Angels for the compassionate and excellent care he received Memorials are preferred to the Assumption Catholic School Fund or to Guardian Angels Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hibbing 3 Hibbing/Chisholm battled it out for the championship title in the Section 7A boy’s hockey championship matchup Wednesday night at AMSOIL Arena The Bluejackets would be the one to earn the 4-3 win in overtime CEC’s Lucas Gentilini begins the scoring with just 3:24 left in the second period Hibbing/Chisholm’s Joey Gabardi wastes no time responding with a goal of his own With just 32 seconds remaining in the period the Bluejackets take their first lead of the game with a goal from Tate Swanson the Lumberjacks would find themselves on the board early with a sunk shot from Karson Young and they would return their lead with another goal with 8 minutes left in the period by Nikolas Gentilini with Hibbing/Chisholm putting another point on the board just a minute later thanks to Cole Swanson With the score tied at the end of the third period Hibbing/Chisholm would work as a team to end the game and it would be freshman Whitaker Rewertz who would sink the puck winning the Section 7A championship title for the Bluejackets it’s a dream come true to finally be going to the state tournament it’s the best feeling ever,” said Whitaker anyone could have done that; it’s just an easy path and team effort Cloquet-Esko-Carlton ends their season with a 20-8 record taking home the Section 7A runner up title Hibbing/Chisholm takes the Section 7A championship title and will compete in the Class A state tournament quarterfinals beginning on March 5th This marks the Bluejackets first trip to the state tournament since 2011 Click here to view the Class A State tournament bracket at Fairview Range Medical Center in Hibbing Tom attended high school in the Minneapolis-St where he made fond memories with his Phi Sig brothers sharing numerous adventures and eventually having their two daughters the family moved back to Minnesota to be closer to family making memories at the family cabin on Tank Lake He was an amazing chef and loved providing good food for his many loved ones Tom was a jovial guy with a contagious laugh and a joke for everything where he enjoyed working outdoors and his time in the dry with his coworkers Tom’s favorite job was raising his girls.  Dorothy and Grace Kearney; parents Peter Kearney and Bob & Marie Westlund; siblings Mike (Sarah) Kearney Maureen (Mike) Swanson; sisters-in-law Bobbi Jo Price and Jamie (Rob) Farnsworth; brother-in-law Jon (Miranda) Westlund; numerous nieces who was instrumental in raising him; great aunt Gretch Babou; and his uncle Tom Kearney A Celebration of Life Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hibbing with a reception and celebration of his life afterward in St Tom would have wanted everyone to join us over a meal The family asks that donations go to United Way of Northeastern Minnesota in his honor, https://www.unitedwaynemn.org/  Changing over from Section 7AA to Section 7A 3 Hibbing/Chisholm Bluejackets took on the No 2 Hermantown Hawks in the second Section 7A semifinal matchup at AMSOIL Arena on Saturday The Hawks got on the board first with a goal from Charlie Marchand early in the first period Hibbing/Chisholm would respond halfway through the first with a power-play goal from Tate Swanson Tate Swanson would give the Bluejackets their first lead of the game Hermantown would tie things back up at twos with a goal from Gabriel Swenson but Hibbing/Chisholm would respond with a goal of their own from Benny Galli The Bluejackets would extend their lead to 4-2 thanks to a sunk shot from Isaiah Hildenbrand Cole Swanson nets the puck to put the score at 5-2 Hibbing/Chisholm Hermantown’s River Freeman finds his target to make it a two-goal game winning 5-3 and advancing to the Section 7A championship game on Wednesday This is the first time since 2008 the Hawks will not play in a section final game passed away at The Waterview Woods Care Center in Eveleth He served in the Vietnam War and was a paratrooper for the 101st Airborne Division and together they raised their two daughters Susan and Anna Calvin was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church in Hibbing and served as an Elder for many years He also served on the town board in Lavell for many years and Richard (Joyce) Severson; brother-in-law He is preceded in death by his parents; sisters A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday Visitation will be held from 10:00 – 11:00 AM Interment will take place at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Hibbing.  Mary grew up in Hibbing and graduated from Hibbing High School She eventually relocated to New York and made it home for thirty years she married Nader Gebrin and together they owned and operated Bravo Nader Italian Restaurant for over twenty years Mary adored her family and was lovingly named by her nieces and nephews as “Auntie Mary Real Fun” because that’s exactly who she was generous heart cared for others including her dear mother-in law who lived with them for 14 years Her faith was important to her as she was a devout Catholic She enjoyed fishing and being with her beloved dogs Mary traveled all over the world but traveling back home each summer to the family cabin on Big Sturgeon or vacationing with family on Captiva Island were two of her favorite places to be She was larger than life and will be dearly missed Jeannie (John) Nobens and Mike (Sheri) Mulvahill  She is preceded in death by her grandparents Maurice and Merle Mulvahill Elizabeth Mulvahill and Francis and Clarice Ryan along with numerous aunts and uncles A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday Visitation will take place one hour prior to mass starting at 10:00 AM Father Bill Skarich will officiate services Interment will take place at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Hibbing Stuntebeck passed away unexpectedly on March 6 James and John David Klobuchar; and her grandson Donna was an extraordinary woman – witty she was a 1955 graduate of Hibbing High School earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Minnesota Duluth and later obtained a master’s degree in Curriculum Writing from Bemidji State University in 1993 taught English at Hibbing Technical College and served as the Special Needs Administrator for Hibbing Community College she focused on earning her Master Gardener certification and volunteered her gardening skills to many She created an incredible garden at her home and welcomed garden club tours and was actively involved in various committees including her beloved Friends of the Hibbing Public Library and spending time with her beloved grandchildren Stacy (Dennis) Mackey and Nancy (Jeffrey) Clusiau; her grandchildren and Juliet Clusiau; her great-grandchildren Adelynn and Raylynn (Sean) Mackey; and a grandchild expected to arrive in August to Zachary Mackey A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 AM on Thursday A Visitation will be held from 10:00 – 11:30 AM with Father Daniel Weiske officiating Interment will be held at the Maple Hill Cemetery with a reception at St Click to watch Louis County Court Hibbing for 1st degree sale of cocaine and 5th degree possession of a controlled substance The sheriffs office says the drug bust took place last Friday and was conducted by the LSVOTF and ARC probation The Sheriff’s Office identified the man charged as Larry Wilkins The drugs were located in his apartment in Hibbing after they received information that he was selling cocaine This comes after Wilkins pled guilty in St Louis County Court Hibbing to the 2nd degree sale of cocaine in February of 2025 That investigation was also conducted by members of the LSVOTF lifelong resident of Hibbing died Wednesday to Richard and Katherine (Sabin) Guye in Hibbing Frank attended Hibbing Schools and later would proudly serve his country in the U.S Franklin entered the Sacrament of Marriage with Geraldine (Booren) Guye on October 8 He was employed as a mechanic with Eveleth Taconite Frank & Jeff started their plumbing company where he worked alongside his son until he retired from his plumbing career Frank was a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish and golfing as his favorite pastimes.  Frank was preceded in death by his parents Funeral services for Frank will be 11:00 am Visitation will be from 10:00 am until the 11:00 am memorial service at the funeral home on Monday memorials are preferred to Fairview Range Hospice The Northwestern Bell Telephone Company will add 75 new employees to its present service in South Hibbing The crew will be employed to install new lines to care for increased subscribers The work will require at least eight weeks to complete Liberal and conservative blocs of the Minnesota Legislature will square off for the biggest fight of the session over Gov Orville Freeman's proposal to add $14 million in taxes for iron ore A military court convicted former Staff Sgt outside the Duluth Air Force Base last September It is with heavy hearts we announce the death of Patrick Aloysius Connors Patrick passed away peacefully at Fairview Range Medical Center in Hibbing after a courageous battle with lung cancer He was a Hibbing graduate with the class of 1966 He joined the Navy as a Seabee and was proud of his service He spent the rest of his career being a route salesman for Taystee and Master Bread Patrick was a loyal friend and always wanted to help his family in any way possible Pat enjoyed fishing along with spending time outdoors He loved to take care of his yard during all times of the year He would always make sure he made it to his grandchildren’s sporting events whether it was rain or shine Patrick always made sure he had his coffee every day and loved to watch the Minnesota Vikings play every week.  He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years Coetta (Gates) Connors daughters sister Lucy (LeRoy) Radovich and brother-in-law Rick (Melanie) Gates He was preceded in death by his parents Margaret and Reuben and Sharon (Darryl) Foster brother in laws Patrick Gates and Louis (Kathleen) Gates We wish to thank Fairview Range Medical Center hospital staff and Oncology along with Guardian Angels for their gracious care A special thank you to Fairview Hospice for their compassionate end-of-life care.  A Mass of Christian burial with full military honors will be held at 11:00 am on Monday at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Hibbing Visitation will take place one hour prior to mass on Monday at the Blessed Sacrament Church Interment will be at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Hibbing HIBBING — The state Court of Appeals has ordered the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to reconsider an application from Hibbing Taconite after ruling the agency acted outside its statutory authority The appeals court ordered the DNR to reconsider a wetland replacement plan application from the mining company Hibbing Taconite challenged the agency in court after it placed a condition on the application’s approval a third-party contractor unintentionally damaged a wetland that was not included in the wetland permit for that project Hibbing Taconite notified the DNR of the damage and submitted a wetland restoration plan The company later notified the DNR that it was "impracticable to continue trying to restore" the wetland It tried to amend its plan to instead use surplus wetland credits to offset the impacts The DNR approved the plan amendment but conditioned the approval on the company amending its permit to mine which was issued decades ago and amended several times since The appeals court ruled the Minnesota Legislature did not give the DNR the authority to condition its approval as it did "The DNR certainly has the authority to commence a process to endeavor to achieve its end goal — make changes to a permit to mine — but the DNR does not have the express or implied authority to force a party to affirmatively request those changes that the agency wants made," the opinion stated The court told the agency to reconsider Hibbing Taconite’s application to amend the wetland replacement plan without the condition meaning it will be considered and used by courts faced with similar issues in the future The agency has the option to appeal the decision to the Minnesota Supreme Court Charges are now filed against two men in connection with an assault and high speed pursuit from last Friday in Hibbing are accused of beating up another man with a wooden handle Both defendants have addresses in Illinois The criminal complaint said the victim told police the men attacked him because he owed them money He ended up needing stitches for a large laceration on the top of his head When officers attempted to stop the suspects The complaint said they were going around 100 miles per hour on Highway 169 and Highway 37 Hibbing/Chisholm boys hockey has once again become a powerhouse in the Northland Hibbing/Chisholm hockey is on the right side of the record books “Everyone knows Hibbing hockey was good back in the day,” said Tate Swanson “We won a couple state championships and we want to prove that we’re still good to this day.” They’ve been able to prove it the past few years Aaron Jamnick graduated from Hibbing High School in 2009 and later went on to play Division I hockey at Providence College Those roads led him back to the Bluejackets program though where he’d been an assistant since 2016 it’s not that big of a switch because he had a lot to say previously and now just get to learn even more from him and just adapt to his new philosophies,” said Swanson “We have great staff and we’ve had a very difficult schedule,” said Jamnick “So we’re trying to play 200-foot hockey and it’s been some ups and downs but it’s been a great experience so far.” the Bluejackets have been rolling along under Jamnick’s guidance including a five and three game win streak throughout the season not many teams have been able to get by the Jackets this year Adding to the excitement around the program is the fact that the Bluejackets have been chosen for Minnesota Hockey Day for the first time since they suited up in Grand Rapids in 2013 “We’re excited,” said Cole Swanson a freshman forward and Tate’s brother “When’s the next time you’re going to play in Hockey Day Minnesota It’s an honor to play in it and just excited “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Jamnick “The boys are pumped playing outside They’ve all watched it all the way up we’re just going to work hard and have fun.” Hibbing/Chisholm is set to take on Eden Prairie on Saturday at 8:30 a.m., and then the push to the playoffs begins. Hockey Day Minnesota will be held at Valleyfair in Shakopee, and go from January 22nd-25th. For the full schedule, click here and graduated from Nashwauk-Keewatin High School in 1998 He went on to attend Hibbing Technical College for computer science and later went for HVAC and was at the top of his class Justin was an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe and enjoyed fishing the South Lake He worked for Burns TCS installing dish satellites and went on to work for many years at the US Steel Keetac location He will be remembered for his incredible personality his large heart and willingness to help anyone at a moment’s notice Justin’s favorite pastimes were hanging out with his nieces and nephews  He absolutely loved hunting and fishing with his father and Sherri Senogles (Mark Frensko) of Chisholm Tom Ruuhela; partner Sarah Liend and her sons Braydon Brecken and grandson Cardyn; his nieces and nephews Justin is preceded in death by his grandparents Robert and Gloria Bobich A memorial service will be held at 11:00AM on Thursday A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home Please join the family for a burial at the Nashwauk Cemetery and reception at the Memorial Building in Hibbing to follow.  The Hibbing Police Department has announced a new male K9 that will be the newest addition to the team The K9 is a one-year-old German Sheppard that will be trained in criminal apprehension and firearms/ammunition detection The department is looking for the public’s help to name the male K9 You can submit your name recommendations by March 10th to Officer Sydney Haugan via email at sydneyhaugan@hibbingmn.gov The winning name will be announced on March 11th Officer Haugan will be attending a three-month certification training March 17th through a training group in Blaine The purchase of the K9 was made possible through the funding assistance of the Northland K-9 Law Enforcement Foundation and the American Kennel Club Reunite PAUL — It all seemed to unravel quickly for Hibbing/Chisholm in the Class A semifinal against East Grand Forks Friday at Xcel Energy Center it also seemed to take a painfully long time 45 seconds of game time between the second and third periods the Green Wave scored four goals to erase the Bluejackets' 5-2 lead going on to take a 7-5 win and advance to the state championship game Saturday against St After Isaiah Hildenbrand scored nearly 10 minutes into the second period to put the Bluejackets up three goals it seemed like it would be Hibbing/Chisholm playing for a state championship “That was huge to get the two-goal lead back,” Hildenbrand said Hunter Johnson and Judd Pesch each scored in the final 2 minutes of the second period and Cole Bies scored just his fourth goal of the season 11 seconds into the third to tie the game it steals any momentum that you have,” Tate Swanson said “We should have come out harder and in the third Bluejackets senior Jace Kampsula took a tripping penalty giving East Grand Forks a five-on-three power play Bies scored again 50 seconds into the period and put East Grand Forks in front for the first time the Bluejackets were “down” heading into the locker room and that feeling seemed to carry over “We still had the lead going into the third we should have been more up and ready to go than we were I think that was a big reason we came out flat in the third and they got those two quick goals.” Jace Panzer tossed a puck nearly 200 feet down the ice for an empty-net goal in the closing minute to seal the win The season has been a roller-coaster ride for East Grand Forks (15-13-2) with a 1-5-1 start and a record that didn’t climb above .500 until their win over Northern Lakes but the Green Wave have played an extremely difficult schedule He estimated that East Grand Forks entered the third period within a goal of their opponent in 15 games this season “Our schedule prepared us for a moment like today,” Palmiscno said We just kept finding a way to make the next play and credit to our guys that first shift to start the third period was pretty impressive.” “I’m really proud of these guys for the season we had,” first-year coach Aaron Jamnick said “When we get on the puck and we get going and playing the right way good things happen and we’ve been scoring in waves who led the Bluejackets in goals and assists this season and scored the first goal of the game but it was a great experience and he hopes it's not their last trip to the state tournament “This weekend has been absolutely everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” he said This is just more fuel to the fire to get back here next year.” Hibbing/Chisholm will play Orono in the third-place game at 9:30 a.m Cloud Cathedral in the Class A championship game at noon Saturday at Xcel DULUTH — The Duluth Denfeld boys basketball team made program history on Thursday with a 75-52 victory over Hibbing in the Section 7AAA championship game—snapping a two-decade-long state tournament drought in the process A raucous standing-room-only crowd at East High School witnessed the top-seeded Hunters use an explosive second-half start to turn the tightly contested matchup into a 75-52 blowout by game’s end — sending Denfeld to its first state tournament since 2004 and its fourth appearance overall After coming up short in the section final two years ago against Hermantown head coach Phil Homere and the Hunters were determined to make it over the hump this time around “We told ourselves next time we get in this situation we will not take second,” said head coach Phil Homere “It was great to see the guys execute the game plan the championship win was a fitting reward for the team’s nine seniors and their dedication shown throughout his tenure “Especially knowing when I first took over they were freshmen… and to be able to see them stick with me and be able to get to this point has been great.” Thursday’s loss for the Bluejackets ends a dramatic program turnaround led by first-year head coach Kyle Giorgi Hibbing finished with a 19-10 record after combining for seven wins the past two seasons “To go from a four-win year to a 19-win year and to make it to the section finals at the end but it was an extremely successful year and we’re looking to build off this heading into next year,” said Giorgi A key factor in Hibbing’s resurgence is the emergence of 6-foot-7 center Ray Brau who was the focal point of the Bluejackets’ offensive attack early in the game after scoring eight of the team’s 10 points in a 10-6 score six and a half minutes in Hibbing’s offense continued to funnel the ball inside with little resistance from the Hunters en route to building a 17-10 lead and forcing a Denfeld timeout Denfeld began utilizing an extra defender to slow down the high-scoring sophomore “He’s a very big guy and he’s very skilled,” said Homere “He’s not a kid where one-on-one we have the guy to be able to defend him so I think we constantly sent that second guy and that got the ball out of his hands…” The Hunters came roaring back to knot the score at 22 following a 12-5 scoring run fueled by leading scorer Marnaries Ferguson who finished with a team-high 13 points in the first half and a game-high 31 points overall Denfeld went to the break with a 34-30 lead after a 3-pointer by Carter Brown — the lone 3-pointer of the half between the two teams — as time expired “When he made that shot it turned us up,” said Ferguson “And after we got turned up we couldn’t get stopped from there and I’m just happy that he made that shot With the momentum gained from Brown’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer Denfeld found another gear on both ends of the floor in the second half after converting multiple steals by Ferguson and Lee Brooks into fastbreak baskets and jumping out to a 13-point lead The court remained tilted heavily in the Hunters’ favor in the minutes that followed as Ferguson led the Hunters to a commanding 55-35 lead with multiple 3-point plays “The fact that he’s not getting a bunch of offers because he’s undersized it makes no sense to me… It was great for him to deliver in a big way for us tonight.” Despite the Bluejackets’ best effort to whittle away at the deficit the Hunters continued to dictate the pace and remained in control until the final buzzer as fans poured in to celebrate the newly crowned section champions The moment was one that Antonio Brown will never forget “I’m not really processing the whole thing….When I’m older I feel like it’s really gonna set in that we did something special for this team and this school