Gogebic County Board Hears Ojibway Closing Opposition
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Call (906) 932-4449 High school football Ironwood, MI Special section previews • Ontonag• Hurley Mi on Gladiatorsdgets • Me • Redsautosales.com four local teams Gogebic Miners rcer-Butt ernut Pionee INSIDE TODAY rs DAILY GLOBE Thursday, August 23, 2018 Sunny yourdailyglobe.com | High: 77 | Low: 58 | Details, page 2 Gogebic County Board hears Ojibway closing opposition By RALPH ANSAMI Gogebic County Prosecuting Attorney [email protected] Nick Jacobs, who said he has been “a BESSEMER – It appears the Ojibway steadier supplier of inmates to the prison,” Correctional Facility in Marenisco won’t said he couldn’t handle a lawsuit against go down without a fight. the state on his own. Around 100 people, including many “It’s beyond my ability,” he said, but Ojibway employees and their families, added the lack of the state completing an appeared at a Gogebic County Board of analysis could be challenged. Commissioners meeting Wednesday to “Our county is not budgeted for this discuss the planned Dec. 1 closing of the type of litigation,” he warned, noting it facility, even though it wasn’t on the agen- would be costly. Jacobs acknowledged the da. DOC budget had been shrunk, “pulling Joining them was Ed McBroom, the for- the rug from under us.” mer state representative who is seeking the County board member Joe Bonovetz, of state Senate seat held by Tom Casperson, Bessemer, said the excuse for closing the R-Escanaba. prison that loved ones couldn’t be near The public comment session began their relatives didn’t make much sense. with Crystal Suzik, a strong proponent of “Keep the Yooper prisoners at Ojib- Ralph Ansami/Daily Globe keeping the prison open, proposing filing way,” where they could be visited by rela- CRYSTAL SUZIK addresses the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners Wednes- for an injunction to stop the closure, tives, he suggested. day about the closing of the Ojibway Correctional Facility at Marenisco. From left although she said the state Department of County board member Dan Siirila, of are commissioners Dan Siirila, Jim Oliver and Jeff Wasley. Corrections has already begun moving Ironwood, echoed a previous statement prisoners from the facility. made by county board chair George Peter- Peninsula lacks political clout. “We’re a protesting the closure of the prison Friday McBroom told the circuit courtroom son, of Watersmeet, that a Gogebic County very small fish in the pond,” he said. from 4 to 6 p.m. at the old Kmart lot on overflow audience the DOC is required to delegation of about 13 people was prepar- Bonovetz said the 15 U.P. counties U.S. 2 in Ironwood. undertake an analysis of the economic ing to head downstate to support Ojibway vowed to unify for the cause, but there are McBroom previously said the 2019 ramifications of closing the prison, but when the closing was announced. “We 84 counties in the state. budget, passed in June, called for the clo- there has not been enough time elapsed didn’t have a chance to do what we were The closure of Ojibway leaves U.P. pris- sure of a prison in the state, but it was since the announcement last week to do supposed to do,” he said, later referring to ons in Baraga, Marquette, Munising, New- unknown until this month which facility it so. the action as a “kick in the (gonads).” berry and Kinross and follows closures in would be. He said State Sen. John Proos, of “Let’s see their proof,” he said. Jacobs advised the gathering to deter- Iron River, Manistique, Shingleton, Paines- southwest Michigan, chairs the Correc- McBroom said closing the prison mine what information McBroom obtains dale and Kincheloe. tions Appropriations committee in the would place an even greater burden on the before determining whether legal action “We will do everything we can,” Peter- Senate and pushed hard for the Ojibway county jail, which has been overflowing would be worth pursuing. son pledged. with inmates for the past several years. McBroom noted the western Upper There will be a gathering of people OJIBWAY — page 5 BRIDGE WORK Tentative trial date set in Bessemer abuse case By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] BESSEMER – A Bessemer woman will have one more chance to take a plea deal and avoid a trial on child abuse charges after her final pre- trial hearing in Gogebic County Circuit Court was adjourned Wednesday. Kayla Marie Brown, 26, is c h a r g e d with one count of first degree c h i l d abuse, two counts of s e c o n d d e g r e e c h i l d abuse and one count Kayla Marie of unlaw- Brown ful impris- onment. All four counts are felonies, with first degree child abuse carrying a poten- tial maximum sentence of up to life in prison. With both sides in the case unable to reach an agreeable Jean Nordine/Daily Globe THIS IS the scene looking to the east at the Jackson Creek construction site on M-28 east of Wakefield. The $3.9 million Michigan plea deal, Gogebic County Department of Transportation bridge project was to be completed by Sept. 8, but the removing and replacing of the bridge is running Circuit Judge Michael Pope behind schedule. The projected completion date has been set back to Oct. 12. adjourned the case until Oct. 10. “Normally (today) would be the deadline for the parties M-28 bridge project falls behind schedule to enter into a plea agreement WAKEFIELD – The $3.9 mil- Eastbound and westbound M- and several operations have sim- life expectancy of the new struc- and we’d set the matter for lion Michigan Department of 28 remains closed at the bridge. ply taken longer to complete than ture is 75 years with routine trial,” Pope said. “But given Transportation project to Access is being maintained to originally anticipated,” said Dan maintenance. the current court calendar remove and replace the M-28 businesses and residences along Kari, manager of the Crystal Falls “The new bridge will be five and when a trial date would bridge over Jackson Creek, east M-28. Eastbound traffic is Transportation Service Center. feet higher, 20 feet longer and 11 likely occur in this matter, I of Wakefield, is running behind detoured onto U.S. 2 at Wake- “MDOT and Anlaan are making feet wider than the previous don’t see any harm in extend- schedule. field, then north onto M-64 and every effort to expedite the structure, and will improve safe- ing the final pre-trial for an The planned reopening of the back to M-28. The route is remaining work, and we appreci- ty and increase ride quality. The additional period of time.” bridge to traffic will be delayed reversed for westbound traffic. ate everyone’s patience as we fin- new bridge will also take some If no plea deal is reached by up to five weeks. The length of the detour is 33.5 ish this project and get the bridge of the dip out of the roadway by Oct. 10, the trial will start The detour in place was set to miles. reopened to traffic.” and be less prone to damage Dec. 3. If it happens, the trial be lifted Sept. 8, but the bridge is “Our contractor, Anlaan The previous bridge was built from high water,” according to now expected to be reopened to Corp., lost four days due to heavy in 1932 and it had reached the DOT spokesman Dan Wein- traffic on Oct. 12. rain and flooding in mid-June, end of its service life. The overall garten. ABUSE — page 5 TODAY INDEX Sunny — Details, page 2 Celebrations . .7 75 cents Classifieds . .12-14 Wednesday Today’s records Comics . .11 Vol. 99, No. 233 High 75 High 95 (1948) Community . .3 Low 47 Low 31 (1940) Obituaries . .6 Year ago today Precipitation Opinion . .4 High 66 24 hours to 7 a.m. Low 51 Wednesday none Sports . .9-10 l 2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018 AREA / NATION THE DAILY GLOBE • YOURDAILYGLOBE.COM FIVE-DAY FORECASTFOORECAST FOR IRONWOODIRRONWOOD TODAY FRIDAYY SATURDAY SUNDAYSUNDAY MONDAY Scattered Sunny Few ShowersShoweers Mostly Cloudy Partly CloudyC T-storms 77° 58° 68° 60°600° 74° 61° 76° 62° 78° 64° Winds: Winds: Winds: Winds:Winnds: Winds: 7-137-13 mphmph SWSW 1111 mmphph SSESSE 7 mphmph SWSW 7 mphmph SSWSSW 7-107-10 mphmph S Ontonagon LOCALL OUTLOOK 73/67 Todayy we will see sunny skies with a Bergland highg ttemperaturep of 77°, humidityy of 78/65 47%. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph. Wakefield Ironwood The record high temperature for Saxon 76/65 77/58 Marenisco today is 95° set in 1948. 78/59 77/64 Bessemer Associated Press Upson Hurley 76/65 Watersmeet THIS IMAGE provided by NASA on Wednesday shows Hurricane Lane as seen from 77/58 77/58 77/63 SUNS AND MOON the International Space Station. The National Weather Service says the hurricane Mercer will still pack a wallop for Hawaii on Thursday before gradually slowing over the 76/56 Manitowish next two days. Early Wednesday, the hurricane was 320 miles (515 kilometers) 77/58 SunriseSunri . ...............................................................................se .........................................................................6:09 a.m. south of Hilo on Hawaii Island and moving northwest toward other islands. Minocqua SunsetSunse . ...............................................................................et ..........................................................................7:56 p.m. 77/57 MoonriseMoon . ...............................................................................nrise .......................................................................6:40 p.m. MoonsetMoon . ...............................................................................nset........................................................................3:12 a.m. ALMANAC REGIONALREGIONAL WEATHER NATIONALNAATIONAL WEATHER With no place to run, people Yesterday TodayFri. Today Fri. High ......................... temperature.....75 Ashlandd 79/59 s 74/64 sh ChicagoChicaago 81/64 s 72/62 t Low ........................