Partly cloudy High: 33 | Low: 22 | Details, page 2 DAILY GLOBE yourdailyglobe.com Wednesday, March 22, 2017 75 cents MAKING A DIFFERENCE Body found Residents roll for Special Olympics in Ironwood fundraising event By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] IRONWOOD — Sixty-seven house competitors from Gogebic and Ontonagon counties descended By RALPH ANSAMI the Gogebic County Medical on Larry’s Lucky Strikes Tues- [email protected] Examiner’s office continued to day to bowl and raise money for IRONWOOD — The body of a assist in the investigation. Special Olympics. Barb Siira, person who had been dead for DiGiorgio said foul play is director of Special Olympics perhaps years was found Mon- not suspected, but the incident Michigan locally since 1972, said day afternoon in a house that’s remains under investigation by they had to cancel the event last being considered for demolition the IPSD and medical examin- Friday due to weather so they in Ironwood. er. held it on Tuesday instead. The Ironwood Public Safety The location of the house and The Special Olympics, accord- Department issued a Tuesday other information was being ing to Siira, does not receive tax news release saying the human withheld pending notification of dollars. They rely on a bevy of remains were discovered around next of kin, which appeared to be volunteers and fundraising to 4 p.m. Monday in a home that a difficult task for the IPSD, con- support the program and the was being inspected for demoli- sidering the situation. athletes, who range in ages from tion this summer. The house was on the city’s as young as 8, to as weathered as The IPSD was notified by city list of eyesores being considered 84. Even though Siira retired building inspector Dennis Hewitt for demolition under the latest from teaching years ago, she when the body was found. grant round from the state of said she has not been able to It appears as if the person Michigan. Ian Minielly/Daily Globe leave the Special Olympics. Siira might have owned the house, Inspection of the houses is OVER SIXTY-five competitors and their family, friends and supporters bowled at Larry’s Lucky Strikes on said their biggest expense is according to IPSD Director part of the process to prepare for Tuesday to raise money for the Gogebic Ontonagon Special Olympics team. The team sends athletes to transportation. Andrew DiGiorgio. contractors to submit bids under competitions all over the country and even different areas overseas to compete. Without federal money Identification of the remains the “Hardest Hit” blight grant to fund its budget, the Special Olympics must find support from their community and Barb Siira says the was pending as of Tuesday, as program. U.P. is great and people always support the athletes. BOWLING — page 5 Mercer forum gives soapbox to candidates Consolidation deadline By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] MERCER, Wis. — The candi- dates in Mercer’s two contested passes, measure won’t race in April’s election had the opportunity to make their cases to voters Tuesday night at the Mercer Candidate Forum. be on ballot The April 4 ballot will feature John Sendra facing off against By RICHARD JENKINS Organizers had 60 days to incumbent Jim Kichak for town [email protected] get 5 percent of the registered chairman; while incumbent Jeff BESSEMER — Friday’s dead- voters in each district to sign Stenberg, Tom Thompson and line to turn in the necessary sig- the petition, which Pelissero James Schmidt are facing off for natures to put a measure consol- previously said translates to two town supervisor seats. idating the Ironwood and Besse- 140 signatures in the Bessemer Sponsored by the Mercer mer school districts on the district and 359 signatures in Public Library and the Iron August ballot came and went Ironwood. County Citizens Forum, the without submission of petitions Pelissero said Monday he event began with brief opening to the Gogebic County Clerks talked to Bill McDonald, one of statements from the five candi- office. the organizers, Friday and the dates before they all fielded Clerk Gerry Pelissero said the effort didn’t get the necessary questions from moderator Neil Richard Jenkins/Daily Globe organizers of the petition drive minimums required by law. Klemme. MERCER TOWN candidates make their pitches to voters Tuesday in the Mercer Community Center during had until 4 p.m. to turn in the Pelissero didn’t want to specu- The candidates briefly the Mercer Candidate Forum. The candidates in attendance are, from left, John Sendra, Jim Kichak, James required number of signatures to late as to why they didn’t reach answered a range of questions, Schmidt, Jeff Stenberg and Tom Thompson. Neil Klemme moderated the event. put a measure on the ballot the required numbers. including the promotion of silent regarding the consolidation of McDonald said at Monday’s new ideas to explanations of … and talk to them about the went to Milwaukee, we went to sports in the area, affordable the two districts. Bessemer City Council meeting past efforts. possibility of relocating here,” Chicago; we even did the Fox housing, road improvements, “The process has to start over the group decided not to file the Sendra advocated casting a Sendra said, adding the area Valley. Our response was zero,” the vision for the town’s park, again,” Pelissero said Monday, petition until after the Bessemer wider net for businesses to relo- also needed core businesses — he said. downtown parking, all-terrain meaning if community members Area School District’s May 2 cate. like the previously proposed According to Kichak, the feed- vehicle and snowmobile tourism, want to try another petition bond referendum to renovate “I think a simple thing, like Gogebic Taconite mine develop- back he got was the Northwoods the town’s assets and views on effort they will need to get per- A.D. Johnston so it can serve as getting a (Thomas Register of ment. was too far from markets to prof- shoreline preservation and mission from the Michigan American Manufacturers) from Kichak, who said the busi- itably operate from the Mercer water quality. Board of Education again before the library and starting to call ness park was an early goal of area. An early question asked the collecting signatures. large businesses — it tells you his when he became town chair- “Transportation is a killer candidates what they would do PETITION — page 5 who owns them, where their man, explained past advertising when you live far away from to fill the town’s business park. satellites are — if there’s a pos- efforts had been unsuccessful. The question prompted a sibility, call some of their CEOs “We went to Minneapolis, we variety of answers, ranging from MERCER — page 5 Suspect cut off ankle bracelet By RALPH ANSAMI book page that he might be trav- [email protected] eling through the Gogebic HURLEY — The Illinois man Range. Emergency services called out for fire Sunday who waived extradition Monday On Monday afternoon in Iron afternoon to return to his home County, Wis., Court, Hermosillo Ian Minielly/Daily Globe By IAN MINIELLY out and staying confined to only state to face a sexually violent agreed not to fight extradition THE WAKEFIELD Volun- [email protected] one room in the house, according person (escape) charge had been proceedings and to return to Illi- teer Fire Department WAKEFIELD — A Sunday to Lou Boetto, assistant fire free after cutting off an ankle nois to face charges that carry a emblem adorns the wall night fire at 1006 Kuivinen St. in chief. monitor. $1 million bond. above the vehicle bays Wakefield demonstrated the However, for safety’s sake, David Hermosillo, 50, of Hermosillo was wanted in in Wakefield Tuesday. level of community involvement Boetto called in the Bessemer Bloomington, was apprehended McLean County, Ill., for escape The fire department in fighting fires. Township Fire Department by the Iron County Sheriff’s as a sexually violent person after provided its free service Elements from the Gogebic response team in the event a Department at a private resi- he allegedly cut off his GPS to a fire call at a struc- County Sheriff’s Department, catastrophic event would occur dence in Mercer early Sunday ankle monitor while living in ture on the 1000 block Michigan State Police, Bessemer inside the structure and any of morning, according to sheriff’s Bloomington, according to 103.9- of Kuivinen street in Township Volunteer Fire the Wakefield VFD member department Det. Lt. Paul WLPO Radio. Wakefield Sunday. The Department, Gogebic County needed to get rescued. Samardich. In 1994, he pleaded guilty in fire department does Victim Services and Beacon Boetto said Wakefield and the Hermosillo had been consid- LaSalle County, Ill., to aggravat- not charge for its service Ambulance were all on scene in township department have an ered a violent person and his ed criminal sexual assault and to put out fires except response to the blaze. apprehension followed the Goge- home invasion and received a 25- under special circum- The fire was not a significant bic County Sheriff’s Department year prison term, according to stances. inferno, mostly snuffing itself posting information on its Face- police records. FIRE — page 5 C O N T A C T U S WEATHER INSIDE INDEX TODAY HIGH SCHOOL TRACK Business . .11 Daily Globe Inc. Tuesday Precipitation High 39 To 7 a.m. Classifieds . .10-11 Vol. 98, No. 104 118 E. McLeod Ave. Partly cloudy Mercer attends indoor meet Low 18 Tuesday none Comics . .9 P.O. Box 548 —Details, page 2 in Lakeland Ironwood, MI 49938 Year ago today Snowfall Community .