Snow likely High: 26 | Low: 12 | Details, page 2 DAILY GLOBE yourdailyglobe.com Thursday, December 29, 2016 75 cents CHRISTMAS BABY Wick retires Ironwood area couple receives from nursing special delivery on Christmas after 39 years By RALPH ANSAMI By LARRY HOLCOMBE muscle tone, [email protected] [email protected] and preserving IRONWOOD — A Christmas HURLEY — Zona Wick is bone density. delivery was very special to an retiring from 39 years of nursing Working with Ironwood area couple this year. today. For the last 10 and half partners at the On Christmas Day, Olivia years, she worked as Iron Coun- Aging Unit and Reini and Darryl Anderson Jr. ty’s Health Officer and director Aging and Dis- went to Aspirus Ironwood Hospi- of the Health Department. a b i l i t y tal because Olivia was experi- There have been many chal- Resource Cen- encing back pains while preg- lenges in Iron County over those ter are key to nant. years, but Wick said she and her the success of small, but able, staff met them Zona these pro- The obstetrics department Wick sent her to the emergency room head on, often with help from grams.” because she wasn’t in labor and others in the community. Wick is her baby was due on Dec. 27. On Wednesday, she shared quick to divert praise to her staff Reini had been in the hospital with the Daily Globe some of the and others. a couple of times previously for lessons she learned from that “Our board of health and full the same lower back pains. service. county board were always sup- She was treated in the ER on Iron County isn’t a wealthy portive when we saw a challenge, Christmas by Dr. Eric Maki, who county, and that brings both made a case for it and asked for helped her with her pain and budgetary and public health its backing. Our two previous sent her home. challenges, according to Wick. public health directors, Judy Three hours later, before 7 “The health department receives Kunath and Norene Gilbertson, p.m., the first-time-to-be parents about 2 percent of the county were eager to offer their support called Olivia’s mother, Lee budget each year, yet the ser- for the programs I proposed, and Ellsworth, in a panic as labor vices and programming coming helped by serving on the board of pains arrived. out of this department with only health and volunteering their Ellsworth picked up the cou- six employees are noteworthy,” expertise,” Wick said. ple and Olivia was sitting in the she said. In keeping with that, Wick front seat of the car with her Helping an aging population has an eye on the future. “I mom, headed for the hospital, as has been a major focus. intend to work with our incoming the baby’s head emerged near “We have the highest percent- director, Katie Hampston, to the Walmart store, just off U.S. age of senior citizens of any coun- help continue valuable programs 2. ty in the state, and that requires as much as possible.” The rest of the baby’s body special attention to issues those Wick is a local gal, born at came out before the couple could seniors face,” she said. “Our dia- Grand View Hospital and a grad- travel the short distance to the betes programs have helped uate of Hurley High School in hospital. many older residents face that 1975. She graduated from St. Submitted Photo disease, and our Strong Women COLTON JAMES Anderson Reini arrived on Christmas Day as a surprise to his parents, Olivia Reini and programs helped participants Darryl Anderson Jr. with fall prevention, improved DELIVERY — page 5 WICK — page 5 YEAR IN REVIEW Kangas ends 28-year career Range war on drugs continues on Gogebic County Board Editor’s note: The Gogebic Bessemer heroin case. Range’s battle against drugs —Another Iron County drug By RALPH ANSAMI has been selected as the third case involing Carol Walitshek, [email protected] place top story of the year for Stories of 29. Walitshek was sentenced to BESSEMER — Leroy Kangas 2016. two years in prison for a deliv- concluded a 28-year career as a By RICHARD JENKINS ery of heroin charge and main- Gogebic County Commissioner [email protected] the Year taining a drug house in May. Wednesday by announcing a new For the second year in a row, —The two cases brought road commission board member. the effort to combat the spread against Michael Johnson, 21. John Matonich, who serves on of illegal narcotics across the Johnson was another drug the Michigan Natural Resources Gogebic Range has been select- defendant seeing charges on Board, was the interview com- ed as one of the Daily Globe’s both sides of the border. He mittee’s choice among four candi- top stories of the year. was sentenced to three years in dates for the position, Kangas The Daily Globe’s coverage a Wisconsin prison on heroin said. The board then unanimous- of the effort included stories on on a delivery of heroin charge. and meth charges in May and ly voted for Matonich. more than 35 defendants, with 2016In the Michigan case, she three years in prison for pos- Matonich will fill the term of significant cases going through was found and extradited from session of meth and possession the late Don Bennetts, of Besse- the courts on both sides of the Florida — ultimately being of heroin with intent to sell in mer, who died earlier this year. river. sentenced to two years in Michigan in July. The term extends through 2020, Among the cases were: prison. Gerhke’s co-defendant In the Michigan case, two of county board chair Joe Bonovetz, —Hurley resident Tracy in the Michigan case, Shawn Johnson’s co-defendants were of Bessemer, said. Lynn Gehrke, 43. Gehrke was Bryant, 27, was released on also sentenced. Stephanie Matonich, brother of sheriff Ralph Ansami/Daily Globe in court on multiple cases this time served in July after serv- Juntti, 22, was sentenced to Peter Matonich, has moved to LEROY KANGAS, of Ironwood Township, foreground, attends his last year both in Wisconsin and ing 303 days in jail on a posses- one year in jail for possessing Lake Gogebic and will now sit on meeting as a Gogebic County Commissioner on Wednesday. He did not Michigan. Gehrke was given sion of heroin charge. meth and Dylan Smith, 27, was the five-member road commis- seek re-election and Dan Siirila will represent the township next year. two years of probation in Iron —Martin Brecke’s sentence sentenced to four years in sion board that is separate from Also shown are commissioners Tom Laabs, of Ironwood, center, and County in January for possess- of two years in prison in Jan- prison for one count of possess- the county board. Bob Orlich, of Wakefield. ing meth. uary. Brecke pleaded guilty to ing meth with intent to deliver. The county board earlier reap- “You have been an influence an election. She would be charged in involuntary manslaughter last —The conviction of three pointed Robert Sharon to the for all of us who have worked Former county commissioner Iron County again this year, year in connection to the July people involved in the opera- Gogebic County Department of with you and will continue to be,” Dan Siirila, who moved from failing to appear for a court 2015 overdose death of Patrick tion of an active meth lab on Health and Human Services an emotional Bonovetz said. Ironwood to the township district appearance in November on a Mullen, 32. Sunset Road in Ironwood Board. Kangas said when he first ran that Kangas represents, will fill charge of manufacturing/deliv- —A second federal case in Township this summer. John Bonovetz presented Kangas for the county board, he planned the seat at the corner of the table ering a schedule 1 or 2 nar- the area. Raymond Bowser, 31, Davis, 41, was sentenced to 10 with a plaque and praised him on serving only one term, but beginning Jan. 1. cotics. She also missed a court was sentenced to five years in for his dedicated service to the that turned into 28 years. Before The county board will meet appearance in Gogebic County federal prison in March in a county, including two terms as the meeting, he said he never next Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. for DRUGS — page 5 board chairman. had any opposition for his seat in a 2017 reorganizational session. C O N T A C T U S WEATHER INSIDE INDEX TODAY COLLEGE TRACK Business . .14 Daily Globe Inc. Wednesday Precipitation High 28 To 7 a.m. Classifieds . .12-13 Vol. 98, No. 33 118 E. McLeod Ave. Snow likely 3 area students continue Low 2 Wednesday none Comics . .11 P.O. Box 548 —Details, page 2 track careers. Ironwood, MI 49938 Year ago today Snowfall Community . .3 High 24 To 7 a.m. — Sports Obituaries . .7 Low 12 Wednesday none page 9 yourdailyglobe.com Today’s records Snow depth 9 in. Opinion . .4 906-932-2211 High 45 (1979) Season total 56 in. Sports . .9-10 Low -29 (1933) Last year 35.9 in. NEW Ironwood Walk-in Clinic. Open 7 days a week • noon - 7pm • starting Dec. 1 aspirus.org 2 l THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016 AREA / NATION THE DAILY GLOBE • YOURDAILYGLOBE.COM FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR IRONWOOD LOS ANGELES TODAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY Actress Debbie Reynolds, 84, Snow Likely Snow Possible Snow Possible Partly Cloudy Cloudy 26º 12º 19º 16º 24º 8º 25º 18º 29º 13º dies a day Winds: 15 mph W Winds: 5-10 mph NW Winds: 10-15 mph NW Winds: 5-10 mph NW Winds: 5-10 mph N Ontonagon LOCAL OUTLOOK after daughter 30/18 ,*-./% +0% +"11% 200% 31*4-/% 25"02% +"6$% .% 789% LOS ANGELES (AP) — Deb- 3$.:30% *;% 2:*+<% $"#$% 60=>0?.64?0% *;% '@A<% bie Reynolds, who lit up the Bergland $4="-"6/%*;%7B9&%C026%+":-%DE%=>$&%F0+%2:*+% 27/14 .334=41.6"*:%*;%D%6*%'%":3$02%>*22"G10&%,$0%?03*?-% screen in “Singin’ in the Rain’ :DNHÀHOG $"#$%60=>0?.64?0%;*?%6*-./%"2%BEA%206%":%DH7H&% and other Hollywood classics Ironwood 45 despite a tumultuous life, has Saxon 26/12 26/12 died a day after losing her 27/12 Marenisco SUN AND MOON daughter, Carrie Fisher.