4/07/2026

GOGEBIC COUNTY - Highland Copper, and it’s Copperwood Mine Project near Wakefield, was directly credited in the Trump Administrations latest proclamation to expand U.S. mining interests.  A proclamation signed by President Trump will strengthen tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and copper. It states this is to ‘more effectively’ handle potential national security threats posed by these imports. This includes the ‘economic resilience of vital industries and the financial position of American workers.  The proclamation also makes note of the creation of new aluminum and copper smelting companies. In July last year, copper was added to the Section 232 program to have the same 50% tariff rate as steel and aluminum.  The Protect the Porkies organization continues to speak against the Copperwood project saying that the jobs will only be temporary and the project will cause irreparable damage to the Porkies and Lake Superior. 

4/07/2026

HAZELHURST – The Oneida County Sheriff’s office says a 58-year-old Hazelhurst man has now died two weeks after an UTV crash on March 23.  58-year-old Paul R. Vedder was found trapped under his UTV, first responders performed CPR on scene then Vedder was transported to a nearby hospital.  The sheriff’s office says Vedder died as a result of injuries he suffered in that accident. 

4/07/2026

BAYFIELD - Bayfield County has acquired a 160-acre property along the headwaters of Whittlesey Creek, transferred after purchase by the Landmark Conservancy. The Ashland Daily Press reports the land, which is now open for public hunting, fishing, and hiking, is ecologically significant. Located on the Bayfield Peninsula between Washburn and Ashland, it features over a half-mile of stream frontage on the North Fork Whittlesey Creek, springs, mixed forest, and substantial wetlands. The $208,800 purchase was funded by a mix of private, county, federal, and state sources, and included a below-market sale by the former owners.