Marshall Helmberger

GIANTS RIDGE— The white stuff is flying like never before here, thanks to a $16.5 million investment in new, high-tech snowmaking equipment that should allow skiers to hit the slopes at Giants Ridge earlier than might otherwise be the case in the future. “We’re taking our snowmaking system from 1980s technology and upgrading it to 2024 standards,” said Benji Neff, director of mountain sports at Giants Ridge.

Ely senior Clare Thomas goes in for a jumper under heavy pressure from a Silver Bay defender.

REGIONAL— If you’re thinking of camping on the Superior National Forest next summer, it’s going to cost you a bit more than in the past. The forest service announced late last week that camping fees at ten of its most popular campgrounds on the forest will increase, in many cases by at least 50 percent. Forest officials say the higher costs associated with maintenance of forest campgrounds is driving the need for higher fees.

FLOODWOOD— In their first week of boys basketball action, the Timberwolves have combined solid defensive play with offensive firepower and the result is a 3-0 start. Playing in Floodwood on Tuesday, the Wolves thoroughly dominated the young Polar Bears in a 110-36 rout. “They are a young team and we forced them into many turnovers,” said Ely Head Coach Tom McDonald.

MORA— Ely’s sluggish start to the hockey season continued this past Saturday as the Timberwolves fell to 1-3 on the season on a 3-1 loss here to Mora/Milaca. The graduation of some of last year’s top scorers has definitely limited Ely’s offensive firepower, at least in the early going this season.

REGIONAL— We’ve all seen the heartrending appeals on the television this time of year from groups of all kinds hoping to turn your sympathy into their next financial contribution. Groups like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the Humane Society of the United States, routinely air hard-to-watch clips of abandoned or neglected dogs and cats shivering and alone.

ELY— It was the definition of a romp for the Ely girls basketball squad here on Tuesday as the Wolves pummeled the hapless Vikings 88-16 to improve their season’s record to 4-3. Four Ely players hit double digits on the night, led by Lydia Schultz, with 23 points, including two treys. Zoe Mackenzie was red hot from beyond the arc as she connected on five of eight attempts from three-point range as she notched 17 points. Audrey Kallberg notched her second double-double of the week with 14 points and ten rebounds while adding six assists to set the pace. Amelia Penke added 12 points while Maija Mattson added seven and Gretta Lowe added six.

Improve to 5-0 on the season after routs of Cook County, Mesabi East

BAUDETTE— A string of third period penalties proved costly here on Saturday as the Timberwolves gave up three straight short-handed goals to fall 6-2 to Lake of the Woods. It was a tight contest through the first two periods. The Bears grabbed the lead late in the first period, but Ely’s senior forward Garrett Rohr lit the lamp at the 5:35 mark of the second—with an assist from Jayden Zemke— to knot the game at one. The Bears edged ahead with a goal later in the second, but Ely sophomore forward Owen Marolt evened it up to start the third, with an assist from Jace Huntbatch and Rhett Johnson.

PROCTOR— A pre-season poll of Minnesota cross-country ski coaches ranked the Ely boys Nordic team as the fifth strongest in the state. In their season-opening meet held Dec. 10 in Proctor, the Wolves showed the coaches weren’t far off the mark as they gave second-ranked Duluth East all they could handle, finishing three skiers in the top six in a competitive field of 46 racers. Duluth East took the top three spots, but Ely senior Dylan Durkin finished in fourth with a time of 11:53. Sophomore Aksel Skustad was right behind in fifth with a time of 12:02, while senior Eli Olson took sixth with a time of 12:08. Ely junior Otto Devine finished 11th with a time of 12:53 and senior Milo McClelland finished 16th in 13:04.