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Iron County voters back millage renewals, fill school board seats

Voters Tuesday renewed millages for Iron County roads, the Crystal Falls Community Library and the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District.

The Iron County road millage will extend collecting 0.5 mills, or 50 cents for each $1,000 of taxable value, for 2025 through 2028 for maintenance, repair and reconstruction of public streets, avenues and roads. It passed easily with 4,346 yes to 2,181 no.

This levy will raise an estimated $345,594 in the first year. The cities of Caspian, Crystal Falls, Gaastra and Iron River and the village of Alpha will retain revenues, while the Iron County Road Commission will receives revenues collected in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Voters also solidly backed five more years of 1 mill, or $1 per $1,000 of taxable value, for the Crystal Falls District Community Library District, 1,351 yes to 609 no. This levy will raise an estimated $209,040 in 2026.

The Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District sought a 10-year renewal of a special education millage of 0.4983 mills, or just under 50 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, to funds for education for students with disabilities. Iron County approved the measure 4,557 yes to 1,989 no; it also passed in Dickinson County. The estimated revenue in 2026 would be $861,567.

The Iron County Board will advertise for applicants for the District 2 seat after no candidate filed for the post. The board then will do interviews to appoint someone as District 2 commissioner for two years, after which the position will again go on the ballot for a partial two-year term.

In contested school board races, West Iron County School District elected two newcomers and two incumbents for four seats — Andrew Oberlin with 2,397 votes; Michael Goriesky, 1,977; and incumbents Ryan Meske and Gary Pisoni with 1,583 and 1,365 votes, respectively. They were followed by Linnea Johnson, 1,297; incumbent Ian Gill, 1,081; Gary Olson, 1,060; and Merrie Gillaspie, 756.

For Forest Park School Board, Zach Hautala and Ryan Aho secured the two seats with 1,160 and 1,024 votes, respectively; left out were Brook Ponchaud at 736, incumbent William C. St. John at 526, incumbent Debra J. Divoky at 500 and Allen L. Jaeger at 192.

Crystal Falls will have a new mayor, as Tim Bean drew 495 votes to top incumbent Mike McCarthy with 147 and Rob Damske with 101.

Republican Curtis Stebic earned the Crystal Falls Township supervisor post with 466 votes, followed by Libertarian Bob Black with 275, Democrat Allen L. Jaeger with 182 and Tom Stachowicz, no party affiliation, with 119.

Finally, Gordon Robinson bested Kurt Colombino in the race for Hematite Township constable, 96 to 70.

The county’s turnout for the election was 64.07%, or 7,086 of 11,059 registered voters.

Iron County favored the Republican presidential ticket of former president Donald J. Trump and JD Vance over Democratic nominees Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 4,501 to 2,441. None of the other presidential candidates on the ballot drew more than 44 votes.

For U.S. Senate, Republican Mike Rogers beat Democrat Elissa Slotkin in the county, 4,328 to 2,404. Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman drew 4,265 votes to 2,469 for Democratic challenger Callie Barr.

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