4/02/2026

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP – Gogebic County authorities releasing more information regarding the death of a child in Ironwood Township.  The Sheriff’s office confirmed that a 2-year-old toddler was hit by a car, adding that they still don’t know who’s responsible. The toddler was identified as two-year-old Darwin Olson.  According to the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office, Darwin left a nearby home sometime that night without his family knowing entered the road and was hit by a car traveling north on Lake Road sometime between 4 a.m. and 4:41 a.m.  The sheriff says the vehicles that were in the area at that time have been identified, and the drivers continue to cooperate with the investigation.  Investigators say they are poring over surveillance video and are still reviewing footage and looking into all circumstances surrounding the crash.  The sheriff says the incident is an active and ongoing investigation; further details will be released pending completion of the investigation.

4/02/2026

IRONWOOD - A 52-year-old Ironwood man has been sentenced to a minimum of 8 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison on drug charges. Todd Smith received the sentence in Gogebic County on Tuesday. Smith's arrest followed a Gogebic-Iron Area Narcotics Team (GIANT) investigation in July, during which he sold 0.24 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. The meth was turned over to GIANT investigators, leading to an arrest warrant. When Smith was arrested on September 30, he was found to have an additional 2.95 grams of methamphetamine. Smith is required to serve his minimum 8-year prison term before he becomes eligible for parole.  In addition, Wisconsin authorities retain the option of violating him on his extended supervision.

4/02/2026

N. WISCONSIN – Enbridge Energy has begun construction on its Line 5 relocation project, around the Bad River Reservation in Ashland County.  Enbridge company leaders also preparing for any potential protests and the financial burden local communities along the pipeline will have to bear.  Enbridge is voluntarily offering to reimburse local agencies for any project-related public safety and emergency response services. When Line 3 was reconstructed in Minnesota, Enbridge was required to reimburse local agencies for policing the project, which cost the company millions.  Line 5 starts in Superior and runs through northwest and Northern Wisconsin and into the Western U.P in our listening area. Bayfield County will be used as a staging ground for Enbridge, while the reroute goes through Ashland County and parts of Iron County.