Spectrum Health Companies hosted an open house at its new Virginia Carefree Living facility on Thursday, April 13. The 25,000 square-foot assisted living facility is located on the site of the former Horace Mann School in the south side of Virginia. 

Spectrum Health Companies invested $6 million into the 44-unit assisted living and memory care facility. IRRRB supported the project with $350,000 for infrastructure and site development. 

The facility will have an annual operating budget of $1 million, which will provide a steady stream of new money into the community. 

Permanent job creation includes 25 to 30 employees over the next 18 months. 

Based in Eveleth, Spectrum Health Companies owns and operates assisted living facilities in Aurora, Babbitt, Cook, Ely, Orr, Silver Bay, Brainerd, Burnsville, and St. Cloud. The company employs 350 in northeastern Minnesota and a total of 550 throughout the state.

Pictured at the open house at the Virginia Carefree Living facility are: (back row) Chris Ismil, community development, IRRRB; Jon Monacelli, executive vice-president finance, planning and development, Spectrum Health Companies; Commissioner Mark Phillips, IRRRB; and Steve Peterson, executive director of development, IRRRB; (front row) Merle Sampson, chief executive officer and owner, Spectrum Health Companies and Janelle Greschner, business recruiter, IRRRB.

The award-winning golf course, the Quarry at Giants Ridge, will open for the 2017 season on Friday, April 21.

A special $62 opening weekend rate is available on a first-come/first-served basis. 

Get details on the golf special. 

The Legend golf course opening date will be announced shortly.

Giants Ridge is also proud to share its newest honor, winner of the 2017 Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award: “Best Golf Resort – Midwest.”

Great golf programs for all ages will be held throughout the summer at Giants Ridge. Four-day Junior Golf Programs for kids ages 7–12 are available for only $89 per child; June 12–15, July 10–13 and August 7–10; 9 a.m. until noon daily.

The Ridge Family Golf special will be available all summer; a junior golfer (age 15 and under) can play free with each paid adult, all season, every day, after 2 p.m.

Get details on the junior golf programs.

For tee times, group arrangements and program/camp registration, please call Giants Ridge Golf Shop at 218-865-8030.  

Small Iron Range businesses will learn about technology and social media strategies that can help grow business at a Thursday, May 11 forum at Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm.

“Entrepreneurs on Tap” is the first of at least three small business forums to be scheduled by the “Recharge the Range” Small Business Strategies action group.

The 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. forum, titled “Technology & Social Media to grow your business,” features a panel discussion led by Anna Anderson of Art Unlimited in Angora.

Three successful small businesses, represented by Mike Larson of Kondos Outdoors in Ely, Karin Woodman of 24hr Bookkeeper in Hibbing and RaeAnne Conat of Swanky Sweet Pea in International Falls, will be panelists. 

The forum is an initiative stemming from four large “Recharge the Range” forums held in 2016. 

Event partners include Entrepreneur Fund, UMD Center for Economic Development, ReGen, Iron Range Makerspace, IRRRB and the Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce.

Register for Entrepreneurs on Tap. 

IRRRB publishes a print edition of The Ranger newsletter in the Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune and Grand Rapids Herald-Review. The April 2017 edition features the following articles: 

• Happy Trails - until we ride again: Iron Range recreational trail opportunities abundant, expanding (pictured)
• Recharge the Range groups taking action, a message from IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips 

Read the print edition of The Ranger.