A solar array with ground and roof panels was installed at the new Virginia Public Safety Center to support the facility’s electrical needs. Opened last fall and fully occupied in early 2026, the facility is approximately 50,000 square feet and built on a 7.5-acre site. It houses police, fire, ambulance and Urban Search and Rescue operations. The solar array will be connected this spring and can help reduce energy costs and provide long-term sustainability for the facility. The solar array is the fourth one installed throughout the city of Virginia as part of their Renewable Energy Plan.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) supported the solar project with $200,000 in Community Development grant funds. Total project investment is estimated at $990,000.

The public safety center is located on Second Avenue South, providing quick access for public safety vehicles to the city streets and Highway 53. For the first time in the city’s history, all emergency operations are under one roof. This reflects the city’s continued evolution in public safety services. Its earliest facilities, dating back to 1895 when emergency response relied on horse-drawn carriages, no longer met modern space and operational needs. The consolidation offers greater efficiencies, larger vehicle bays, upgraded technology, training space, living quarters and cold storage.

Email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010 for Community Development grant information.

Note: The $200,000 in Community Development funding to the city of Virginia was part of a larger $400,000 grant which also supported HVAC upgrades to Virginia Indoor Tennis and Pickleball Club public facility. The HVAC upgrades are scheduled for completion this year. IRRR provided prior Community Development grants to support the construction of the facility.

The Babbitt ATV & Snowmobile Club purchased a new mini excavator, replacing one that was aging and failing. The new equipment enables their volunteers to better maintain and improve trails. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $39,572 Culture & Tourism grant. Total project investment is estimated at $79,144.

The Babbitt Club maintains 60 miles of snowmobile trails and 65 miles of ATV trails, serving both local riders and visitors traveling between Ely, Tower, Aurora, Virginia and the North Shore. These trail users help support the local economy, spending at area restaurants, gas stations, retail shops and lodging establishments.

Many of the trails follow old service roads built in the 1940s and 1950s, when logs were used to stabilize the ground. Over time, those logs have begun to surface, and the original culverts are now rusting and breaking down. The excavator allows volunteers to remove the exposed logs, as well as boulders and trees, and supports the replacement of deteriorating culverts.

Club Vice President Glenn Warlof explained that a key to keep tourists returning to the region is having the ability to efficiently maintain snowmobile and ATV trails that provide not only beautiful scenery, but also smooth, safe trails for families to ride.

Learn more about Babbitt ATV & Snowmobile Club.

Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for Culture & Tourism grant information.

From left, Dave Soular, Craig Warlof and Mike Rhein are shown with the Babbitt ATV & Snowmobile Club’s new mini excavator. Tom Bissonette also assisted with delivery.

Daniel Houle, owner of Lodge of Whispering Pines, recently added a new generator at the remote resort located 20 miles north of Ely on the Echo Trail, near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The energy efficient generator replaced two aging and costly 60-kilowatt diesel models. The new generator serves as a backup utility source to a 72-panel solar array that sits atop a ridgeline and powers the resort year-round.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) supported the generator replacement project with a $20,000 Business Energy Retrofit (BER) grant. The BER program is designed to help small business owners in the Taconite Assistance Area make energy improvements to their buildings. It is funded by IRRR and administered by Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA). BER grants help business owners achieve results such as reduced utility bills, improved building aesthetics and increased building life.

The Whispering Pines property has 14 rental log cabins, several campsites and a bunkhouse. It is situated along the shores of Big Lake. At 2,000 acres with numerous islands and bays, it is one of the top walleye fishing lakes in Minnesota. Guests enjoy fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, wildlife watching, swimming and winter outdoor adventures. Houle also owns Echo Trail Outfitters, located on the resort grounds.

“The new generator was a great addition to our operation and has greatly reduced our costs due to the fuel savings,” said Houle. “The BER grant covered about one third of the cost, so it was a tremendous savings. To help with the solar array, I received funding from the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s State Competitiveness Fund and a renewable energy grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.”

Before the solar array and backup generator were installed, the diesel generators had to run continuously, making them very expensive to operate. Because of this, the resort could only operate in the spring and summer and had to close in the fall and winter. With the new solar array, energy can be stored in batteries, allowing the facility to operate year-round.

Houle purchased the off-grid property in 2022. He and Denise Meyers now live on-site and operate the lodge and outfitter businesses together. The lodge dates back to the 1920s and officially opened in 1936 under Marie Sarkipeto Ericson and Roland Ericson. Marie was one of the first female guides in the Superior National Forest. Over the years, the property has been owned and operated by several different families.

Learn more about Lodge of Whispering Pines.

Since BER’s inception in 2013, more than 800 grants have been awarded to help small businesses, which are an imperative part of the region’s economy, communities and workforce. Learn more about BER grants.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) will host a booth at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Minnesota Conference, April 14–16 at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). The event brings together industry professionals, innovators and stakeholders from across the region.

Agency staff will be available throughout the conference to connect with attendees and highlight IRRR funding programs, technical resources and partnership opportunities that support mining, manufacturing and economic development across northeastern Minnesota.

The conference is expected to draw hundreds of mining professionals, vendors and technical experts, with sessions focused on emerging technologies, industry trends and the future of mining in Minnesota’s Iron Range.

Attendees are encouraged to visit IRRR at Booth 170 in the Exhibit Hall to learn more and connect with staff.

Learn more about the SME Minnesota Conference.

Over 220,000 families claimed the Child Tax Credit in 2025 when they filed their Minnesota income tax returns. To find out if you qualify, visit Child Tax Credit on the Minnesota Department of Revenue website.