Courtesy of Google Maps North and South Whealkate drives create a horseshoe near South Range Elementary School.

SOUTH RANGE — The Village of South Range held its Council Meeting on Thursday evening addressing a variety of issues and concerns, but most notably going over the details of the grant they were approved of for the fixing of Whealkate Drive.

The grant’s approval was made public by an announcement from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Sept. 25 to provide funding for 28 villages and small cities across Michigan. The press release shared that the Community Service Infrastructure Fund Category B program is administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation to serve as a stop-gap program to fund road projects in small communities. South Range has been approved to receive funds for its hillside horseshoe shaped road.

About 1990, lots were sold off around the area where the road currently sets in which housing was constructed. After the houses were built and utilities finished, a road was promised to be paved to accommodate the new living area of South Range. The higher end of the road is narrow and made up of gravel, and the council is seeking to complete the promise that was made several years ago. The cost of the road was estimated to cost taxpayers an estimated $232,000, prompting Chris Holmes of U.P. Engineering to suggest applying for the grant.

With the grant now announced, the village will receive $116,000 to invest in Whealkate Drive. The work on the road will begin in 2025 with bids for the construction likely happening in January or February of that year.

Before the meeting Village President George Eakin said that initially the village was just going to hire a contractor.

“Because of people waiting, waiting, waiting, when this came at us we said ‘Well, we have to run with this.,'” he said. “We decided to take our chances with it and now we’re saving the taxpayers $116,000.”

In other business, council:

• heard a report from South Range Fire Department about partnering with others in Houghton County regarding applying for a grant to obtain better radios.

• will look into addressing a troublesome rooster who has been roaming around freely throughout South Range. A possible solution is looking into creating an ordinance.

• addressed the cancellation of the Adams Township Foundation Dinner, which will now have the funds that the village set aside for it to go to scholarships, after-school programs and other school activities in Adams Township School District.