The board awarded two public-works contracts to Mesabi Bituminous — roughly $595,000 for the Pike River Bridge ATV Trail and about $1.3 million for culverts and boardwalk upgrades — funded with DNR dedicated accounts and an IRRR match to connect the Prospector Trail to a broader network.

A resident, Mike Banovitz, alleged township supervisors organized meetings to block ATV trails, violated open-meeting laws, removed safety signs, and that attendees were threatened; he said he reported threats to the sheriff's office and urged legal remedies.