Houghton Police Report Uptick in 2019 Activities – City Council Wrap-Up

The Houghton Police Department was busier in 2019 than it was in 2018. Chief John Donnelly told the city council last night that total calls increased by 100 last year, to 3,253. The number of felonies dropped from 32 to 23. Misdemeanors increased by 25 to 250, and officers wrote more than 100 more civil infractions than they did in 2018.

Dee Stadium now has an ice sled. City Manager Eric Waara told the council that the sled is available for those with disabilities to use, so they can enjoy the ice. Waara also said that the Dee has been booked for a benefit hockey game. The match will feature a team of armed forces veterans from the Upper Peninsula taking on veterans from the Lower Peninsula. Money raised will support veterans programs. A game will be played downstate January 18th in Saginaw. The U.P. rematch will be played here on February 22nd.

It’s looking more and more as if the upcoming rebuild of College Avenue in Houghton will be split out over two summers. The Michigan Department of Transportation is still in the planning process, but is leaning toward doing the section east of Pearl Street in the summer of 2021, and the section between Pearl Street and downtown in the summer of 2022. Waara said it’s theoretically possible to get the project done in one year, but it would be a tight fit, and any delay would cause a serious problem.