Thursday’s COVID-19 update from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department shows impressive gains in vaccination rates across the Copper Country. Well over one percent of adults in Houghton, Baraga, and Keweenaw Counties received their final vaccinations in the past three days. Houghton still lags the other two, but its rate …

Wednesday’s Hancock City Council meeting had a lengthy discussion about a potential land purchase near Navy Street along the canal, with the measure eventually being tabled. Members Whitney Warstler and Will Lytle had the most questions on the matter. Their primary concern was the precedent that would be set. We’re …

Director David Crowley has written an original screenplay, The Walls Have Eyes, that will serve as the next production for the Calumet Players. As director and writer, Crowley has crafted his tale to allow for a unique filming process. Crowley is looking for 15 individuals to take part, six men …

Next month will mark the return of standardized testing to area classrooms. Some of the exams can be administered online, but most require supervision, with school staff in the classroom as proctors. The SATs are one such example of an evaluation that must be in-person. Planning has already begun to …

In a recent decision, Michigan Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray ruled that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has the right to set procedures for post-election examinations and denied GOP requests for a mandatory forensic audit of absentee ballot signatures. Benson said earlier this month that the audit performed by …

The unemployment rate is one metric to gauge the health of the labor force, but it’s not the only one. At times it can even be deceptive. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget made this point in a recent release. The January unemployment rate statewide made impressive gains, …

Tuesday’s Copper Country Intermediate School District Board of Education meeting marked the final evaluation for George Stockero. The superintendent is leaving on a high note, having received a “Highly Effective” rating. The board said it was particularly impressed by Stockero’s communication abilities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. There …

Tom Merz was appointed chairman of the newly formed subcommittee created to address the future of the big parking deck in downtown Houghton. He was officially nominated by member Mike Needham. There was no voting conducted as per rules established at a prior Planning Commission meeting. Dan Liebau was named …

Michigan Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray rendered a decision that will not fully appease either side in the state’s most prominent lawsuit regarding the 2020 general election. Allegan County Clerk Robert Genetski and the Michigan GOP were seeking a full forensic audit of all absentee ballots to see if …

The Michigan Department of Transportation restarted a project Tuesday on M-26 to replace bridges over the east and west branches of the Firesteel River. Some earth work was done last fall before construction was halted for the winter. It poses some interesting challenges for planners due to the lack of …