Local News

A record 26 local non-profit organizations will benefit from this year’s Portage Health Foundation Giving Tuesday campaign. New participants this year include: • The Bootjack Fire and Rescue Foundation  • Camp Josh • The Copper Country Junior Hockey Association  • The Ripple Recovery Center, and the Great Lake Recovery Centers Foundation  • unitē Mental …

Upper Peninsula high school seniors who plan to pursue college study in the health industry are invited to take part in an essay contest. The third annual National Rural Health Day competition is being coordinated by the Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health, in partnership with the Michigan Center …

Orbion Space Technology cut the ribbon on their new facility yesterday. The company plans to test newly developed and manufactured plasma propulsion systems for small satellites, before they are sold to their customers. Orbion also provides end-to-end services like engineering, planning, orbit and mission analysis, propellant fueling, and on-orbit support. …

Over the weekend Houghton broke out the new pier for it’s first ever event, the Fall Festival. Saturday’s weather allowed for a large crowd to gather on the new place making project, for music, a hayride, and games. In total the pier’s construction came in on budget, ever after an …

Today is a critical attendance day for our public school districts.  Known as “Count Day,” this is the day on which attendance is measured to determine the student count on which next year’s per-pupil funding will be based. Each student in a district that is not included in today’s count …

The Hancock City Council could adopt an updated series of parking fines at tonight’s meeting.  Most of the fines would come in at $20 or less. Exceptions would include blocking a fire hydrant or fire escape, or parking in a handicap zone. Council members will consider buying a new pickup …

COVID-19 case numbers fell slightly in the area last week. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports 33 confirmed cases in Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon Counties, compared to 40 in the previous week. Statewide numbers fell for the third straight week, with a daily average of 1,445 …

The Copper Country is one of six locations in the state tabbed for the establishment of resource centers to help prevent child abuse and neglect. The Keweenaw Family Resource Center will host the pilot program locally. Funding will come from Children Trust Michigan and the Children’s Services Agency, both of …

At the start of each school year there are bound to be some changes to bus routes, but over the past couple of years, school distracts have been juggling routes more often than they’d wish too. And while the issue of a driver shortage is one districts are facing on …

Over the weekend seniors from the area were treated to a special ATV ride through the fall forests. 38 seniors participated in this year’s 13th annual Senior citizen fall color tour with MI-TRALE. Seniors this year included locals from the area, and visitors from lower Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Florida. …