Local News

The City of Houghton faces two questions still regarding the aging downtown parking deck. The first is how to pay to demolish the structure now that the council has agreed to that course of action. Manager Eric Waara presented earlier this month to the group asking for bonding authority. He …

Michigan Tech visiting professor Kristy Dodson has leveraged her connections to the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor to bring the scripts of students there to life here in the Copper Country. Eventually Dodson and her peers at UM winnowed down the submissions to four one-act plays. Tech students and …

The Houghton City Council welcomed Portage Health Foundation’s Kevin Store to present at Wednesday’s meeting. He talked about mental health and the abilities of local organizations to meet the challenges it creates. There had been some discussion in recent months as to whether Houghton should form a subcommittee on the …

The Houghton County Fair is still a few months away, though the fair committee is already seeing a lot excitement for this year. Especially from the youth in the community. Each year the market livestock show and sale sees many kids bring their hogs, sheep and goats to the fair …

Mobile phone coverage in Keweenaw County, or the lack of it, has always been a problem. A community task force will meet for the first time next week to discuss just that. The task force plans to focus on mobile phone coverage along US-41. The idea is to take motivated steps toward …

After a remarkably mild season last year, winter is back in the Keweenaw…but not too harsh. Houghton County Road Commission Engineer Kevin Harju says the budget is still within the usual range. We’re at about $1.4 million, so about $400,000 more than last year on snow removal [at this time]. …

As snow depths reach over four feet in parts of the Copper Country, it becomes hard for animals like deer to survive. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources encourages supplemental feeding by residents throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula. There are several conditions that must be met to have a site on …

Twenty-four lots in east Houghton could be rezoned as multifamily housing, pending public input at a hearing held next month and the wishes of the City Council. The affected area involves parcels on the south side of Houghton Avenue between Agate and Townsend Drive. The proposal technically includes one property …

The Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET) arrested two individuals from Baraga County on drug charges related to the alleged sale of methamphetamine last Friday. The investigations were not related, although the apprehensions occurred close to each other. UPSET and Michigan State Police – Calumet personnel were involved in the …

Houghton’s school board is looking into developing a new strategic plan for the district. After talking with other districts, like that of Ironwood schools, the board hopes to use MASB as an organizer and developer of such a plan. The previous strategic plan employed by the school was up at …