Local News

Figures released by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Monday show continued improvement statewide among several COVID metrics, including hospitalizations. That trend is being seen locally as well, even as snowmobiling and Winter Carnival brought in visitors from across the region recently. Houghton and Ontonagon Counties are …

The vacancy on the Hancock Council is expected to be addressed at a March meeting. As of last week, the city had one application submitted fully, with several other residents expressing a preliminary interest. All paperwork must be received by the end of the business day on Friday at City …

Consumers bludgeoned by soaring prices at the pump and heating costs are about to get socked again. Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine has sent energy commodities soaring. Brent oil is at $98 per barrel and gasoline futures are nearing $2.80. Once you add in transportation costs, profit margin, and taxes …

For those interested in participating in this year’s Great Bear Chase cross country ski race, there are a couple of trends to be aware of. Each race has a cap on the size of the field and some of the offerings fill up faster than others. The 50 km classic, …

Brockway Mountain will be best viewed from afar for the next 24 hours or so. The Keweenaw Snowmobile Club will not be grooming a portion of Trail 3 until midday Wednesday at the earliest due to the winter storm. The portion of the trail that hugs US-41 will be maintained …

Mushers for this year’s Copper Dog need to register by Sunday, February 27th. Entrance fees start at $125. The races are the following weekend, with the 150 mile event beginning in Calumet on Friday, March 4th. There are three different distances in which mushers can enroll; the 150, 80, and …

Houghton, Hancock, and Dollar Bay-Tamarack City School Districts typically hold a monthly Board of Education session on the same night. All three use the third Monday except for rare occasions when holidays throw a wrench into the calendar. February, and Presidents Day, is just one such time.  Houghton-Portage Township Board …

Copper Island Academy Principal Steve Aho was a guest on Copper Country Today this week. The school is beginning its open enrollment period for the 2022-23 academic term. Aho says that the first year has been a success, characterized by energy and enthusiasm that comes with starting something new. The …

The Calumet Theatre Company has finalized the details of its annual raffle. This year’s format is a 50/50 drawing scheduled to take place on December 10th. There are two options for ticket purchases, one for $25 or five for $100. This year’s raffle is being chaired by Jacob Mihelich. In …

Howling winds caused problems across the region over President’s Day weekend. Athletic events were canceled beginning Friday night in some cases. Blizzard conditions kicked up along the immediate Lake Superior shoreline, closing M-28 between Chocolay Township and Munising. High profile vehicles were barred from crossing the Mackinac Bridge all day …