Local News

24-year-old Matthew Smith is sentenced to probation for one year related to an intimidating 2020 phone call he made to Houghton County clerk Jennifer Kelly. Smith had already pled guilty to malicious use of a telecommunication device last fall. Smith is close friends with Justin Kasieta, Kelly’s political opponent at …

Michigan State Police personnel say they are getting closer to naming the two people who died in a house fire last Friday night in Portage Township. Lieutenant Derrick Carroll says the condition of the bodies is too poor to get a conclusive ID via autopsy, which leaves some uncertainty. The …

Houghton’s pier project is moving along into the next phase of work soon. Pile driving work on the north side of the Lakeshore Center looks to finish up sometime during the next couple weeks. Construction should pick back up around March, dependent on the weather. The city has hit a …

A Copper Country native has taken the reins at Upper Peninsula Health System – Portage Hospital. Ryan Heinonen has served in the role on an interim basis since October and the organization made his title permanent this week. Heinonen has been with the facility since 2010. He started out as …

Computers are a part of life, from home to business, and coding knowledge is quickly becoming a necessity. Hancock Public Schools is making plans to incorporate computer science into its curriculum. A new grant from the Michigan Department of Education will be utilized to help make this vision a reality. …

Commissioner Tikkonen was reappointed as Vice Chair for the county. He would go on to run the meeting, in the absence of Commissioner Koskela. First item to be approved was paying the county’s bills, totaling $1,094,926. On January 26th the county will join Franklin Township for a discussion on a …

Robert Kyllonen is stepping down after over 30 years on the Laurium Police force. His official end date is January 29th, but unused vacation time effectively pushes that to now. Replacing Kyllonen is Sergeant Kurt Erkkila. He says that the promotion doesn’t change his job responsibilities greatly. It’s fairly similar. …

The Fire Station Cannabis Company released a statement Tuesday regarding the controversial sign promoting the business on Sharon Avenue. After legal counsel for the City of Houghton and municipal officials signaled that they believe numerous ordinances were being violated by the billboard, the company has temporarily pulled it down. What’s …

Calumet Council held a special meeting in the ballroom of Village Hall Tuesday night to address allegations of mishandled citizen petitions. Last year the group passed Ordinances 157 and 158 to allow the appointment of the treasurer and clerk by the council. The main argument for the measures was to …

Houghton – Portage Township Schools Superintendent Anders Hill says families anxious about the potential spread of the omicron variant will soon have a new way to monitor its effect locally. We’re excited. I know parents have voiced concerns about struggling to find rapid tests. The Michigan Department of Health and …