Local News

It began as an advertisement for the Downtowner Motel, sitting at the Houghton County Memorial Airport and greeting those arriving to the area. Now the replica model of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, constructed from sheet copper and fully mechanized, has a new home. Manager Eric Waara highlighted City Center’s …

The temperature will be slightly cooler than normal for this time of year, but otherwise perfect weather is expected when Houghton High School graduates Friday night. The ceremony runs from 7:00-8:00 and will be livestreamed on Facebook for those unable to attend. Afterwards, the Houghton Fire Department has organized a …

In a Thursday night release, the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office has updated the number of people displaced by Calumet’s Fifth Street fire to 41. The Salvation Army’s Bread of Life Center in Hancock is coordinating relief for those residents and has begun to contact landlords throughout northern Houghton County and …

For the second consecutive week, one COVID-19 related death was recorded in Houghton County, even as the number of cases plummets to pandemic lows. Houghton has now registered 42 deaths since March of 2020. Baraga County continues to see COVID-19 activity recede from a spring bump, but it still leads …

For the holiday weekend, the Michigan Department of Transportation is attempting to mitigate the effect of construction for the wave of travelers expected. Unfortunately, that isn’t possible for the area’s high-profile projects. MDOT’s Dan Weingarten says that once pavement is tore up, it becomes nearly impossible to ease traffic restrictions. …

Ontonagon County judge Michael Pope handed out the sternest sentence yet related to Attorney General Dana Nessel’s clergy sex abuse task force investigation. Gary Jacobs pled guilty earlier this year to three counts of criminal sexual conduct 1st degree and one count in the 2nd degree. The former priest was …

Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) awarded over $492,000 to municipalities across the state for energy efficiency and solar studies. Of the 26 communities to receive funds, two are in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Chassell Township got $15,000 and the Village of Ahmeek will see $12,000 come its …

The UP Energy Task Force report came in two phases, with the section on propane supply being released in April 2020. Member Roman Sidortsov, a professor at Michigan Tech, says that Enbridge actively participated in the group’s efforts, but the closure of Line Five was not part of their charge. …

At Wednesday’s Houghton City Council meeting, the downtown area was the subject of a lot of discussion in Manager Eric Waara’s administrative report. This past weekend saw volunteers putting in flowers at several locations and the lilacs are in bloom. Veteran’s Park has been spruced up in anticipation of the …

The Fifth Street fire is believed to have originated at the former Evergreen Inn around 10:45 Friday night. That building was just purchased by a familiar name. Morten Haugland works in education in Columbus, Ohio, but he is quickly becoming a titan of the Copper Country. In recent years, Haugland …