Local News

The 2020 general election concludes today. Traffic at the polls is expected to be lighter than in recent elections, but that’s because 96 million Americans have already voted.  Voters will choose between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden for president. No third-party candidate has made a serious impact on …

The number of COVID-19 diagnoses in our region took a significant jump over the past few days. The latest update from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department shows 143 new confirmed positives, plus eight more probables. The increase since the last report came out Thursday night was spread across the …

Michigan Tech will be able to double its COVID-19 testing capacity, thanks to a gift from the Portage Health Foundation. A new RNA extractor for the Tech lab will increase the number of tests that can be processed from 200 per day to 400 per day. An additional software package …

Overnight street and municipal lot parking bans are now in effect in a number of Copper Country municipalities. The hours differ slightly. Bans in Houghton, Calumet and Laurium run from 2:00 am to 7:00 am. Hancock’s runs from 2:30 am to 7:00 am. City crews need clear access to street …

There’s a new way for students to communicate on the playground at Barkell Elementary School. A large CORE board was unveiled Friday. The CORE board features visual depictions of commonly used words and phrases. It’s a way for students and staff to communicate – especially students who have learning disabilities, …

Incumbents ruled the day at Saturday’s Keweenaw Bay Indian Community primary election. In the Baraga District, Tribal Council member Doreen Blaker led the field with 142 votes. Fellow council member Robert D. “R.D.” Curtis, Jr. had 74. They’ll be joined on the general election ballot by Sue Ellen “Suzie” Elmblad, …

It’s not just individual health that’s at risk, as the COVID-19 rate in the western Upper Peninsula continues to climb. While rates were low a few months ago, Mainstreet Calumet director Leah Polzien was happy to see brisk summer tourism business… “We did have lower numbers this summer with the …

Michigan’s COVID-19 rate continues to climb. The current seven-day rolling diagnoses average stands at 2,623 per day. One of every 11 tests given is producing a positive result. The increase is statewide, but the worst outbreak continues to be in the Upper Peninsula, particularly in counties near the Wisconsin border. …

Ontonagon County has recorded its first COVID-19-related death. The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department tells us the elderly victim was an in-patient at an Upper Peninsula hospital. It is the 26th death in the five-county region since the pandemic began.

The Baraga Area School District will move exclusively to online instruction beginning Monday. In a statement released Friday, Superintendent Richard Sarau said the move had been recommended by the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department. It has been brought about by the recent spike of Covid-19 cases in the community, along …