Local News

Should the work of the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team continue in the western UP? UPSET West was started in 2016 through a three-year pledge from the Portage Health Foundation and is further supported from contributions from local municipalities and other organizations. Houghton Police Chief John Donnelly says the team …

Veterans Affairs has lifted a deferment against the Houghton County Medical Care Facility. Facility Administrator Kim Salmi received word Wednesday from the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain that the deferment was lifted following discussions last week between the two organizations. A press release from the Medical …

CALUMET, Mich. – The Calumet Colosseum has served the community for decades. In fact, it’s the oldest indoor ice rink in the world. And, thanks to a contribution from the Keweenaw Health Foundation (KHF), its future remains bright. The KHF recently partnered with the Calumet Hockey Association (CHA) as the newest …

Washington – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01) and Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) introduced bipartisan legislation Wednesday to help identify sites in Michigan and across the U.S. that may contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are toxic chemicals that are a threat to public health. The Kildee-Bergman legislation would authorize $50 million …

Clarkston, Michigan – Groomed Trail is pleased to announce its new online and interactive snowmobile trail mapping solution for snowmobilers in the Midwest. The platform enables users to forego the traditional paper map and interact with GPS recorded trail data online. Also included are forums, news, events and classified sections. “Groomed Trail …

The Portage Lake District Library will host the Keweenaw Garden Club for a presentation for the public on Monday, December 17, from 6:30 – 7:30pm. Michigan Tech Ecology professor Christopher Webster will present “Garden Hardscaping: Beautiful and Durable Stone Walls Built with Keweenaw Mine Rock”. Webster will explore techniques for …

HOUGHTON, MICH – Isle Royale National Park begins accepting applications for the summer 2019 Isle Royale Teen Artist Exploration January 2, 2019. This artistic discovery is geared to all aspiring teen artists who want to develop their art through experiencing wilderness, and is open to all visual and performing artists, writers, …

The Christmas tree is found in most American homes this time of year with twinkling lights, sometimes candy canes, and an assortment of ornaments, but it has also been known to devastate a family’s holiday season in some cases.  Electrician Bill Sheetz said, “Too many lights on one circuit creates …

A bill introduced by State Representative Scott Dianda to allow road commissions to upgrade facilities and outdated equipment has been approved. The Michigan House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure voted this week to approve the bill, which would allow county road commissions, like other government offices, to bond in order …

Residents of Chassell Township will no longer have free access to services at the Portage Lake District Library starting on January 1st. Because the township residents voted to leave the library district, they will need to pay a non-resident membership fee to continue checking out materials.  For non-residents, the cost …