Local News

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A bill introduced by State Representative Scott Dianda to allow road commissions to upgrade facilities and outdated equipment has been approved.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 …

Residents of Houghton may soon be able to get flood insurance to protect their homes in the future. Because the Keweenaw had not been historically prone to floods, most of the area was not designated as a flood plain and therefore flood insurance was not available to homeowners even if …

The following press release was issued by Governor Snyder’s office: LANSING — Legislation signed today by Gov. Rick Snyder will protect the Great Lakes, provide energy security for Michigan residents, and create better infrastructure connections between the state’s peninsulas. The new Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) will oversee construction and …

State Representative Scott Dianda is voicing his support for a tunnel to replace the Enbridge Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac.  The Michigan House of Representatives voted this week to enact the agreement between Governor Rick Snyder and Enbridge. Dianda said, “I am just as concerned about protecting our …

HANCOCK — Kevin Manninen has made Finnish-American culture his business, literally. He’s the president of the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce U.P. Chapter, the dean of Finlandia University’s International School of Business, and a leader in the recently-founded FinnZone, which helps businesses from Finland make inroads into the U.S. with …

The following press release was issued by the County Road Association of Michigan: County road agencies, county commissions, townships strongly oppose permit-free log hauling on Michigan roads in spring Lansing, MI – A bill now pending before a Michigan House committee would eliminate the permit requirement restricting weight on county …