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State Senate Democrat Virgil Smith, who has been sentenced to 10-months in jail for a felony conviction, submitted his resignation from the upper chamber Thursday. The Senate Business Office received Smith’s letter of resignation around 12:50 p.m. according to Senate Republican spokeswoman Amber McCann. Smith’s resignation will become official when …

It’s tax season, and a spokesman for Michigan’s treasury department says the earlier you file the better. Terry Stanton of the state treasury department says people who file early and do it by e-file could see their tax return, if they’re getting one, within 7 to 10 business days. While …

An inmate who escaped from the Houghton County Jail last summer may be back in the area. The Houghton County Sheriff’s Office says they received a tip just before 11am Thursday that escaped inmate John Saatio was seen walking on US-41 near the Michigan Tech Campus. After searching the Houghton/Hancock …

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that a new fishing license season begins Friday, April 1, which coincides with the new regulation cycle. All 2015 fishing licenses are good through Thursday, March 31. Anglers have five options to choose from when making their purchase. All fishing licenses are …

Michigan Tech is getting a nod from SmartAsset, a digital financial analysis company based out of New York. Tech Today, Michigan Tech’s newsletter, says the University is listed as second in the state when comparing the cost of a college education to graduates’ average starting salaries. This is the second …

Democrats in Lansing continue to rail against majority Republicans for moving the Senate offices into a new building. They say the move was unnecessary and expensive, with State Representative Scott Dianda calling the whole situation a “boondoggle”. Democrats also charge that the offices are home to registered lobbyists and is …

Property taxes are one of the primary ways counties collect revenue to pay for the services offered to residents. In Houghton County, residents can at least be assured that their money is being put to good use, according to a national review. SmartAsset, a New York based financial technology company, …

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — New estimates from a state department show fewer Michigan infants dying while the state develops policies to save more babies. A February report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the state’s infant mortality rate fell by 14.6 percent from 2000 to 2013 …

Michigan ranks 11th in the country when it comes to financial literacy. The analysis comes from WalletHub.com. The ranking looks at financial education programs and consumer habits. Their key metrics in the analysis included Champlain University’s High School Financial Literacy Grades, to the percentage of residents with a rainy-day fund. …

High school students could claim computer coding classes as a way to fulfill their foreign language requirement to graduate under legislation introduced in Lansing. State Representative Lisa Posthumus-Lyons, R-Alto, is sponsoring the bill and says coding is a recognized language worldwide and should fulfill a world language requirement in Michigan. …