News

A bill will formally be introduced in the Michigan House next month that will create a kindergarten through 3rd grade reading program. Great Lakes Education project executive director Gary Naeyeart says the program is needed. Results from the 2013 Michigan Education Assessment Program tests show 34 percent of fourth graders …

Drivers could face fines and even prison time if they don’t move over for a police car, fire engine or ambulance and cause an accident. State Senator Curtis Hertel is sponsoring the bill. He says the fines and prison time would increase if you’re found guilty of causing a crash …

A state lawmaker is pushing a bill aimed at getting autism patients diagnosed and treated more quickly. State Senator Margaret O’Brien says the problem is that some insurers will only pay certain medical centers to diagnose autism and some of those places have a two year waiting list. She says …

A new coalition has formed to begin collecting signatures in an effort to ask voters to raise the state’s Corporate Income Tax from six percent to eleven percent. The backers call themselves “Citizens for Fair Taxes.” The Gongwer News Service reports the plan would raise 900 (m) million dollars for …

Heroin use in the Upper Peninsula continues to grow and the city of Houghton is no exception. Houghton Police Chief John Donnelly shared his concerns with the city council and noted that prescription pills used to be the biggest problem but they are now seeing more incidences of meth and …

A Michigan Tech graduate and combat veteran is working to save as many lives as he can while he still has time. Army Captain Justin Fitch was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2014. He is now working with Carry the Fallen, which is part of the non–profit group Active Heroes. …

Several businesses in L’Anse are getting a little help to spruce things up. The Downtown Development Authority is awarding them with $2,500 to improve their façades. It’s part of the 9th Annual Façade Grant Program. Businesses pay to have the work done then get reimbursed afterward. For Keweenaw Cairn owner …

Several factors added to decline; wildlife managers working on improvements The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently issued a Michigan Deer Harvest Survey Report on the 2014 hunting seasons indicating that roughly 615,000 hunters statewide harvested a total of roughly 329,000 deer. The harvest represents a drop of 15 percent …

The Michigan National Guard is boosting security in wake of the deadly attacks on military facilities in Tennessee. Major General Gregory Vadnais says the guard is planning more rigorous “active shooter” drills and creating defensible positions inside armories and recruiting centers, so staff have a place to go in case …

Only three cases of human trafficking were reported in Michigan last year, according to State Police. But Andrea Bitely of the Attorney General’s office says, due to the nature of the crime, victims of human trafficking often don’t self-report. She says it’s also difficult for police to distinguish victims from …