News

The skiers that have taken part in this week’s cross country ski championships have had to deal with a lot this week, including frigid temperatures that forced some of the races to be postponed. And during some of the downtime, they get to enjoy what the Copper Country has to …

A big change is in store for the Michigan Merit Examination, the minimum-competency test for high school students in the state. Beginning next year, all high school juniors in Michigan will take the SAT college entrance exam instead of the ACT, according to state education officials. Houghton-Portage Township Schools Superintendent …

The Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team had a very busy 2014 and their work continue in 2015. Yesterday, UPSET along with deputies from the Ontonagon County Sheriff’s Department, state troopers from the Wakefield Post and 8th District Hometown Security Team arrested six suspects with 11 charges being made relating to …

A large grant is on its way to help preserve the wildlife in the Western U.P. The Michigan Department of Transportation and the Keweenaw Land Trust received a $1 million grant through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. The grant will be used to …

Escanaba’s New Page paper mill is now a part of the Verso Corporation. The sale of plant officially closed on Wednesday. The transaction to buy the Escanaba, and other New Page mills, totaled $1.4 billion. The combined company now has eight manufacturing facilities in six U.S. States. The Escanaba mill’s …

A coalition of environmental and conservation groups is calling on Congress to pass a bill designed to protect the Great Lakes. Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday that would authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 million annually over the next five years. The initiative supports …

The Keweenaw Renewable Energy Coalition is one step closer to helping bring a solution to the energy crisis in the Copper Country. Last night, during a biomass working session, experts in the logging and timber industries gathered to discuss the future of a possible 11 megawatt biomass electric plant. The …

He says he’s ready to get to work. Representative Scott Dianda was sworn into office yesterday to serve a second term in the Michigan House of Representatives. The swearing–in ceremony was held at the Ishpeming Township Hall. The event was open to the public as Dianda wanted an opportunity to …

Representative Dianda wasn’t the only lawmaker to be sworn in this week. Gary Peters was sworn in after serving in the House of Representatives since 2009. He was the only Democrat to win an open U.S Senate seat in the November election. Senator Peters says he’ll be working on the …

A woman accused of two counts of home invasion has reached a plea agreement in Houghton County Circuit Court. Amelia Emory pleaded no contest to one of the two counts she was being charged with. The other charge will be dropped under the terms of her plea deal. The incident …