News

There’s been a delay in a federal order that would have meant large electric rate increases for many Upper Peninsula homes and businesses as early as this week. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator has been requiring Marquette’s Presque Isle Power Plant stay open, and was requiring all U.P. utilities to …

A much debated topic in the U.P. is mining and the ramifications on the environment and quality of life for generations to come. An independent organization known as the Community Environmental Monitoring Program or CEMP in conjunction with the Superior Watershed Partnership held a public meeting last night to deliver …

The director of MDOT has issued a public reply to a local state lawmaker who said he’d probably oppose a fuel tax bill that will be brought forward during the lame-duck House session that began this week. MDOT director Kirk Steudle has said to State Representative Scott Dianda that new …

The Michigan Senate rejected a bill yesterday that would reduce Michigan’s 164,000-pound gross weight limit for trucks to 80,000 pounds. The measure failed by a vote of 15-22, with most Republicans voting in opposition. It has long been debated whether Michigan’s 164,000-pound limit spread over 11 axles is a major …

Expect gas prices to start falling quickly by the end of this year. GasBuddy.com analyst Patrick DeHaan notes with falling crude oil prices, gas will get cheaper in Michigan this month, even with the occasional 20-cent per gallon jumps. DeHaan credits the drop in prices to an apparent price war, …

A relatively new supermarket in Calumet has decided to close its doors. According to their Facebook page, Louie’s Fresh Supermarket in Calumet is closing down. Yesterday was their final day of operation. The Facebook post thanked all that supported them and did mention that operations at the Lake Linden location …

Michigan’s 16-day firearms deer hunting season came to an end Sunday across Michigan and by most accounts, it was, as predicted, not the best of seasons for hunter success. Brent Rudolph, Deer and Elk Program Leader at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, says the number of deer checked at …

When the Michigan House returns to session today, one of the items on the agenda is a package of three new bills that would increase Michigan’s energy independence from other states. State Representative Scott Dianda wrote one of the bills which would relax regulations on customer energy generation while ensuring safety …

Isle Royale National Park is continuing its efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. The park released reports on its ballast water treatment technology on one of its ships, the Ranger III. A reponse treatment using chlorine, a filtration system and ultra-violet technology was used to detect invasive …

The Michigan Department of Treasury is reminding shoppers that purchases made on-line are not tax-free during holiday season, or at any other time of year. Michigan’s Use Tax generally applies to transactions in which the retailer does not collect sales tax. This happens most frequently when purchases are made from …