News

Michigan’s unemployment rate dropped for the sixth consecutive month in February edging down by one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.7 percent. According to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget, total employment rose by 26,000 in February and the number of unemployed declined slightly by 4,000. The state’s …

Lt. Governor Brian Calley will sign legislation tomorrow to remove all instances of the words “retardation” and “retarded” from state laws. The state Legislature unanimously passed the respective bills, earlier this month, that would replace the words with “developmental disability” or “intellectually disabled.” While the terms retarded, retardation, and mental …

Tonight’s Houghton City Council meeting will begin with a public hearing regarding a Michigan State Housing Development Authority Rental Rehab Grant application for Portage Lake Properties LLC, specifically two apartments above Roy’s Bakery. One of the resolutions to be voted on by the council is to authorize City Manager Eric …

A Big Bay man will be back in court in April on a charge related to the fatal hit-and-run accident involving 54 year old Robin Rahoi. 46 year old Michael Nels Nelson is charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault, resulting in death. …

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is extending its hold on gay marriages in Michigan. The appeals court voted 2-1 yesterday to extend its temporary stay on same-sex marriages until formal arguments are heard in the case, as requested by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who is considering asking …

Michigan Democrats are alleging that Governor Rick Snyder’s cousin got preferential treatment in landing a $41 million furniture contract with the state in 2011, his first year in office. The party has filed a massive document, filled with internal emails inside the governor’s office with the U.S. Attorney in West …

A new class action suit has been filed against General Motors in connection with an ignition switch problem that has led to dozens of crashes and at least 12 deaths. The lawsuit filed Monday includes stories from 13-plaintiffs who all outline how the faulty switch caused them to lose control …

Governor Rick Snyder has signed a package of bills that allow microbreweries to expand in Michigan. The legislation would allow microbreweries in the state to produce up to 60,000 barrels a year. That’s double the current limit of 30,000. Additionally, small microbreweries that produce less than 1,000 barrels of beer …

The Michigan National Guard has unveiled the inaugural Michigan Cyber Range hub intended to train and prepare participants in detecting, preventing, and thwarting cyber-attacks in a real-world setting. Governor Rick Snyder attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 110th Airlift Wing in Battle Creek on Tuesday. He says with this and …

A ten-bill package to ensure that local governments are not hurt by a cut in the personal property tax on business has cleared the Michigan House. The tax has, for years, provided needed revenue to many local communities, but the recently approved phase-out has endangered that funding. The package, approved …