News

An 18-year-old man from Atlantic Mine lost control of his vehicle at a corner on Paradise Road near Pilgrim Road in Portage Township early Sunday leading to a one-car accident. The Houghton County Sheriff Department fielded the call at about 9:45 AM. When they arrived at the scene, they found …

Planning for the future gets scarier the older we get. But understanding and communicating what you want with your loved ones is more essential with each passing day. The Portage Lake District Library will host an advance care planning program over the next month. Volunteer coordinator Julie Beck said that …

Will the county have to split the city of Houghton? It is the question that the county’s apportionment committee will need to determine by October 11th. Otherwise the state may have to step in. The city has over 8,000 residents, already making the district above the limit of 11.9% above …

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a bill that will expunge Operating While Intoxicated convictions for first offenders. The legislation sought to help people move on from one mistake, perhaps made decades ago, that remains a matter of public record today. Whitmer says, “No one should be defined forever …

The new Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is pondering some big changes to the area’s state representative districts. A first draft from the panel has Greg Markkanen’s 110th district shedding Baraga County and picking up a portion of Dickinson County instead, including Iron Mountain and Kingsford. Baraga would slide into …

Fire departments are not the only critical volunteer forces in the Copper Country. Superior Search and Rescue counts roughly 30 people within its ranks and has played a role in several emergency situations recently that you may not suspect. Member Darian Reed talks about how the organization helped out during …

Houghton County has been downgraded from high COVID-19 transmission, and is verging on further plunging into the moderate category, defined as 50 cases per 100,000 people. The number of infections fell by over 50 percent for the seven-day period ending on September 8th, with the caveat that reporting rates tend …

Two US-41 construction projects are expected to linger well into the fall. The majority of the work on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge has been focused on the finger joints where the deck connects on the upper and lower levels. Michigan Department of Transportation Spokesman Dan Weingarten says repairs will …

Jeremy Sorvisto has entered a plea agreement to charges in the January 6th insurrection. Sorvisto signed documents on August 30th agreeing to plead guilty to the charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing inside a capitol building. His plea deal was accepted on September 3rd by the U.S. Attorney’s office. The …

Dr. Robert Van Howe, Medical Director with WUPHD, talks about the COVID-19 vaccine, breakthrough cases and what needs to happen to keep protecting the region. COVID-19 has affected many aspects of life in the Upper Peninsula over the past year. And the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department is looking back …