News

Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center is the newest Planet M testing facility partner. Planet M is Michigan’s initiative to spur development of autonomous vehicles. The Great Lakes Research Center is the first partner that will focus on marine vehicles. The designation will help bring development grants to the area. …

A COVID-19 spike at the Marquette Branch Prison has become serious enough that emergency staffers are being brought in. 79 corrections officers have either tested positive, or are being isolated because they’ve been in close contact with someone who is infected, or because they are experiencing symptoms. The Michigan Department …

The Main Street Calumet Farmers Market held its final summer session last Saturday, but participants aren’t ready to give it up. Organizers are planning to extend the market’s run at an indoor location through December 19th. The market will set up at the Drill House Rink, which is used by …

A group of leading infectious disease specialists has gone public, imploring Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey to reconsider his position on COVID-19 protections. Shirkey has opposed mask mandates, which are strongly encouraged by the Centers for Disease Control, and other health experts. Instead, he’s gone public with his desire …

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation that will allow more people with criminal convictions to have their records cleared. Among the provisions is an opportunity for those convicted of marijuana offenses to have their records expunged, if the offenses they committed would now be legal under the state recreational marijuana …

The COVID-19 infection rate has slowed in the Keweenaw. The most recent report from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department includes 44 more confirmed positives in the five-county area since the last report was released late Thursday. 21 of those confirmed cases were in Houghton County, which also reported one …

Northern Michigan University is holding a free juried art competition for Upper Peninsula artists. Between three and five winners will have their work displayed on banners outside the DeVos Art Museum on campus from mid-November through February. Winners will also receive a $250 cash prize. Artists must live and work …

The People of the Heart Water Walkers are expected to wrap up this year’s water walk today. Small groups of walkers left the Sand Point Lighthouse in Baraga Saturday morning. Carrying a copper vessel filled with water, they traveled to Houghton the first day, from Houghton to Eagle River yesterday, …

The Houghton County Road Commission is getting more goodies from the federal government than we were first told. A release from Congressman Jack Bergman’s office late last week identified U.S. Department of Agriculture funds that will be used to purchase a quad axle truck, a truck with a water tank …

The legal cases against those facing state charges in the alleged attempt to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and attempt to overthrow the state government have begun. • Paul Bellar of Milford is being held in South Carolina, where he is awaiting extradition; • Shawn Fix of Belleville was arraigned …