City, County Patrols Will Feel Impact of State Police Cuts
By Karen Gould
      Local police agencies say they will feel the impact of Michigan State Police cuts as the department continues to slice services, jobs, and consolidate state police posts to balance its $13.6 million projected budget deficit. Eight officers in the Upper Peninsula could loss their jobs in June, and l...
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All Residents To Share Twp. Hydrant Costs
Water Rates Are Set at Moran Township
By Paul Gingras
      Following a heated debate at the Moran Township meeting Wednesday, April 4, the board of trustees voted to pay its annual $10,000 fire hydrant bill with general fund revenue, rather than to charge residents who live near the hydrants half of the cost through monthly fees.
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Don't Shoot!
DNR: Local Turkeys Not Wild Birds
By Amy Polk
      Turkeys are reported crossing local highways, and although they resemble their wild relatives, the Department of Natural Resources says they are most likely pen-raised birds released by a well-meaning farmer or sportsman, or strays from a farm.
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Boat Building School Plans Slate of 15 Summer Classes
9-Month Certificate Program To Begin in Fall
By Amy Polk
      The Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville will teach at least 15 classes this summer, and construction of the main workshop and classroom building should be finished in time for an early July opening. "We're going to work really hard at having one of the best schools in the country, and i...
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Montcalm Earns Tribute From Underwater Preserve Council
Diver Honored Posthumously for Work at Straits
      James Montcalm of St. Ignace, an expert scuba diver who developed local diving opportunities and was known as an authority among divers and sports writers from throughout the Midwest, was honored posthumously by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council for his significant contributions to recreatio...
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City Fixes Sewer Line, Mulls Museum Offer
By Ryan Schlehuber
      Hopes of holding off repairs to the eight-inch sewer line along Portage Road until 2009 were dashed when a 10-foot section of the line collapsed between Second Street and Third Street Tuesday, March 27, costing the City of St. Ignace an estimated $10,000 in repairs, which included cleaning fees for...
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After-school Program Restored at St. Ignace; Administrative Salaries Set
School To Hire Bus Aide To Quell Problems
By Paul Gingras
      After-school and summer school tutoring and educational programs at St. Ignace Area Schools have been restored, reported Superintendent Mike Springsteen at the school board meeting Monday, April 9. The board raised the superintendent's salary 5.84 percent, suspended two LaSalle High School students...
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First Vessel of Shipping Season Delayed by Blizzard-like Lake Conditions
At Cedarville's McKay Bay
      Ducks, geese, and gulls that were attracted to McKay Bay in Cedarville by the rapid spring thaw may have been surprised by the sudden drop in temperature and snowfall Wednesday, April 4, and Thursday, April 5.
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Fish Disease Halts Walleye, Pike, Muskie Production
DNR Goal To Protect State Hatcheries From VHS
      The rapid spread of a fish disease called Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in Michigan has prompted the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to place a one-year moratorium on producing and stocking walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge to protect the state's fish hatchery system.
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Garfield Twp. Board Questions Road Contracts
By Paul Gingras
      The Garfield Township Board of Trustees has echoed several other township boards by encouraging residents to attend a public hearing to promote expanding the Mackinac County Road Commission from three to five members. The hearing will be in the third-floor courtroom at the Mackinac County Courthous...
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