Mercury on the Rise in Great Lakes



Levels of mercury have been increasing in the Great Lakes over the past two decades, and soon a new natural resources program will begin correcting this by applying stringent federal and state regulations for coalfired power plants, the primary manmade source of mercury emissions. Clean-up efforts will be complicated because mercury can have a different influence on one lake than […]

Island’s Winter Carnival Is Saturday

Snow Pack Looks Good for Contests

The popular crowd pleasers broom hockey and the human dog sled race will top off outdoor events during the two-day 34th annual Mackinac Island Winter Festival that begins Saturday, February 5, at Great Turtle Park. Family activities including snow bowling, golf, and sledding, skiing, and a snowmobile obstacle course will round off the first day of events. Activities move to […]

City Asks Ferries To Submit Rates



Ferry schedules approved by the City of Mackinac Island two weeks ago have already been changed to add an 11 p.m. boat to St. Ignace on weekends, at the urging of the City of St. Ignace, and they could change further before the schedule is formally adopted. At the city council meeting Wednesday, January 26, Mayor Margaret Doud also set […]

Teams Revving Up for I-500 Race



As the date for the 43rd annual International 500 snowmobile race approaches, Dale Dunn, Sr. of Cedarville is excited to see what his machine can do at the racetrack in Sault Ste. Marie. The big race, where each lap is a mile long, begins Saturday, February 5, at 10 a.m. Mr. Dunn is taking part in the main event this […]

Latest Project for Nettleton, 85, Is Building Log Cabin Near Pickford



This summer, Barney Nettleton, 85, of Pickford could be seen in the woods moving a large pile of 75 green poplar logs, using an old-fashioned cant hook as a lever to pull them by chain. He’s now legally blind and using a pacemaker, but those setbacks didn’t stop him from building a full-size, 15- square-foot cabin with help from his […]

$305K Grant Will Augment Charter School Programs

With Start-up Funding, Charters Find Ways To Offer Amenities Most Struggling Districts Can’t

The decision to close the former DeTour Elementary School and open a new charter school in its place this fall has already paid off with a $305,000 grant the district can spend for improvements like new laptop computers and Smartboards, establishing a dance program, and buying band instruments, educational upgrades that most struggling public schools would like to offer but […]

U.P. Celebration Planned for Former Congressman Stupak



Former Congressman Bart Stupak and his wife, Laurie Stupak, will be honored for their more than three decades of public service. The U.P. Tribute to Bart and Laurie Stupak will be Saturday, February 26, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the University Center on Northern Michigan University’s campus in Marquette. The former Congressman started his career as a police […]

Dan Benishek Will Visit St. Ignace, Sault Wednesday



Congressman Dan Benishek will visit St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie as he comes to the district to visit constituents. His local schedule will be Wednesday, February 2, as follows: at St. Ignace City Hall from 11:30 a.m. to noon, and at Lake Superior State University Superior Room in Sault Ste. Marie from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Constituents will […]

Michigan Politics

Bill Schuette’s New Duty

“I am ready to be On Duty for Michigan,” —Newly inaugurated Attorney General Bill Schuette, Jan. 1, 2011 Other than the governors I have known back to 1949-60 Democratic Governor G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams, the most interesting Lansing politicians have been the attorneys general, starting with “Eternal General” Frank Kelley, America’s longest-serving state AG (1961-98). Democrat Kelley remains as an […]

Computer Hard Drives Taken at School Break-in



Two computer hard drives containing school information were all that were stolen when St. Ignace Middle School was forced into during the evening of Thursday, December 30. Police are not releasing much information about the crime, but have sought the public’s help through the Crime Stoppers program to try to turn up leads. There are no specific suspects in mind […]