Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has granted restaurants the option to operate with limited indoor dining starting Tuesday, after months of having to survive on takeout and outdoor seating during a Michigan winter. Yet the damage thousands of restaurants have endured is likely to be lasting. The state ...
It has been a long year, and a hard one, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acknowledged at the start of her third State of the State address, delivered Wednesday night to a state yet facing twin crises: the COVID-19 pandemic, and the damage the virus has wreaked on Michigan’s economy. Throughout ...
This week’s bouquets go to: Mid Peninsula School students showed their community spirit by volunteering to help the local Faith Lutheran Food Pantry in the run up to Christmas. A total of 49 Christmas food boxes were distributed out of the pantry this year. ——— Each Saturday the ...
At a moment when discourse in our nation seems to have reached an all-time low, along came Ron Clous and his rifle. We, and probably many of the constituents Clous serves as a Grand Traverse County commissioner, had to do a double-take Jan. 20 as the elected official left view of his webcam ...
Seven years in prison might be considered adequate punishment for a public corruption conviction. That’s what former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick served before his sentence was commuted Wednesday by President Donald Trump in his last hours in office. Losing that much of your life, and ...
COVID-19 deaths and cases have been surging throughout the nation this month. And small communities in the Upper Peninsula are no exception. For example, Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft Health Department reported on Wednesday that in Alger County, there has been an 80% increase in new cases ...
The American Red Cross typically has a tough time keeping the blood supply strong during the winter months when inclement weather and seasonal illnesses can impact donors. This year the pandemic adds in another challenge in keeping the blood supply strong. The Red Cross is urging healthy ...
The Michigan State Capitol Commission earlier this week banned the open carry of firearms in Michigan’s Capitol. Good move, but it didn’t go far enough. The timing was right to do this. Most of us know what happened on Jan. 6 when an out-of-control mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, which ...
This week’s bouquets go to: From the The Delta County Sheriff’s Office: The Delta County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank everyone involved in making the 2020 “Shop with a Cop” program a huge success. Thank you to both Walmart and Meijer for once again hosting our program. ...
It’s an understatement to say Michigan’s government transparency record is dismal. The state regularly lands on the wrong end of worst-in-the-nation rankings for government accountability. Those ratings, lists that often place our state at or near the wrong end, repeatedly highlight ...
LARA Director Orlene Hawks and State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer urge Michiganders to practice fire safety during National Community Risk Reduction Week, January 18, 2021 through January 24, 2021. “The number one thing that families should focus on is creating a fire escape plan,” said ...
Attorney General Dana Nessel’s decision to charge former Gov. Rick Snyder and members of his administration in the Flint water crisis sets a dangerous precedent that could, depending on the outcome, make public service a high-risk enterprise. She bears the tremendous responsibility to ...
As the holiday season wanes and we all find ourselves with maybe a bit more time on our hands, it’s time to think of how we can give back to our communities while filling our mid-winter days. There are many ways to give back and make a difference locally, such as volunteering, contributing ...
This week’s bouquets go to: From Jo-Ann and Richard Clark: Thank you to our public health department and its Health Officer Michael Snyder. We received our COVID vaccine at Bay College on Monday, January 11. The process of registering and being vaccinated was seamless and well-organized. ...
Reporters here at The Alpena News last week completed an exhaustive series on the availability of broadband technology across the region. The series was both insightful and frightening, in that it revealed that, as a region, we are woefully behind other areas of the country for new technology ...
Michigan taxpayers with past-due tax debts should be aware of an aggressive scam that’s making the rounds through the U.S. Postal Service, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury (Treasury). In the scheme, taxpayers receive a letter about an overdue tax bill, asking individuals to ...
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer got it very nearly right this week in terms of criminal justice reform. The governor signed a package of bills aimed at keeping those who present no threat to public safety out of jail. The legislation, stemming from a task force she appointed, reduces a number of ...
As we enter the second full week of January, we will also enter a new phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program in Michigan. Starting Monday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is moving forward with vaccinating residents who are 65 and older; frontline essential workers ...
Should he be confirmed, President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs has a LOT of work to do to restore trust in the agency — and to do right by the men and women it serves. President Donald Trump has referred to the federal bureaucracy as “the swamp.” The ...
This week’s bouquets go to: From Menominee County Sheriff Mike Holmes: In 2015, multiple organizations created National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. It is a day to show appreciation to law enforcement officers, and recognition for the difficult and sometimes impossible career they ...