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Three reasons not to visit Europe

For some reason, many Americans seem convinced they have to tour Europe this summer — despite the heat, oppressive crowds and high prices all descending on the continent. And if anyone needs a fourth reason, it's to recognize the growing resentment among many Europeans as the tourist hordes ...

Smoke on the water

“Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky,” – Deep Purple There’s a smell I occasionally get a whiff of when the damper on the fireplace is open and I’m sitting on the short couch in the living room. It’s the smell of charred wood – an aroma that’s pleasant around a campfire or ...

No easy answers on homeless issue

Anyone who works in government, or even pays close attention to what government can and will do on any given issue, knows that policy is driven by money. Perhaps not entirely but certainly to some significant degree. That’s the case at the local level, where massive borrowing to cover pell-mell spending just doesn’t happen like it does at the federal and state levels. Where are we going with this? The most recent dust up involving residents and others who frequent the Room at the Inn facility on West Washington Street in downtown Marquette is a textbook example of government policy ...

Almanac for July 17, 2026

Today is Friday, July 17, the 198th day of 2026. There are 167 days left in the year. Today in History: In 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, after its $17 million, yearlong construction; the park drew a million visitors in its first 10 weeks. Also on this date: In 1862, during the Civil War, Congress approved the Second Confiscation Act, which declared that all enslaved people taking refuge behind Union lines were to be set free. In 1902, Willis Carrier produced a set of designs for what would become the world’s first modern air-conditioning system. In 1918, ...