CALUMET - Michigan State Police posts in the Copper Country will benefit from the recall of 55 state troopers who had been laid off in June.
The Calumet and L'Anse posts will both get at least one trooper back, said Trooper Greg Filpus of the L'Anse post.
"That's going to provide a lot of relief for us," he said. "It's nice having that additional help. That's going to improve the coverage, and I think those benefits are obvious."
The 55 troopers will be recalled based on seniority on Nov. 16. In May, MSP spokeswoman Shanon Akans said 18 of the troopers to be laid off were from the December 2004 graduating class, with the rest coming from the next graduating class in 2008.
"Hopefully they'll all come back eventually, but we'll just have to wait and see," Filpus said.
State Rep. Mike Lahti, D-Hancock, applauded the news.
"It's good that they're being brought back, but this budget is tough. There are cuts all over," he said. "Hopefully the number they brought back are sufficient until the economy comes back."
The troopers are part of a group of 100 laid off in June due to state budget constraints.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm approved a budget last month that included hiring back 55 troopers. Granholm had halted plans on Wednesday to rehire the troopers pending a review of state tax receipts.
With the recall, there will be 1,000 troopers in the state.
Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@ mininggazette.com.