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Big things brewing

HOUGHTON — Plans for two new businesses in Houghton progressed at Tuesday’s Houghton Planning Commission meeting. The commission recommended a special use permit for a recreational marijuana shop on Ridge Road, and also approved the site plan for a Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin-Robbins on M-26. Nu Group LLC is opening a Nirvana Center adult-use marijuana shop at 1031 Ridge Rd. It was mostly recently used by the Bambu restaurant. Speaking via telecom at Tuesday’s meeting, Nu Group’s attorney Zack Learman said it would create an estimated 20 full-time jobs. Responding to a ...

$59.5M in MI marijuana payments distributed

From Michigan Treasury LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Treasury on Tuesday announced that more than $59.5 million is being distributed among 224 municipalities and counties as a part of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act. Over the next few days, 81 cities, 26 villages, 53 townships and 64 counties will receive payments from the Marihuana Regulation Fund. For the state of Michigan’s 2022 fiscal year, this means each eligible municipality and county will receive more than $51,800 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness located within its ...

Houghton engineering firm awarded $84,543 in state staff training funding

Press release GS Engineering Inc. received $84,543 in awards through Michigan’s Going PRO Talent Fund to support employee training. The funding will enable GS Engineering employees to participate in training that aligns with the company’s growth strategy, addresses their career interests, enhances their knowledge and skills, and enables them to add value to our clients. Funding from this award is part of GS Engineering’s annual training program and will be used throughout 2023 for group training as well as individualized training in highly specialized technical areas. ...

New AI voice-cloning tools ‘add fuel’ to misinformation fire

NEW YORK — In a video from a Jan. 25 news report, President Joe Biden talks about tanks. But a doctored version of the video has amassed hundred of thousands of views this week on social media, making it appear he gave a speech that attacks transgender people. Digital forensics experts say the video was created using a new generation of artificial intelligence tools, which allow anyone to quickly generate audio simulating a person’s voice with a few clicks of a button. And while the Biden clip on social media may have failed to fool most users this time, the clip shows how easy it ...

GM reaches computer chip supply deal with GlobalFoundries

DETROIT — With the global shortage of semiconductors still crimping U.S auto production, General Motors has signed a deal with chipmaker GlobalFoundries to dedicate part of an upstate New York factory to supply the automaker. In a joint statement from the companies Thursday, Malta, New York-based GlobalFoundries said it will expand production capacity inside its Malta plant exclusively for GM’s supply chain. The factory would supply finished computer chips to GM parts suppliers that manufacture computer modules to control everything from transmissions to brakes to radios. GM ...

New possibilities

HOUGHTON — Another adult-use marijuana retailer could be coming to Houghton. The Houghton Planning Commission scheduled a public hearing on Feb. 28 for a special land use permit for Nirvana Center Houghton. The business plans to retrofit the former Bambu restaurant on Ridge Road. In its submission to the Planning Commission, Nu Group LLC, which is managing the property, estimated its sales floor would be about 1,700 square feet. The projected traffic increase from a business that size would be about 5%, Nu Group said. Restrictions limiting how close the shops can be to ...