Ben Grabacz/Daily Mining Gazette Patrolman Cole Lystila was introduced to the Houghton City Council by Police Chief John Donnelly during Wednesday's council meeting. Lystila is a local who recently graduated from the NMU Police Academy and was a top academic student while in attendance.

HOUGHTON — The Houghton City Council met the newest member of the city’s police department at its Wednesday meeting. Houghton Police Chief John Donnelly introduced Patrolman Cole Lystila to the council. Lystila recently graduated from the NMU Regional Police Academy. Lystila is from the area and attended Gogebic Community College. He was was sponsored through the city during his time at the police academy. Donnelly said Lystila was a top academic student at the academy, which makes the department proud. For his part, Lystila told the Council “I’ve been here my whole life, and I’m just really happy to be here,” Lystila said. Adding, “I’m ready to help with the community.”

In other action, the council heard updates on several projects from City Manager Eric Waara. The U.P. State Bank and housing project by Moyle Construction on Franklin Street is getting ready to start, with plans to take down the Hodge Building, the former location of the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce during the week of Sept. 8. Construction is expected to start the week of Sept. 15 or Sept. 22.

Waara said he met with Chief Donnelly to figure out how traffic will operate during construction, and the preliminary plan is to turn the section of East Lakeshore Drive between Franklin Street and Lake Street into a westbound one-way street for some time. The section begins where Franklin Street and East Lakeshore Drive intersect in front of Krist and ends behind the Lambda Chi Alpha Phi-Phi Fraterity House. Waara said this is to facilitate the space and traffic flow in the area.

Waara told the council he had a meeting with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for an upcoming Portage Lift Bridge project. The project will beging in 2027 and is expected to continue into 2029. Work on the 66 year old bridge will involve grading on the lift span, concrete work, painting and other mechanical and electrical work. The project is currently in the design process. “They had a, let’s call it, a local partners meeting today, because we’re already starting to talk about traffic control chief, and I talked about it a bit this afternoon,” Waara said. “And so there’ll be more to come as their design progresses.”

Council member Mike Needham added it was necessary work for the bridge. “It’s just to remind everybody it’s nearly 70 years old, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that something that old will probably need a lot of work,” Needham said.

Chief Donnelly also informed the council of the fundraiser the department is conducting for Special Olympics. The department is holding a raffle for a half gallon jar of thimbleberry jam for $5 a ticket. The winner of the jar will be drawn on Sept. 6 after the 5k run.