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A helping hand

HANCOCK – Fair Food Network (FFN) is kicking off Double Up Food Bucks Awareness Month with a clear message for Michigan families. The program matches SNAP Bridge Card purchases dollar-for-dollar on fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables up to a certain amount. A statement from FFN says ...

Music for a cause

PAINESDALE — Jeffers High School hosted a mental health benefit concert Friday evening with seven local bands and music programs in the Copper Country. The funds raised through donation went to Unité Mental Health and Wellness, a mental health-focused non-profit.  The concert was ...

Maritime traffic has priority over bridge traffic

HOUGHTON — During summer boating season, motorists often become frustrated when the Portage Lake Lift Bridge is raised during random hours of the day for marine pleasure craft. The reason, however, is actually a federal regulation. Marine traffic on the Keweenaw Waterway generally holds ...

Michigan League of Conservation Voters calls out utilities for $156K+ in political campaign spending

An environmental organization advocating for affordable energy is calling out Michigan’s largest utility companies, arguing that their donations to politicians on both sides of the aisle have helped them skirt accountability for the quality of their services. In its analysis of the most recent campaign finance filings with the state of Michigan, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters noted that Consumers Energy and DTE Energy collectively donated $156,760 to state lawmakers between Jan. 1 and April 20.  Consumers Energy, which provides electric and gas service to 6.8 million ...

Single-family housing starts in March at their highest since 2022

Single-family housing starts in March were at their highest since 2022, a fast start to the construction year that could bring more supply to home markets that are still painfully expensive. The new data from surveys was released April 29 by the U.S. Census Bureau, with information from February and March delayed by issues with the federal government shutdown.   Nationwide, there were 88,900 single-family housing starts in March, the most for that month since March 2022, when there were 100,100. At the same time, however, February numbers were revised down to 66,900, the lowest ...

Big year for bugs

MADISON — Some Wisconsin health professionals are bracing for a bad year for Lyme disease, as tick activity was already higher in April than at the same time last year. In much of the nation, emergency room visits for tick bites are at their highest weekly rate for this time of year since ...