Vote Yes for a Safe Jail

I am a voter and taxpayer in Houghton County but have lived other places and have experience related to local county jails.

Years ago, I was asked to work at a local jail one day a week to substitute for the usual worker. I was a little afraid to work there, my idea of inmates coming from Law and Order and other television shows. The experience proved different.

The prisoners were my clients, or my neighbor’s kids who had made bad decisions. There are many jail employees. They work for the county, as correction officers, janitors, cooks, health care workers etc. These employees deserve a safe work environment.

My parents retired to western North Carolina where they were both born. I have siblings living there now. I pay property taxes there but do not vote there. (Imagine

meadows with trout streams.) My taxes recently went up when the county was sued and lost. I learned that in such a case each taxpayer pays their share, no vote, no

choices.Recently,in Cherokee County, a remote setting in western North Carolina, a corrections officer was killed by a prisoner who shot him with his own service gun.

While this was unrelated to the design of their relatively new jail, it is a reminder that this is dangerous work. I do not want that to happen here.

I toured the Houghton County Jail. It was clean but not safe. It is not organized as a modern jail should be to keep everyone safe. I would not want to work there.

I am person who follows rules. The Houghton County Jail is seriously out of compliance with many jail regulations. It is not a safe modern jail. It needs to be

replaced. It is beyond the option of updating, as it needs more space.

We elect (hire) a county sheriff, and he and our elected county officials have come to us, the public, explaining the many citations the jail does not comply with. We should listen to them and fund a reasonable solution. Doing nothing is a set-up for an expensive lawsuit.

I want to pay to remedy this situation once and not twice, as will happen after a lawsuit. County employees work for the taxpayers, and we owe them a safe and efficient work environment. Vote yes August 5th to build a safe and effective jail in Houghton County.

Amy Keenum,

Chassell, MI

Thank You from STFD

To the Editor:

Thank you to all who attended the Stanton Township Fire Dept. breakfast on May 10th. Over $7,500 was raised to help two Fire Department families who have been impacted by cancer. A big thank you to those who contributed items for our raffle and silent auction and to those who bought raffle tickets or put in a bid. Thank you to these donors: McGann’s – Makita chain saw and battery; Houghton Building Supply – large digital level; Steve Kesti – two Adirondack chairs; Blaine Riutta – two carved bears and metal carvings; Ellen Torola – paintings; Cyndy Quello – painting; Surplus Outlet – Bogg bag filled with gifts; Michigan Made – gift basket; Shelley Puuri – gift basket; KPS – shirts, hats, and tanks of LP gas; and a couple anonymous donors. Winner of the 50/50 raffle was Annette Verheyen, who donated $100 back to the fundraiser. Thank you! You all have made a difference in someone’s life.

Kathy Abbott

Stanton Township Volunteer Fire Dept.

Rental Fire Safety Codes

To the Editor,

Many Copper Country residents are renters, and many of these homes are older and in poor condition due to a variety of factors, including landlord neglect. However, Michigan’s fire safety code, primarily derived from the Michigan Residential Code and local adoptions of the International Fire Code (IFC), mandates specific requirements. Michigan Residential Code R314.3 states that smoke alarms shall be installed:

• In each sleeping room.

• Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.

• On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics.

Where more than one smoke alarm is required within a dwelling unit, they are generally required to be interconnected, meaning the activation of one alarm will activate all others in the unit. The inspection schedule for rental properties, outlined in MCL 125.526, allows for a maximum period of four years between inspections, or six years if the most recent inspection found no violations and the ownership has not changed. These inspections are typically conducted by local fire departments or designated code officials, who are responsible for ensuring properties meet these and other safety standards.

However, a significant loophole exists: units of government with fewer than 10,000 residents are generally exempt from performing these mandatory fire safety inspections. This exemption leaves Copper Country residents vulnerable to substandard and unsafe housing conditions.

Thus, it falls on the tenants to understand the law and hold their landlords accountable. If you live in a rental property, check your smoke detectors. If you don’t have them or they aren’t working, consider purchasing one or seeking assistance from a participating charitable organization that provides free smoke detectors. The extra few minutes’ warning could save your life. Additionally, ensure that you have at least two means of escape, e.g., a door and a sizeable window on the opposite side of the dwelling. If you live in a second-story or higher apartment, consider purchasing a window escape ladder.

Let’s spread awareness. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and acquaintances about these laws. We have a collective responsibility to protect our most vulnerable citizens, who may be forced to live in substandard housing due to economic hardship. By being informed and proactive, we can make our communities safer for everyone.

Best regards,

Nancy Barr, Nationally Registered EMT

Calumet

Stop Trump’s Tarriffs

First of all I want to thank Deborah Mistretta Seivers, DMG, Letter to the Editor April 3, 2025, “Plea to the United Nations” I totally agree with her message and want to emphasize the importance of stopping the Trump invasion of America. Trump is a serious threat to our Democracy, economic livelihood, standing in the world, billionaire political dominance, unlawful executive orders, idiotic tariff orders, etc. Solidarity of citizens is necessary to overcome this serious threat to our Democracy.

I want to talk about the Trump tariffs recently imposed. My career started in the 1980’s in the manufacturing industry when America was a world leader in manufacturing. In my lifetime I witnessed the movement of manufacturing industries to other countries. Much of the dismantling of our manufacturing base was supported by political leaders mostly Republicans. The idea was to make short term financial gain and make companies compete at a world level. This process continued at the expense of American made products. Trump thinks his tariffs are going to bring back manufacturing to America, this is laughable! It takes years of capital investment, trillions of dollars, and trained engineers to bring back modern manufacturing facilities to America. In the mean time brace yourself for the most sever economic depression.

Republican legislators have the power to control or stop this rogue President from destroying our Democracy and high standard of living. Call your legislators relentlessly and demand action.

James R. Kesti

Calumet