The effort to raise the minimum wage in Michigan got another push yesterday. Community organizing, social justice and labor groups have formed the Raise Michigan coalition to explore a petition drive to put a minimum wage proposal on the November 4 statewide ballot. Michigan’s minimum wage is $7.40 per hour …

With a number of Michigan schools shutting down on a regular basis because of this frigid winter weather, the question is what will Michigan lawmakers do about making sure students meet the 180 day requirement to be in school. Currently every school district gets six days off for bad weather …

Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the percentage of Michigan’s union membership declined slightly in 2013, the first year that the state’s new right-to-work laws were in effect. But the numbers of people who were union members in Michigan in 2013 actually increased slightly, by some 4,000 …

According to a new report, most of Michigan’s fourth graders are not reading proficiently, which is a key predictor of a student’s future educational and economic success. In a new Kids Count data snapshot, the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that 81 percent of Michigan’s lower-income fourth-graders and 69 percent …

Police in Hancock are investigating a potential counterfeit money scam. Police say two men entered the Holiday Station in Hancock shortly before 8 a.m. yesterday and attempted to use two $20 bills for purchase. The first man made a small purchase and asked for change for his other $20 bill, …

The Baraga County Chamber of Commerce is spearheading an Economic Development Project to help local businesses get access to resources for improvements. The plan is to create a position where someone can help entrepreneurs with their ideas or even those who want to start their own business. The chamber is …

A three car accident yesterday on U.S. 41 near Boston Rd. has left three people injured. Around 4:30 p.m., a 19-year-old man from Hancock was going south on U.S. 41 in his Dodge Neon. That’s when police say he rear-ended a Chevrolet SUV driven by a 55-year-old Hancock man which …

A five-year-old boy is at Portage Health being treated for injuries sustained from an accident that happened yesterday in Franklin Township. Just before 5 p.m., police responded to the area of Boston Cross Cut Road where a Jeep Cherokee travelling east struck a five-year-old child as he ran into the …

Although temperatures barely got above zero, a great crowd showed up for Heikenpaiva this weekend. The event commemorates Saint Henrik’s Day, who is the patron saint of Findland. A Finnish-themed parade marched down Quincy Street in downtown Hancock, with David Maki, this year’s Hankooki Heikkie riding alongside his daughter in …

With another round of arctic temperatures expected to impact the entire state until early next week, the Michigan State Police is encouraging Michigan citizens and visitors to be extra cautious when going out in the extreme cold. Captain Chris Kelenske, Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, says …