State of Emergency for Marquette County

Governor Rick Snyder has declared a state of emergency in Marquette County because of the large number of frozen and burst pipes caused by this winter’s bitter cold. Marquette County declared a local state of emergency in February. It applied for a state disaster declaration in early March, but that application was denied. The county filed again two weeks ago, and the governor approved the new application this morning. State Representative John Kivela says the governor’s declaration will make resources available to restore water service to countless homes and businesses that have been forced to go without water for too long. Could Houghton County be in a similar situation? Emergency Manager Jack Deuweke says the county has done a good job with handling this winter. He adds that the issues in Marquette County are far more costly than those in Houghton County.