Local News

A new amenity at Kestner Park in Houghton is set to turn the waterfront into a winter wonderland. City Business Director Susie Negro says the finishing touches on the inaugural skate track are just about complete. It’s a learning process though, so expect a no frills experience this year. And …

The City of Hancock passed sweeping changes to its rental ordinances last year, and those are beginning to be implemented. An official posting is asking for applicants for the new Rental Code Board of Appeals. The five-member board is designed to have input from all perspectives regarding rental units in …

Deputies from the Houghton County Sheriff’s Department were able to rescue a man who fell through the ice near Stanton Township Beach. The call came in around 8:15 Sunday night. When personnel arrived, they found the 22-year-old from Macomb clinging to the break wall, but above water. Another man was …

*Edited to say only, “19-year-old passenger.” Reports of multiple accidents came in over the weekend, most likely related to slick roads following Friday’s snowfall. The most serious crash involved multiple vehicles on US 41 near Lake Michigamme. One fatality was announced by the Michigan State Police Sunday. Two passengers were …

It’s a rite of passage for many families with Michigan Tech freshman. You start looking for hotel rooms to visit during Winter Carnival in November or December only to find out that you needed to be booking six months earlier. That might not be the case this year. Keweenaw Convention …

Meal assistance is critical for at-risk students on weekends, during holidays, and when schedules are upset by COVID-19 closures. The nonprofit group 31 Backpacks, which began in Calumet back in 2012, will be expanding south to offer services to the entirety of the CCISD coverage area. 31 backpacks went from …

Houghton High School Athletic Director John Sanregret says he remains an “eternal optimist” in regards to getting in prep sports for the district. He says with a chuckle that he thought they’d manage to play last spring’s schedule. Hope is still there to get in hockey and basketball in 2021, …

A new update from the Western UP Health Department shows COVID-19 activity remains centered in Houghton County. Fifty-seven new cases have been confirmed there since Monday, compared to just nine in Baraga (3) and Keweenaw Counties (6) combined. For the three-county area, there was one death since the last report …

A strong summer season is consolidating into lasting economic gains for the area, says Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Jeff Ratcliffe. He summarized the findings to wrap up the organization’s virtual breakfast on Thursday morning. Ratcliffe said the positive momentum began with “strong” tourism and construction seasons. He notes …

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has recommitted to provide a grant for the construction of a new pier in Houghton. The project was originally approved in 2019 with construction scheduled for spring 2020. The MEDC redirected those funds towards COVID-19 relief before it could begin.  The new agreement will see …