Local News

One of the Democrats who is hoping to challenge Republican Jack Bergman for the First U.S. House of Representatives seat next fall made his first official appearances in the Copper Country over the weekend. In L’Anse yesterday, Dana Ferguson of Negaunee said he thinks Bergman is out of touch with …

Snowmobilers will be able to use the trail that crosses the Julio scrapyard in Ripley this winter. The Julio property was recently closed off because of environmental contamination. The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department says that snow covering the trail will substantially reduce exposure to the asbestos and other contaminants …

UPPCO has tallied up the numbers from the November 27th storm that affected the entire U.P., and the subsequent storm that affected the Marquette area. 12,000 customers lost power at least once – that’s around 20 percent of the utility’s customer base. Around 150 workers spent approximately 15,000 hours repairing …

This year’s Hankookin Heikki honor has been bestowed on Mary Pekkala. The Hankookin Heikki award is given to someone who has made significant contributions to keeping the Copper Country’s Finnish traditions alive. David Maki of the Finnish Theme Committee says Pekkala has been a behind-the-scenes star.. Pekkala also volunteers at …

Local school superintendents shared their concerns about educational issues with our state lawmakers Friday morning. The Copper Country Intermediate School District legislative sessions with State Senator Ed McBroom and State Representative Greg Markkanen focused on dealing with mental health issues in the schools, and on state funding in general. On …

The Michigan Public Service Commission on Friday approved a $19.9 million rate increase for SEMCO Energy Gas Company. The average SEMCO customer (using 100 ccf per month) will see an increase of 9.2%, or about $6.10, on their monthly bill. The increase was about half of the $38 million the …

The Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) has accepted portions of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) submitted earlier this year by Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO). The IRP outlines the utility’s plans for power production, energy sources, waste reduction, and protection for customers from risks in production and transmission of electricity. …

Christmas in Calumet kicks off tonight. The Keweenaw National Historical Park will hold an open house from 5:00 until 7:00. The tree will be lit at 7:00 next to the Calumet Theatre, and Santa will meet with kids afterward in the Red Jacket Ballroom. Main Street Calumet’s Leah Polzien says …

Some local robotics whiz kids will be showing off their skills Saturday. Matt Monte tells us the SnowBots middle school robotics teams have been impressing everyone this year… Monte says the teams have built small robots – around the size of a microwave oven. The competitive challenge this year is …

One of the Democrats hoping to challenge U.S. Representative Jack Bergman in the 2020 election will be visiting the region this weekend. Dana Ferguson will meet with voters Saturday afternoon at 5:00 at Syl’s Cafe in Ontonagon. He’ll be at the Fifth and Elm Coffee Shop in Houghton Sunday at …