News

Legislation to allow for a court e-filing system took effect on Friday. State Supreme Court Justice David Viviano says the new system will be designed to modernize court functions by moving away from paper filings. He says the change will make a more efficient process for people who need to …

It’s expected that homicides in Detroit will be down for the third straight year. Unofficial police statistics show there were 295 people killed in the city in 2015, compared to 300 in 2014. The Detroit News reports that the reduction comes despite a December spike in killings. Thirty-eight homicides were …

The Michigan State Waterways Commission has begun to replace the docks at Fayette State Park’s Snail Shell Harbor in the Upper Peninsula. Jim Hansen of Escanaba who chairs the commission’s facilities committee says the $3.1 million project will construct 500 feet of dockage and install electrical hookups. The project had …

Two dozen new recruits began the Department of Natural Resources’ conservation officer training academy over the weekend. The school started Sunday and runs for 22 weeks, including 14 weeks of basic police training and eight weeks of more specialized training. Following graduation, they will then need to complete 18 weeks …

An Upper Peninsula Republican will make a push in 2016 to open up the legislature to Freedom of Information Act Requests. Although State Representative Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, concedes it won’t be easy. He says the challenge is that lawmakers’ speech and debate are protected under the state’s constitution, so he’ll …

Public television broadcasters in Michigan may opt to go dark, taking advantage of a Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) reverse auction. Michigan State University is among them and will make a decision in the coming week, which could impact the future of their PBS television affiliate, WKAR-TV. University President Lou Anna …

The Sanilac County jail, in the Thumb, is trying out a new pilot program to encourage prisoners to be on their best behavior. The jail has given every inmate a tablet, which gives them more access to library materials and resources to look for jobs. The Detroit Free Press reports …

Prison kitchens in Michigan would undergo regular inspections under legislation picking up steam in the New Year. The bills, one of which is sponsored by State Representative Ed McBroom, would require the state to inspect kitchens run by a third party. He first introduced the bill in response to problems …

Lawmakers in a Michigan House committee will continue the debate on what to do about Michigan’s aging prison population. A trio of bills looks to address it by allowing frail prisoners to be placed on medical parole and go to a health care facility. State Representative Al Pscholka is spearheading the …

A great way to start off the New Year is by giving a home to one of the 12 Dogs of Christmas. The Copper Country Humane Society, in partnership with Houghton Community Broadcasting, is about one-fourth of the way through their annual promotion to find these dogs their forever home. …