News

The campground opening dates for two state parks in the Upper Peninsula have been delayed this season due to excessive snow, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said today. Brimley State Park’s modern campground opened over the weekend and Van Riper State Park’s campground is scheduled to open Monday, May 4.Delaying the …

The Coast Guard has successfully refloated a 603-foot bulk carrier that ran aground in the St. Marys River in Chippewa County last week. The Coast Guard says lightering operations began at 8 a.m. Saturday and the Canadian-flagged bulk carrier Mississagi was successfully refloated by 1 p.m. Coast Guard Sector Sault …

Two sisters, stranded for two weeks on a snowed-in road in the Upper Peninsula, survived on Girl Scout cookies and cheese puffs. State police say 56-year-old Lee Wright of Oklahoma and 52-year-old Leslie Roy of Nebraska were in good condition when they were found Friday in a remote area in …

In order to expand eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that it will determine eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program based on the distance between a Veteran’s place of residence and the nearest VA medical facility using driving distance rather than straight-line …

State Representative Scott Dianda will be in Houghton today to congratulate the winners of the 2015 Michigan Works! Association Prosperity Awards. Dianda will present tributes to Roy’s Pasties & Bakery owners Roy and Trisha Narhi and baker Melissa Dowler at their bakery by the waterfront. The awards recognize significant accomplishments …

The National Park Service is preparing a foundation document to guide planning and management of Keweenaw National Historical Park, and would like to invite the public to join in this effort. A foundation document involves examining a national park unit’s core purpose and significance, identifying its most important resources and …

A new state audit says the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development must improve the monitoring of migrant housing. The Michigan Auditor General’s report says the agency has not made sure that it kept a complete list of migrant housing facilities. The department must also make sure prior violations …

A state lawmaker is pushing to expand waste recycling in the state. Senate Democrat Rebekah Warren is proposing an expansion of the state’s electronic waste recycling program to include cell phones and tablets. If approved, it would be in addition to the current electronic waste recycling “takeback” program approved by …

For the second week in a row, gas prices have increased from the previous week, AAA Michigan reports. Michigan’s current statewide average is about $2.48 per gallon, about 6 cents more than last week’s average and about $1.32 less than this same time last year. Of the cities surveyed by …

Funding from the state for sexual assault education and prevention programs on college campuses is up in the air. The Senate Appropriations Committee recently zeroed out the $500,000 the governor wanted to go towards sexual assault education and prevention on campuses across Michigan. This comes as Michigan State University, the …