News

The Copper Country has a well-known biking community and the Western U.P. Health Department is seeking their input on new plans for non-motorized transportation in the city of Hancock. The Bike and Pedestrian committee is taking public comments through an upcoming forum. The committee and city officials will host a …

Many community members have acknowledged that there is an illegal drug problem in this area and one lawmaker continues his push to end it. Representative John Kivela’s bill that looks to combat meth production and smurfing has passed the Senate this week. The bill would amend the Criminal Enterprises Chapter …

Recently, stamp sands have sparked discussions at local city council meetings and now the Michigan Department of Community Health is stepping in to help. The DCH has finalized two Public Health Assessments for the Torch Lake Superfund site and surrounding areas located in Houghton and Keweenaw counties. The assessments focus …

Big disasters almost always result in big power failures. Now, a team led by Nina Mahmoudian, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering–engineering mechanics at Michigan Tech, has developed a tabletop model of a robot team that can bring power to places that need it the most. She says regaining power …

One in every five motor vehicle crashes in Michigan involves deer. With the two most dangerous months for deer crashes approaching, a traffic safety coalition is unveiling a new video aimed at deer crash safety messages for young people. “Don’t Veer for Deer” will be distributed to driver education programs …

Consumer confidence posted a healthy gain in September due to more favorable prospects for the domestic economy as well as more favorable personal income expectations. That’s according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. The September reading, the second highest in the last seven years, points toward renewed …

Since the federal farm bill abolished the “heat and eat” program, which provided energy assistance to every person receiving food stamps, some families receiving food stamps in Michigan will see an average $76 per month reduction in benefits. Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the Department of Human Services, told Gongwer News …

The number of Upper Peninsula residents with jobs grew by 2,200 in August. The increase in those working, combined with a slight decrease in the size of the overall work force, dropped the U.P.’s seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate to just 6.6 percent. Many of those jobs are seasonal, and will disappear as the …

The Blue Economy Tour stopped in Houghton today. This report about the meeting was supplied by University Research Corridor Officials. Members of Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC) – an alliance between Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University – met today with higher education and economic …

  First District Republican U.S. Congressman Dan Benishek has been endorsed for reelection by the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund. Dr. Benishek received an A+ grade from the NRA-PVF for his support of the Second Amendment. “The responsible use of guns is a part of our way of life …