May 2024

Your brain on…water We all know we live in a beautiful place with so much to do year-round, but one “perk” we may not think about often is that being near the water is associated with many health benefits. Not only is it mesmerizing to look at, but studies have shown that simply being around water (especially larger bodies of water) has many positive effects on our mental and physical wellbeing. These effects include lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, improving creativity, and providing a sense of calm and relaxation. Additionally, being near water can provide you with an overall greater sense of happiness.

UP author John Smolens will be in person at the Munising Library to discuss his most recent novel, A Cold, Hard Prayer on Thurs., May 16 at 6 p.m. This popular, award-winning author will talk about his newest work along with his past favorites and will be available for questions and autographs. Falling Rock will be in the Library with all of John’s books for sale that day as well. You will not want to miss this special event that kicks off our Summer Authors Series.

We celebrate Mother’s Day annually on the second Sunday in May. This year it will be celebrated on May 12, 2024. Our mothers do so much as they give their loving care to their families daily. It is so appropriate to recognize our mothers on this special day.

It’s spring time now, so we’re starting to see the natural world come back to life from the winter, including birds migrating back from the wintering grounds in Central and South America. Our wonderful state of Michigan is a destination for many bird species when they’re seeking the right habitat to settle down. There are a lot of reasons that we all love living in Michigan, but what makes it so special for birds?

Dickinson County Board of Commissioners Faced with the consolidation with the Green Bay processing center and reduction in local services in the Upper Peninsula’s only mail processing plant, the Dickinson County Board of Commissioners has begun a local and nationwide online petition campaign. The petition, which is available on change.

Thomas Kinnunen has been a Michigan state police officer for 15 years. He works out of a Negaunee post, which covers Alger and Marquette county. With various scams around Kinnunen says, “the most popular is getting your identity stolen and it can cause consequences like losing money.” Scams can be really dangerous because victims can give some random person all of their information.