News

Michigan’s economy needs to catch up

While 25 other states have fully recovered the jobs they lost during the pandemic, Michigan is still down 71,400 jobs, a 1.6 percent decrease. It doesn’t look like the state is going to get above pre-pandemic levels any time soon, either. The state won’t recover the jobs lost until 2026 at the rate of growth we have experienced over the past five months.
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Rock River Library notes

Yet another fun month, last month, here at the library. Our community came together for some fun events, we’re seeing new books on the shelves and we are making connections in our community. Let’s keep it going! I hope to meet more of you this month.
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Conservation officers help family stranded near Grand Marais

Michigan DNR conservation officers were called to help a woman, four children, and a dog who were stuck in deep snow on a seasonal county road in Northern Luce County late on Saturday, April 8. Stephanie Rene Knapp, 37, and the children were reportedly travelling north to view the northern lights when their minivan ran out of gas along Luce County Road 407.
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Stop oak wilt this Spring

The Do Not Cut or Wound Oak Trees period runs from April 15th through July 15th. This is to prevent the spread of oak wilt (OW) disease. This is the most critical timeline when the Nitudulid beetle (aka picnic beetle, a native beetle) is most active, which is the primary way OW disease is spread in Michigan. The picnic beetle is drawn to the scent of an open wound on oaks for purposes of feeding on the sap. If the beetle has already come into contact with the OW fungus, the spores are introduced and a new infection site develops.
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Hiawatha announces prescribed burns locations

The USDA Forest Service plans to conduct prescribed burns on the Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests, covering a total of 8,938 acres. The prescribed burns will be carried out on 5 projects, covering 5,373 acres in the East Zone of Hiawatha, 22 projects, covering 3,328 acres in the West Zone of Hiawatha, and 18 projects, covering 237 acres in Ottawa. The burns will be conducted between late April and early fall, subject to weather conditions.
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Probation for woman who knocked house off foundation

Grace Boyer, a 19-year-old woman now residing in Florida, received a $500 fine, court fees and 90 days probation as part of a plea deal on Wednesday, April 12 in 93rd District Court in the Alger County Courthouse. Exactly one year prior, Boyer lost control of her pick-up truck at excessive speeds and collided into a house on M-28 in downtown Munising. The impact was so strong, it knocked the house off the foundation and was later condemned.
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New zoning ordinance approved

The Munising City Commission has unanimously approved a new zoning ordinance for the municipality at the city commission meeting on Wednesday, April 5. The vote come after the ordinance was tabled at the previous meeting on Monday, March 20, after concerns were brought up with electric vehicle chargers, known as EV chargers.
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