News

DNR fire crews finish out-of-state season, gain valuable experience

Holly Toohey recently spent two weeks in a beautiful part of northern California’s mountains, but this was no high-end, relaxing getaway. Toohey, a resource analyst for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, spent 16-hour shifts making maps to help firefighters on the front lines contain the South Fork Complex Fire, a collection of four wildfires totaling around 4,000 acres near Hayfork, California.
Read MoreDNR fire crews finish out-of-state season, gain valuable experience

EGLE establishes new surface water values for two additional PFAS chemicals

TheMichiganDepartmentofEnvironment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced that it has established new water quality values (WQVs) for the PFAS compounds Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid (PFHxS) and Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA). PFHxS and PFNA are members of the larger group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Read MoreEGLE establishes new surface water values for two additional PFAS chemicals

Chronic Wasting Disease found in another Michigan county

A 4-year-old doe that was reported to be in poor condition – skinny, drooling and showing no fear of people – in Klacking Township, Ogemaw County, recently tested positive for chronic wasting disease. It is the first CWDpositive wild deer from that county, a finding confirmed by the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison, which works with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to identify CWD in Michigan’s wild herd.
Read MoreChronic Wasting Disease found in another Michigan county

Local runners eXCel

Runners represented Alger County strongly at the 2023 MHSAA U.P. Cross Country finals, with Munising, Superior Central and an AuTrain-Onota graduate now at Marquette bringing home numerous awards. Read more about the championships and the achievements by our local runners on Page 10.
Read MoreLocal runners eXCel

Making the most of a low hay yield

The dry weather has left most livestock producers in the Midwest scrambling for more hay. First cutting hay yields were down in many areas of Michigan, and if the dry weather continues, total hay yields for the year could be less than 50 percent of normal production. To feed ruminant animals such as beef cattle, sheep and others through the winter season, many livestock farmers are looking for ways to stretch their feed resources.
Read MoreMaking the most of a low hay yield

War does not solve political issues

The US Army War College’s autumn, quarterly issue “Parameters” featured a report entitled “Lessons from Ukraine for the Armed Forces of the Future”. It is the first in a series commissioned one year ago by the US Army Training and Doctrine Command. A small group of scholars were assigned to study the Ukraine-Russia conflict and to report on various areas. The UK has done something similar also. This first report calls for a policy of “partial conscription,” to make up for the losses projected to be incurred if and when the USA engages in full-scale industrial warfare, presumably with Russia. Projected losses in such conflict stand at 3,600 Americans per day, with 800 needed conscripts per day. Anyone interested in averting or avoiding war would do well to be aware of what scant solutions exist to such problems.
Read MoreWar does not solve political issues

VS&I joins pledge to limit whitefish waste

In a significant step towards sustainability, Munising’s VanLandschoot & Sons Fish Market has joined an international movement, the “100 percent Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” aiming to revolutionize the seafood industry. This commitment, facilitated by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP), mandates the complete use of every Great Lakes fish caught commercially by 2025.
Read MoreVS&I joins pledge to limit whitefish waste