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First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff wrap up U.P. tour at the Soo Locks
UPDATE 5/17/24 6:30 p.m. SAULT STE. MARIE — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff wrapped up their visit to the Upper Peninsula on Friday afternoon in Sault Ste. Marie. After an event at the Sault Tribe reservation, the two toured the Soo Locks where construction continues on the new lock. That lock is expected to be completed in another six years. The First Lady did not field any questions from the media.
Pit Spitters announce new non-profit Community Foundation program
TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Pit Spitters announced their new extension of the Community Foundation, an organization that will help various programs in the community. Events during the 2024 season will now be under the non-profit’s umbrella including raffles, a pinch hitter program, and a reading program. Pit Spitters General Manager Jacqueline Holm says it’s all about furthering their mission to help local organizations continue to thrive. “We the Pit Spitters, are a platform and a vessel for amazing and incredible opportunities for the people that’s supported so much, the community,” says Holm. “It’s the least we could do to give back and try and build some equity back for them and show them how much we appreciate them. A lot of these programs are already running. We’ve just put a formal name to it now so that the community can find out more about it.” The Pit Spitters season kicks off May 29.
Community partners help rebuild wheelchair-accessible areas at Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden
TRAVERSE CITY — This summer will be the 25th anniversary for the Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden, and they’ve just been awarded an $8,000 grant to rebuild their universally accessible garden beds. Volunteers from the U.S. Coast Guard, Traverse City Fire Department and Home Depot will all be there this weekend to help. The garden beds will be handicap accessible complete with irrigation and adaptive gardening tools. “One of the reasons why gardening is so important, especially during the summer for some of these students, is because they don’t receive services during the school year,” says GTA Children’s Garden Executive Director Sarah Kuschell. “So the garden provides a safe space. and we use the garden as a platform to teach therapy tools and also we are just so blessed to have the space.” The rebuilding is taking place May 18 at 1 p.m. near the library on Woodmere. GFL Environmental and Pure Waterworks even got involved to donate a dumpster and water respectively for everyone involved.
University of Michigan begins alcohol sales at football games after successful rollouts at its other venues
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Alcohol sales will begin this football season at Michigan Stadium, following the lead of in-state rival Michigan State and a trend of booze being made available at college sports venues across the nation. The Michigan athletic department made the announcement Thursday following successful rollouts of alcohol sales at its hockey and basketball arenas. The university’s Board of Regents voted to implement a liquor license at the “Big House” starting with the Aug. 31 opener against Fresno State. According to a survey by The Associated Press of Power Five conference schools and Notre Dame, 55 of 69 sold alcohol in the public areas of their stadiums last season. Michigan State, Kentucky and Stanford began alcohol sales at their football stadiums in 2023. Michigan started alcohol sales at Yost Ice Arena and Crisler Center in February as a trial run for sales at the football stadium. The athletic department said there were no reported issues related to drunken behavior or medical responses.
3 employees injured in Weyerhauser wood processing plant fire
CRAWFORD COUNTY — Beaver Creek Township Fire Department is investigating a fire that injured three wood processing employees on Thursday. Firefighters got the call around 12:15 p.m. from the Weyerhauser wood processing plant. They say Weyerhauser was already doing fire suppression on a silo with their own fire brigade when fire crews arrived. The silo collects sawdust. Three employees were burnt while inspecting a hatch on a piece of equipment when the fire flared up, according to firefighters. The injuries were not reported to be life-threatening. Those employees were treated on scene before being transported to the hospital. The fire remains under investigation, with no cause identified at this time.
FishPass construction set to begin in Traverse City on Tuesday, May 21
TRAVERSE CITY — The public should be aware that FishPass construction will begin May 21, 2024, with the installation of site fencing by the contactor Spence Bros., and the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a result, Lot J will be closed, and parking will no longer be accessible through the duration of the project. Related: Traverse City gets $1M grant to support FishPass project Access to Boardman/Ottaway River The entire south shoreline of the river and any riverwalk features between Cass and Union Street will be closed to the public for the duration of construction. The stairs on the southwest corner, near the Cass Street Bridge, will be closed at the first landing. There will be no access to the docks in this location. The riverwalk and stairs on the north side of the river, near the Union Street Bridge, will remain open during construction. Pedestrian detour signage will be installed.
US military says Gaza pier project is complete and aid will soon flow as Israel-Hamas war rages
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday that humanitarian aid will soon begin flowing onto the Gaza shore through the new pier that was anchored to the beach overnight and will begin reaching those in need almost immediately. Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters the U.S. believes there will be no backups in the distribution of the aid, which is being coordinated by the United Nations. The U.N., however, said fuel imports have all but stopped and this will make it extremely difficult to deliver the aid to the more than a million Palestinians in critical need of food and other supplies after seven months of intense fighting between Israel and Hamas. “We desperately need fuel,” U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. “It doesn’t matter how the aid comes, whether it’s by sea or whether by land, without fuel, aid won’t get to the people.”
Justice Department formally moves to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in historic shift
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift in generations of U.S. drug policy. A proposed rule sent to the federal register recognizes the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledges it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. The plan approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. The Drug Enforcement Administration will next take public comment on the proposal in a potentially lengthy process. If approved, the rule would move marijuana away from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. Pot would instead be a Schedule III substance, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids. The move comes after a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department, which launched a review of the drug’s status at the urging of President Joe Biden in 2022.
Mackinac Bridge repaving completion delayed several weeks
ST. IGNACE — The first season of a two-season repaving project on the Mackinac Bridge’s north viaduct and approach truss spans, originally scheduled to be completed by May 23, will not be complete until June 7, officials said Thursday. Citing additional patching work and an inability to field full work crews, project contractor Zenith Tech says it will not be able to meet its original completion date or reopen the bridge prior to Memorial Day as called for in the contract. ”We have not only allowed, but strongly encouraged, the contractor to work around the clock and through weekends to get this project wrapped up ahead of the surge of traffic we expect for the holiday weekend,” said Mackinac Bridge Authority Chief Engineer Cole Cavalieri. “We know that having lane closures on the bridge for Memorial Day travel will result in delays and backups, so we ask customers to be patient and consider crossing at off-peak times.” Repaving, deck repairs, and joint repairs on the two northbound lanes of the bridge began March 25. Traffic is being maintained with one lane open in each direction during construction.
Motorcycle crash with SUV leaves Traverse City biker with life-threatening injuries
TRAVERSE CITY — Michigan State Police say a motorcyclist has life-threatening injuries after a crash with an SUV on Wednesday. Troopers were called to the scene on Garfield Road near 3 Mile Road in East Bay Township. They say the SUV driven by a Kalamazoo man turned onto Garfield Road from 3 Mile. Troopers say the SUV crossed paths with the oncoming motorcycle. The driver, a Traverse City man, fell off the bike in the crash. The motorcyclist was taken to Munson Medical Center for life-threatening injuries. MSP says the SUV driver was uninjured.
Bear spotted in downtown Ludington, DNR gets it back into the woods safely
LUDINGTON — A black bear on the loose in the city caused quite a stir for one Northern Michigan community. The city of Ludington was buzzing all morning as law enforcement and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources tried to get the wild animal to go back into the woods. Ludington Police Captain Michael Haveman said there was a lot of interest in the morning visitor. “A lot of people came out to see the bear, take pictures and just kind of see what was going on. So, a lot of excitement surrounding this,” said Haveman.
Census Bureau estimates that Detroit population rose after decades of decline
DETROIT (AP) — America’s Northeast and Midwest cities are rebounding slightly from years of population drops — especially Detroit, which grew for the first time in decades — though the South still dominates the nation’s growth, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday. Detroit, Michigan’s largest city, had seen an exodus of people since the 1950s. Yet the estimates released Thursday show the population of Michigan’s largest city rose by just 1,852 people from 631,366 in 2022 to 633,218 last year. It’s a milestone for Detroit, which had 1.8 million residents in the 1950s only to see its population dwindle and then plummet through suburban white flight, a 1967 race riot, the migration to the suburbs by many of the Black middle class and the national economic downturn that foreshadowed the city’s 2013 bankruptcy filing. “It’s a great day. It’s a day we’ve been waiting for for 10 years,” Mayor Mike Duggan told The Associated Press. “The city of Detroit has joined the communities in America that are growing in population according to the Census Bureau. For our national brand, it was critically important for the Census Bureau to certify us as growing.”
The Brook of Houghton Lake hosts food drive
HOUGHTON LAKE -- The Brook of Houghton Lake is hoping to help fight food insecurity. The senior assisted living facility is partnering up with the Roscommon County Food Pantry to hold a food drive. Roscommon County’s executive director, Chris Ashcraft said the drive starts Wednesday, May 15th and goes through June 15th. Donations can be dropped off at The Brook. There will be drop boxes in the reception area.
Fallen Michigan Conservation officers remembered in Roscommon
ROSCOMMON COUNTY — Conservation officers from Michigan were remembered during a ceremony in Roscommon County on Wednesday. A Memorial Day ceremony for peace officers also was held at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center earlier Wednesday. Seventeen fallen conservation officers were remembered, including an officer from Traverse City. Lt. Jeremy Payne, the district law supervisor of the Law Enforcement Division of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, said being a conservation officer is dangerous work.
Pro-Palestinian protesters place fake bloody corpses at home of University of Michigan official
ANN ARBOR — Pro-Palestinian protesters wearing masks pitched tents and placed fake bloody corpses outside the home of a University of Michigan board member Wednesday, raising tension with the school. Sarah Hubbard, chair of the university’s governing board, said the 6 a.m. demonstration at her home in Okemos involved 30 people. “They approached my home and taped a letter to my front door and proceeded to erect the tents. A variety of other things were left in the front yard,” Hubbard told The Associated Press. “They started chanting with their bullhorn and pounding on a drum in my otherwise quiet neighborhood.” She and her husband stayed inside. Okemos is 60 miles from the Ann Arbor campus.
Remains of Michigan soldier killed in Korean War have been identified, military says
GRANT (AP) — The remains of a 17-year-old soldier from Michigan who was killed in the Korean War in 1950 have been identified and will be buried in his home state, military officials said. U.S. Army Pfc. Thomas A. Smith’s remains were identified in September by military scientists who analyzed DNA, dental and anthropological evidence, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Tuesday. Smith, who was from Grant, will be buried in that Western Michigan city at a date that has yet to be determined, the agency said. Smith was 17 when on Aug. 2, 1950, he was reported missing in action when his unit took part in “defensive action near Chinju at the southern end of the Korean peninsula,” the DPAA said. His remains could not be recovered and the Army issued a presumptive finding of death for him in late 1953.
Grand Traverse Co. makes offer to purchase former Camp Greilick
TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County has provided an offer to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy to purchase the former Camp Greilick property, most recently known as the Greilick Outdoor Recreation and Education Center. The offer is awaiting approval from the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy board. Located in the Boardman/Ottaway River Watershed, where the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy has protected numerous properties critical for the health of the watershed, the 196-acre property has 4,310 feet of frontage on Rennie, Spider, and Bass Lakes. It is near thousands of acres of protected land and provides connections to numerous trail systems. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy is supportive of Grand Traverse County’s vision to purchase the property, to open it to the public and especially to renew its use as a place for young people and families to experience and learn about our natural world.
Biden and Trump agree on debates on June 27 and in September
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Wednesday agreed to hold two campaign debates in June and September — the first on June 27 hosted by CNN — but their camps appeared far apart on key details like the ground rules for the presidential face-offs. The quick agreement on the timetable to meet followed the Democrat’s announcement that he will not participate in fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that has organized them for more than three decades. Biden’s campaign instead proposed that media outlets directly organize the debates with the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees,...
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