L Anse
L Anse, MI · Municipal
My UP Now
Negaunee fires treasurer for over-use of leave, insubordination with city manager
NEGAUNEE, Mich. (WJMN/WBUP) — City leaders in Negaunee voted 5-2 against ending the suspension of long-time treasurer Brian Downing, effectively firing him Wednesday night. Last week, news of Downing's suspension, which had started Oct. 2, was publicized. In conversation with My UP News , Downing said the core of the issue involved his allegations of fraud against City Manager Nate Heffron. In particular, Downing cited a troubling 2024 audit of city finances, which found errors in the budget's reconciliation process — meaning a number of expenses and line items were not properly accounted for or adjusted throughout the year. "[The auditors] said the lack of reconciliation could be due to error or fraud. They didn't specifically say which part they believed it was. After a little bit of investigation, I believe that it's the fraud part," said Downing. Wednesday night, the city attorney clarified Downing's suspension was due to a depletion of his time-off and FMLA leave, along with a press release Downing prepared which incorrectly claimed Heffron was no longer the city manager. According to Downing, that was stated because he did not want to be implicated in the wrongdoing he alleged of the city manager, and therefore no
WLUC
Protesters voice their issues at Mike Rogers Marquette stop
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Mike Rogers toured the Upper Peninsula, speaking to supporters at breweries in Marquette and Gladstone. Two protesters, Emma Schmidt and Justin Linder, wanted to make sure their voices were heard at his visit to Honorable Distillery. “I’m pretty sad that I have to go out and...
wzmq19.com
Lakeview Elementary fourth graders visit Cliffs Shaft Mining Museum
ISHPEMING, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Friday morning, five classes of Lakeview Elementary fourth graders made their way to Ishpeming for a tour of the Cleveland Cliffs Mine Shaft. The students had the chance to walk through one of the tunnels, see where miners prepared for their descents, and got to partake in a geology lesson.
wnmufm.org
Cody Mayer disagrees with appointment of Margaret Brumm to County Board just days before mid-term election
MARQUETTE, MI— “An insult to the Democratic process.”. That’s what Marquette City Commissioner Cody Mayer calls the selection of Margaret Brumm as a County Commissioner for District 1 Tuesday night. Brumm was sworn in by a 3-2 vote to replace Karl Numinen, who resigned from the Board...
WLUC
Ishpeming’s City Manager cites harsh winter and Brasswire Campground loans for lowered general fund
ISHPEMING, Mich. (WLUC) - Ishpeming City Manager Randy Scholz urges citizens not to panic regarding the city’s general fund issues. An auditor spoke with the Ishpeming City Council Wednesday night about the city’s current financial standing. Scholz says money will be tight but does not see the general fund going into the negatives. The city has not hired a DPW employee and has held off on hiring police officers to keep the fund from going negative.
WLUC
Marquette Regional History Center hosts ‘Uncovering the Truths About the Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster’
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - The 100-year anniversary of Michigan’s largest mining disaster is less than two weeks away. On Wednesday night, more than 130 people attended a presentation about what a historian says really happened at the Barnes-Hecker mine. On November 3, 1926, 51 men died in the Barnes-Hecker mine when a deluge of mud and water flooded the shaft, trapping them underground. Only 10 bodies were recovered; 41 remain underground to this day.
WLUC
Norway City Council hears WPPI Energy contract extension proposal
NORWAY, Mich. — The main agenda item at Wednesday night’s Norway City Council meeting was a presentation on the benefits of extending a contract with WPPI Energy. The city of Norway is a member of WPPI Energy, which provides and generates wholesale electricity to its members. Norway is currently under contract with WPPI through 2055, but the ask is to extend the agreement through 2073.
wzmq19.com
Barnes-Hecker Memorial Site now open to the public
ELY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Barnes-Hecker Mining Disaster Memorial site is now open to the public, after holding an opening ceremony this weekend. Near the mine shaft, where previously a single honorary plaque used to sit for decades, now features a public learning and recreational space that will hold its story for generations. For board members Annie Tippett and Glenn Wing, who both lost relatives that day in 1926, the site more notably serves as a resting place.