Escanaba is ringing in the new year with fireworks again this year. However, Escanaba Recreation Direcotr Kim Peterson says it will not be held at the Municipal Dock. Instead, they will be fired from Arnson Island like they are during the Fourth of July. The celebration begins at 9 p.m. 

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Free New Year’s Eve Liferides will again be offered in Delta County tomorrow night for those cheering in the new year. The rides are offered in an effort to prevent alcohol-related traffic crashes and fatalities. Lindsey Stearns, community relations coordinator at OSF Healthcare St. Francis Hospital says rides are avalable through area taxi services and DATA.

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The Escanaba Downtown Development Authorty Board is continuing to develop future goals for the DDA. This month they reveiwed past strategies and goals. DDA Director Ed Legault says one of the items discussed was possible informational signage at various locations in the downtown.

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More and more wolves are being seen by trappers in the Upper Peninsula. Roy Dahlgren says he is getting a lot more wolves in his trap then ever before. The wolves caught in his traps have all been released. 

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It's become a holiday tradition. The Sand Point Lighthouse and Delta County Historical Musuem will be open for two days after Christmas for an open house. Elizabeth Kellor with the historical soceity says its a way to say thank you to the community. The open house will be held Thursday and Friday from 1 to 4 p.m.

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City officials are concerned that the former Wickert Floral building in downtown Escanaba may be a total loss. The building suffered extensive damage last winter when the roof collapsed under heavy snow. Escanaba Downtown Development Authority Director Ed Legault says he has worked with the owner of the building to see what could be done to save the building.

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In vetoing the bill that would reverse baiting and feeding of deer and elk in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claimed the legislature overstepped its bounds by usurping the authority of the Natural Resources Commission. She says the bill would have removed the Commission’s authority to regulate deer baiting and feeding, ignoring the will of Michigan voters, who overwhelmingly decided to give authority for wildlife management to the Natural Resources Commission. 

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Decisions are now needed to implement changes next school year with the closure of the Soo Hill Elementary School. The Escanaba School Board voted this week to close the school.  School Superintendent Coby Fletcher says he will put together an organizational plan sooner than he usually does for the next school year to addresses the changes that are needed.

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An inconsistancy in addressing is causing major problems for central dispatch and those responding to emergencies in Delta County. 911 Operations Coordinator Jenny Peterson says there are many examples where addressing is confusing to dispatchers. Capt. Darin Hunter with Escanaba Public Safety and the 911 Authorty asked the Delta County County Board of Commissioners to develop an address ordinance that could fix the problem.

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Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan says the city has spent nearly $1 million on legal fees this year to fight the Dark Store tax loophole in the lawsuit with Menard's. At stake is the ability of the city and other taxing authorities to collect full property taxes rather than  taxes on property valued on the worth of other closed or dark stores throughout the state.

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State Sen. Ed McBroom says he was surprised that a deal was struck to reverse some of the vetoes that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made in October. He says the deal seemed to be going nowhere then the governor suddenly agreed to move the supplemental budget bills forward this month. 

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Dana Furguson met with supporters yesterday in Escanaba during his tour of the 1st Congressional District to introduce himself. The 40-year-old Democratic Candidate for Congress says he is running because he is disillusioned with politics today.

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The Escanaba Planning Commission reviewed its zoning ordinance last night as part of the re-certification process for Redevelopment Ready Communities. Community Planner Ryan Soucy with CUPPAD presented a long list of changes to improve the city's readiness to encourage development in the community. The most discussion dealt with a requirment to drop public hearings during site plan reviews. Commission Chair Christine Williams and other members of the commission said they feel public comment is important.

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The Escanaba Recreation Advisory Board wants to have input on a proposal to sell a portion of park land in the city to a homeowner.  The Escanaba City Council has been involved in negotiations with a homeowner on Lakeshore Drive that Recreation Board Chair Joe Kaplan says has been encroaching on park property at 21st Avenue South and Lake Shore Drive. The committee voted to ask to have input on this and other property transfers that includes park property. They also ask that money be budgeted to mark all city property without defined boundaries.

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Grooming ski trails in Delta County have been a challenge following heavy snow around Thanksgiving and over 20 inches of snow on Dec. 1.  Rick Elrod with Delta County Non-Motorized Trails says most of the Days River Trail is open and groomed. Other trails, such as the Rapid River and Escanaba West Side Trails are still not open.

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Escanaba is inspecting water systems at businesses in the city to determine possible problems that might need repair. Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan says it is mandated by the state. It also included the inspection of city facilities.
 

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The city of Escanaba is looking for shoreline disaster relief for damage caused by high water levels on the Great Lakes. The Escanaba City Council approved a resoultion last night asking the Governor, President and state and federal legislators to declare Michigan's shoreline as a disaster area. Escanaba City manager Patrick Jordan says the damage to the city has been extensive including Sand Point at the water plant.

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The Prince and Princess have been choosen to preside over the Escanaba Christmas Parade Friday night.  They are 5-year-old Marcus Caron and 6-year-old Ashlyn Johnsen. They were randomly choosen for those entered in the drawing. Parade organizer Tanya Ettenhofer says they will lead the parade down Ludington Street at 7 p.m. Friday night.

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Delta County Commissioners have delayed cuts to its budget until January. They need to reduce their budget by $333-thousand due to budget vetoes that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made in September. Delta County Interim Administrator Tom Sabor says the Michigan Association of Counties expects most of the cuts to be restored although no progress has been made to resolve the state's budget impasse.

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A New Hampshire-based logging company has purchased more than a half-million acres of timberland in the Upper Peninsula. Weyerhaeuser Company says it recently sold 555,000 acres of UP timberland to an affiliate of The Lyme Timber Company for $300 million in cash. Company officials say the woodlands will be managed for "sustainable timber production" by Lyme Great Lakes Forest Company.
 

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Delta County received some of the heaviest snowfall in yesterday's storm. As of 10 o'clock last night, Escanaba received nearly 23 inches of snow. Cars were stuck on streets and in driveways. Escanaba Public Safety last night urged residents not drive on city streets and the Delta County Sheriff's office asked people to stay home. The awning on Mo's Pub on Ludington Street collapsed from the weight of the snow. Gladstone received 20 inches of snow, Rapid River 18 inches.

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