Although Delta County’s jobless numbers improved to 4.5 percent in August, Ed Legault, executive director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance, says the number of employed, unemployed and workforce all saw declines.

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The city of Gladstone is looking to purchase about 30 acres of land in the North Shore Development area to pair with city property. Gladstone City Commissioner Brad Mantella says the goal is to sell the property to a developer for condos or housing.

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Deer hunters in the Upper Peninsula can expect as good or better success this year over last year. Deer Biologist Chad Stewart with the Department of Natural Resources says last year was a challenging year in the U.P. for hunters. He is optimistic that this year will be better than last year.

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Portions of the Escanaba Marketplace are being designated as a picnic area in order to allow those renting the facility to serve alcohol at their events. Escanaba Downtown Development Authority Director Scott Czasak says they’ve had requests to be able to serve alcohol at private events at the marketplace.

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Escanaba schools are working to balance their reaction to COVID-19 and the need to teach students. School Superintendent Coby Fletcher says learning loss as a result of the pandemic is going to remain a problem for years to come.

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Delta County wants the city of Escanaba to take ownership of the county property included as a potential site for development on the Escanaba shoreline.

The agreement with Proxima Management Group to build a major hotel complex at the site of the Delta County jail was a joint venture with county and city property. The city has since ended its agreement with Proxima.

Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo says it would be best to let the city take the lead on finding a new developer.

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School administrators in Gladstone are trying to figure out ways to lessen the impact of quarantine for close COVID-19 contacts as more students become contagious. School Superintendent Jay Kulbertis says they have already had more COVID-19 cases in Gladstone than the first five months of the last school year.

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The steam locomotive on display in Gladstone is getting a facelift. Engine #730 has been power washed and will be painted by apprentices with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Local 10-11. But first, Ron Miaso with the Gladstone Downtown Development Authority says they are going to encase the engine with netting to prevent damage that can be caused by birds.

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An investigation is being conducted into something financial with the redevelopment of city and county property on the Escanaba waterfront that includes the former Delta County Jail.

The city entered into an agreement with Proxima Management Group in 2019 for an $18.3 million development centered on the construction of a major hotel on the property. The city council voted after an executive session on Sept. 2 to terminate the agreement.

Still unknown is why there is an investigation involving the project.

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The Dickinson-Iron District Health Department has issued a mask order for schools in Dickinson and Iron counties. The order requires that children in kindergarten through sixth grade and others serving those students to wear a mask covering both the nose and mouth while inside any enclosed school building.

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Delta County has re-issued a Local State of Emergency order to address the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. Delta County Chair Pat Johnson signed the order yesterday. The county had ended its emergency order in June after being in effect for more than a year.

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Health officials say the higher number of COVID-19 cases in Delta County are among those unvaccinated although about a fifth of the cases are breakthrough cases, infections of people who have been vaccinated. Dr. Bill Hook, director of medical services at OSF Healthcare St. Francis Hospital and Medial Group in Escanaba says it is still important for people to be vaccinated.

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Starting Oct. 1, 17-year-old offenders will be treated as juveniles in Michigan courts rather than adults. Delta County Prosecutor Brett Gardner says that means they are going to go through a different system with a different goal.

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Escanaba Mayor Marc Tall says he is very disappointed that an  agreement with Proxima Management Group to build an $18.3 million hotel complex at the site of the former Delta County Jail had to be terminated but he says it is in the best interest of the city.

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Dr. Nicole Linder, chief hospitalist at OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group in Escanaba, says she is fatigued, heartsick and tired of watching people suffer needlessly and die of a disease that could have been prevented.

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A new VA Clinic opened this week in Gladstone. Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo says it is something they have wanted for a long time.

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The Great Lakes Logging & Heavy Equipment Expo is celebrating its 75th year with a three-day show at the U.P. State Fairgrounds. Henry Schienebeck with the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association says the expo kicks off Thursday.

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Three career fairs are being held this month to help fill worker gaps in key industries in the area. Beth Ann Belcher, business services specialist with Michigan Works, says area employers have had difficulty filling positions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Restaurants continue to struggle to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic with issues such as staffing and supplies. Escanaba Downtown Development Authority Director Scott Czasak says downtown restaurants are still hurting. He is asking for patience as restaurants work through the problems of the pandemic.

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The Delta County Sheriff’s office is waiting for a state license to install a full body scanner at the Delta County Jail. Sheriff Ed Oswald the scanner should curb efforts to smuggle drugs into the jail.

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Preliminary maps that the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission has redrawn for the Upper Peninsula is being criticized by State State Sen. Ed McBroom.

His district would include a thin line across the top of Chippewa County. The three House districts cross the U.P. diagonally and cut through county lines. McBroom wants to know why the commission needs to manipulate the lines in a way that adversely affects the U.P.

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