Jim Yoder with the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association says Christmas in the Village is back this year after a drive through event last year. The antique village at the U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba was closed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Yoder says the village will come alive Friday and Saturday, including a visit from Santa.

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After a year of local businesses being battered by the reactions to the COVID-29 pandemic, business leaders say things have been improving. Gladstone Downtown Development Authority Director Ron Miaso says the past year has been positive.

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Hunters in the core Chronic Wasting Disease area in the Upper Peninsula? are reminded to have their deer tested for CWD. The area includes portions of Dickinson, Menominee and Delta counties surrounding the area where a deer tested positive for CWD in 2018 in Dickinson County.

The Department of Natural Resources is testing deer for free that are taken from the core CWD surveillance area. DNR Wildlife technician Colter Lubben says they are looking to test up to 1,400 deer heads to better gauge the possible spread of the disease in the U.P.

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The Escanaba Downtown Development Authority is recommending that the city’s mayor no longer be a voting member of the DDA board. DDA Board Chair Dan Bender says the change would bring the city more in line with state guidelines. Currently, Escanaba has had both the city manager and mayor as voting members of the board.

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Tri-County Safe Harbor is one of four groups collecting food for the next three days at area grocery stores for the TV6 Can-a-thon in partnership with WDBC and WYKX. Erin Viau says the food they collect will be distributed to those needing help from the domestic violence shelter.

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The Trails and Tales Outdoors Radio Deer Poll will be held tonight in Rapid River. This is the first year for the event at Rapid River Knifeworks. Al Ettenhofer with U.P. Whitetails was part of the first Deer Pole held 23 years ago at the Island Resort and Casino.

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Delta County is looking at that it needs to do to follow the federal vaccine mandate for county workers. County Administrator Emily DeSalvo says commissioners are determining what the county’s vaccine policy might be.

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The Gladstone School Board has extended its COVID-19 quarantine wavier program until the end of the semester in January. School Superintendent Jay Kulbertis says the Test to Stay program is not a perfect solution but has allowed more students to stay in the classroom.

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Deer vehicle accidents are on the rise in the U.P. Triple-A Michigan says 43 percent of the deer-vehicle accidents occur in October, November and December. Tonya Henderson at Derouins Auto Body and Collision in Escanaba says they have been seeing a growing number of crashes involving deer.

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Today is the opening of the firearm deer season in Michigan. Many hunters spent the weekend getting ready at deer camp this year. Joe Hellberg of Escanaba says he is usually the first one out on opening morning at their camp in Cornell.

Deer hunters can register their successful hunt at escanabaradiogroup.com for prizes and call in each day this week to tell their story on the Deer Report from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at 906-786-3800.

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Law enforcement say they are becoming frustrated with the consequences of criminal justice reforms that have recently been enacted that allow more people charged with crimes to be out on bond as they await trial.

Gladstone State Police Post Commander 1st Lt Gregg Cunningham says it can often fell like they are spinning their wheels when it comes to arresting people they have dealt with before.

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Jury trials in Delta County Circuit Court are still scheduled more than year out and there is about an eight months wait in District Court. The wait for jury trials became longer during the COVID-19 pandemic when courtrooms were closed across the state. Delta County Prosecutor Brett Gardner says he wants to again shorten the time defendants have to wait for trial.

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Gladstone is developing an ordnance to determine how homeowners with solar panels might be reimbursed for excess energy. Gladstone City Manager Eric Buckman says the city has been reimbursing four homeowners based on retail costs and now wants to base it on how much the city pays for electricity as interest in solar grows.

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The Escanaba City Council elected Mark Ammel as Mayor. Newly elected to the council, Ammel beat Ron Beauchamp on a 3-2 vote. Beauchamp said before the vote that his previous eight years on the council gave him more experience. Ammel says he is ready to serve.

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It could take longer than January for area schools with more than 100 employees to implement a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for staff.

The vaccine requirement announced last Thursday by the Biden administration orders employers of 100 or more workers to institute mandatory vaccinations for their staff or weekly testing by Jan. 4.

But Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District Superintendent Doug Leisenring says they expect it will take longer than that to get guidance from the state.

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The Escanaba City Council expressed reservations about the county’s offer to give the city the former jail property. Delta County is hoping that consolidating the city and county properties will make it easier to work with a new developer. Council member Ralph Blasier says the move would give the city more liabilities than assets.

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Despite an uptick this past week of COVID-19 numbers in the Upper Peninsula, Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo says cases have been trending downward during the past month. Despite the improvement, she told the county board this week that the county’s positivity rate is still above 13 percent.

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The Escanaba City Council will have three new council members. Mark Ammel received the most votes in yesterday’s election with 1,491. Todd Flath received 1,026 votes. Former city council member Ron Beauchamp is returning to the council with 946 votes.

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Today is Election Day in Michigan. On the ballot in Escanaba, six people are seeking three sets on the Escanaba City Council. They include incumbents Marc Tall and Ralph Blasier, former councilmen Ron Beauchamp and Mike Sattem and newcomers Mark Ammel and Todd Flath. Peggy O’Connell is not seeking re-election.

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Capt. Doug Winters with the Salvation Army in Escanaba says many people in the community need just a little push to make ends meet. To help with their food pantry, the Salvation Army is one four participating in the can-a-thon this month with St Vincent de Paul, Tri-County Safe Harbor and Faith Lutheran Church in Rock. The virtual can-a-thon begins this week at tv6canathon.com. Go to donate and choose Salvation Army. The WDBC/WYKX Can-A-Thon this month is Nov. 22, 23 and 24.

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