Two local fishermen are being recognized with Distinguished Citizens Awards from the Michigan State Police for their part in rescuing three people who capsized on Little Bay de Noc last May.

Gladstone Post Commander 1st Lt. Gregg Cunningham says Kieth Soderman and Trevor Palmer helped Trooper Josiah Povich reach a third person having difficulty getting out of the cold water.

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Looking to be healthier in the new year? Getting more exercise was the top resolution in 2021. Hadele Peacock with the Northern Lights YMCA in Escanaba exercise not only helps with losing weight and being fit, it can also improve your mental well being.

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Free Liferides will once again be available in Delta County on New Year’s Eve. Joanna Wilbee-Amis with OSF Healthcare St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group says Liferides are offered in an effort to prevent alcohol-related traffic accidents and fatalities.

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The Escanaba School District is preparing information that it will release before classes start again in January on how it is going to handle future threats to the school. School Superintendent Coby Fletcher says they can not tolerate even minor attempts to disrupt the normal school day.

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Escanaba’s Traffic Safety Advisory Committee was updated on a project at the Upper Elementary School to improve bus drop off and pick up at the school. Escanaba Public Safety Director Rob LaMarche says it was something that the advisory committee had been asking for for a long time.

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Gladstone schools planned to be open last Friday despite concern over a national TikToc challenge promoting school violence. School Superintendent Jay Kulbertis says they arranged to have a police presence last Friday to help alleviate fears of students and parents and then…

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Escanaba’s Traffic Safety Advisory Committee will discuss an ORV ordinance tonight that would allow off-road vehicles on city streets. Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan says the idea is to connect the city with the ORV trailhead at the west end of Escanaba.

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Escanaba is looking at replacing the Aronson Island bridge next year. The bridge was damaged in July when a woman struck the north wall. Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan says the bridge is 100 years and needs to be replaced.

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Upper Peninsula Schools are responding to a national online Tic Tok challenge encouraging youth to bring weapons to school today. Escanaba, Gladstone, Mid Peninsula, Rapid River and Hannaville schools are all closed today because of the challenge.

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The city of Escanaba is considering whether or not to allow ATVs on city streets. It’s a topic this month in both the Escanaba Recreation Advisory and Traffic Safety Advisory Committees. Escanaba Recreation Department Director Kim Peterson says it would provide ATV users access the city from the trailhead at the west end of town.

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Property owners assessed on the 9th Street Project in Gladstone will benefit from a reduction in the cost of the bonds sold to finance the project. The Gladstone Downtown Downtown Development Authority and city commission decided at a joint meeting this week to pass all of the savings on to the assessed property owners.

Gladstone City Commissioner Brad Mantella says the special assessment will be reduced this year and the bond payments shortened from 15 to 13 years.

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An effort is being made to address the mental health issues of children at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area. Program Director Patrick Bradway says it is one of the goals in the new year.

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Area school superintendents are meeting with court and law enforcement officials today to talk about when schools should include law enforcement to avert potential violence.

Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School Superintendent Doug Leisenring says they want a conversation on when a problem should be referred to law enforcement or the courts.

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Delta County Prosecutor Brett Gardner says there have been cases in Delta County where they worked with school officials to prevent potential violence at area schools. In light of the school shooting in Oxford, Gardner says he wants the community to know that they take threats to schools seriously.

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Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo says she was pleased to hear that Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan is willing to take ownership of the former Delta County Jail in order to find a potential developer. DeSalvo says a purchase agreement would have to be agreed to between the county and the city.

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Staff at the Delta Animal Shelter were horrified Friday when they discovered a litter of puppies and their mother were dropped off at the doorstep of the shelter. Sue Gartland says they became aware that the dogs were there when a customer said a dog was roaming the road in front of the shelter. When they went to get her, they found two puppies in the parking lot and an empty laundry basket.

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Escanaba’s City Manager says he does not object to the city taking ownership of the former jail property in order to work with a potential developer of city and county property in the area.

Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo has said she would favor giving the former jail property to the city. Two council members who objected to the land transfer were defeated in November, Now, City Manager Patrick Jordan says he would be willing to have the city take ownership of the property in order to work with a developer.

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Escanaba has issued a new Request For Qualifications from developers of the city and county property that includes the former jail. Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan says they have a lot more interest this time than the first attempt when it was awarded to Proxima Management Group.

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Nurses from Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital posted an online plea with residents to take immediate actions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission as the hospital struggles with having enough resources to treat people. Kristie Swanson says the hospital is at capacity as COVID hospitalizations rise.

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State Sen. Ed McBroom expressed frustration this week on a lack of input from the Department of Natural Resources on legislation before his Natural Resources Committee.

McBroom says not having the ability to talk with DNR officials during committee hearings prevents the committee from making changes that might be more acceptable to the governor. An example he says was a bill to allow bird feeding that was vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

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A prince and princess have been randomly chosen to head the annual Escanaba Christmas Parade. They are 6-year-old Jason Maulding and 4-year-old Bella Kivioja. Organizer Tonya Ettenhofer says they will lead the parade on Friday down Ludington Street.

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