The Upper Peninsula State Fair received four communications awards from the Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions during the organization’s 137th Annual Convention in Grand Rapids.

Vickie Micheau, Executive Director of the Delta County Chamber of

Commerce and Management Agent for the Upper Peninsula State Fair, says they received awards for best poster, multi-page publication, website homepage and social media.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

Gladstone State Police Post Commander 1st Lt. Gregg Cunningham says illegal marijuana is out of control. He says marijuana has become a bigger problem in the area since recreational marijuana has been legalized. The amount of illegal marijuana seized by police, he says, is the most he has ever seen.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

The Escanaba School District has now used three of the six allowed days off after classes were cancelled yesterday for extremely cold weather. Escanaba School Superintendent Coby Fletcher that is concerning because there are still several months of winter left.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

The Gladstone City Commission this week approved its 5-year Recreation Plan. It’s a list of projects that are possible if funding becomes available but Gladstone City Commissioner Brad Mantella says recreation is also a distinction that separates Gladstone from other communities.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

Repairing the boardwalk in Gladstone is a top priority for the Gladstone Downtown Development Authority as it starts to develop its 2022-23 budget. DDA Director Ron Miaso says the boardwalk, financing the 15th Street project and purchasing property on the North Shore will all be items in the upcoming budget.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

It could be another week or two before COVID-19 cases peak in the Upper Peninsula. Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo told the county board last week that the Omicron variant has been detected in Delta County causing a spike in Coronavirus cases.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

Delta County Commissioner John Malnar says solar development is going to be good for Delta County but an ordinance is needed, he says, to make sure that everyone’s needs are meet in areas where solar projects might be developed. He county planning commission has been working on an ordinance for nearly a year.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

State Rep. Beau LaFave tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time during the holidays. He says it was a much milder case than when he was infected in September of 2020.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

Gladstone may wait a year before acting on getting a state revolving loan to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. Gladstone City Manager Eric Buckman says they will move forward with requesting bids for the project in April but if they receive no or few bids or if bids are too high they may gamble and wait until next year when more federal money is available.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

Despite the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and business ownership changes in the area, Julie Mallard with the United Way of Delta County says they are fairly close to the $170,000 mark that was raised last year.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

A 68-year-old Gladstone man died in a traffic crash early Friday afternoon east of Rapid River. The Michigan State Police say 56-year-old William Rose was westbound  on US-2 when black ice caused him to lose control of his vehicle on the bridge east of the Rapid River School. The passenger in Rose’s vehicle, Stanley Chilicki, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

The number of duplicate addresses at Round Lake in the northeastern part of Delta County was more than county officials originally thought when they first became aware of the conflicts. It poses to be a major problem for first responders during an emergency.

Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo says central dispatch director Jen Peterson is working with the county’s building and zoning department to assign correct addresses.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

A settlement has been reached with Verso Corporation over a black liquor discharge in 2020 that killed fish on the Escanaba River. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy  announced the settlement for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System violations at the company’s Escanaba Paper Mill.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

The Delta County Board on a 3-2 vote last night sent a proposed solar ordinance back to its planning commission to address concerns over some of its restrictions and to hold another public hearing. At the same time, the board is asking the Delta County Prosecutor to determine if one or more commissioners have a conflict voting on a solar ordinance.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

Troopers at the Gladstone State Police Post will continue its focus on speeders in 2022. Post Commander 1st Lt Gregg Cunningham says they are staying with that initiative in the new year because it remains a problem in the U.P.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast

The Escanaba School District has installed new camera systems in and around its school buildings to provide immediate, real time access to first responders if violence occurs. A letter to parents yesterday talked about the steps that the school district has taken to be proactive in case of violence.

Listen to Craig Woerpel's full newscast