The Escanaba Paper Mill will receive $200 million in grant funding under a spending bill approved by the state legislature last night. The funds are needed to support an expected announcement by Billerud of a $1 billion expansion at the mill. That announcement is expected yet this month.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer outlined an agenda Wednesday that will prioritize enacting stricter gun laws, repealing laws that restrict abortion and who one can marry and providing pre-K education for all 4-year-olds in the state.

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The Escanaba City Council yesterday gave its planning commission direction on possible revisions to the city’s marijuana ordinance. The planning commission has asked for a moratorium for time to process the change. Assistant City Assessor Tyler Anthony says the city has been overwhelmed with applications.

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The Escanaba City Council and Escanaba Planning Commission are meeting jointly today to discuss the proposed moratorium on any new marijuana business applications in the city.

The city council approved the moratorium Thursday at the request of the planning commission. It is an ordinance change for three months so needs a second reading and approval in February.

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The Escanaba City Council voted for a three month moratorium on new marijuana businesses on a 4-1 vote. It changes the current marijuana ordinance so needs a final vote in February, however, the final date to accept new applications was yesterday.

The moratorium was requested by the city planning commission who has reviewed four site plans so far and has at least two more pending with others expected. The commission wants the city to re-examine its marijuana ordinance before other applications are submitted.

Councilmember Tyler Dubord says the city marijuana ordinance has already been thoroughly discussed.

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The Escanaba City Council is expected to offer interim city manager Jim McNeil the manager’s job at tonight’s city council meeting. The council spent an hour last night interviewing McNeil. McNeil said looking at a city employee to fill the position is a good move.

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The Delta Conservation District notified Delta County last night that it is terminating its contract with Delta County to operate the county’s parks. Delta Conservation District Manager Rory Mattson told the county commission that they will terminate the current contract on May 15.

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Gladstone is looking to update the equipment inside the wastewater plant undergoing renovations. The Gladstone City Commission approved a change order to accommodate the updated equipment. Commissioner Brad Mantella says it adds more than $120,000 to the cost of the project.

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An Escanaba man died Sunday in a crash between Escanaba and Gladstone. The Delta County Sheriff’s office says 55-year-old Michael England of Escanaba was killed when his pickup truck was struck by another pickup truck driven by 81-year-old Kenneth Arnold of Cornell.

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The Escanaba City Commission approved the site plan and special use permit for a marijuana business in downtown Escanaba. There was concern about the current appearance of the building at 936 Ludington Street being compliant. Nilsson Davis, owner of the marijuana retail store Upper Shelf Farms, became somewhat frustrated during the discussion on the appearance of the outside of the building but says he is willing to upgrade the building which he is leasing.

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The Escanaba Planning Commission has two marijuana issues on its agenda tonight. The commission will consider a special land use permit of a downtown building for a proposed retail marijuana business.

A company called Upper Shelf Farms is asking to use the property at 923 Ludington Street as a retail business to sell marijuana. It is owned by a Class B marijuana grower from Republic called Elevated Exotics.

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The Gladstone City Commission has approved an authority to be responsible for the development and maintenance of the steam engine on display in Gladstone. Commissioner Brad Mantella says it allows the group that has been working to restore the Soo Line engine to be directly responsible for its upkeep.

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The Escanaba City Council is meeting today to discuss the city’s 2023-24 budget. Faced with a deficit that the council had to deal with last year, Interim City Manager Jim McNeil says this year he is looking for department heads to decide how they want to spend the money so that the council is presented a balanced budget.

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Families with someone struggling with addictions often don’t know where to turn for help. The newly formed group Families Against Narcotics or FAN is hosting a presentation Tuesday to start a discussion on ways to deal with the problem. Steve Parks say Dr. Francis Myrick will be the first presenter. She will talk about the science of addiction.

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The Escanaba City Council has decided to post the city manager position for any city employee who would like to apply for the job. City Assessor Jim McNeil has been serving as interim city manager since Patrick Jordan left in November and is interested in the position. But Councilmember Todd Flath says it is important to see if other city employees may be interested in the job.

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Travel in Delta County was made difficult through the holidays as flights were cancelled at the Delta County Airport due first to weather and then equipment failure. Delta County Administrator Emily DeSalvo called it the perfect storm.

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A large plume of toxic chemicals produced by a plant in Marinette, Wis., that manufactures firefighting foam has seeped through groundwater into the bay of Green Bay. Groundwater and streams near the Tyco Fire Products in Marinette are contaminated with foam containing PFAS.

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The head of the Escanaba Planning Commission says they had no choice but to approve the site plans for three marijuana businesses looking to convert empty buildings on North Lincoln Road into retail dispensaries. James Hellermann says they can not choose when it comes to businesses looking to establish in Escanaba.

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Hours are expanding at the walk-in clinic at OSF HealthCare St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group. Starting Tuesday, Jan. 2, Joanna Wilbee Amis at OSF says the new hours at the walk-in clinic will be 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

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