Feb 9, 2026 | Features
By Carol Stiffler In recent weeks, Mick’s Bait Shop in Curtis quietly changed hands. It’s not obvious from the exterior; the sign still says “Mick’s Bait Shop” and it feels the same as ever. Go inside these days and you’ll be greeted by Todd Gilsdorf, a friendly and...
Feb 2, 2026 | Features
By Carol Stiffler Noah Bentley is a tall young man who, at age 18, has accomplished what seems like a lifetime of work. He completed a boat-building internship at age 10. He spent a summer as a teen working at a metal forge on Mackinac Island. He started his own...
Jan 27, 2026 | Features
By Carol Stiffler Germfask resident Joe Smith is a man on a mission. He wants kids to learn how to fish. Period. He comes by it naturally. Smith got his first fly fishing rod when he was 10 years old, and he fished with his father and grandfather. He caught a 12-inch...
Jan 17, 2026 | Features
By Carol Stiffler Last week, 18 accordion players arrived to Curtis for a week-long rehearsal and recording event under the direction of world-renowned accordionist Stas Venglevski. Venglevski had already been to Curtis a handful of times, performing at the Erickson...
Dec 31, 2025 | Features
By Sterling McGinn Luce County, like the entire Upper Peninsula, was hit with a historic winter snowstorm beginning on Sunday, December 28 lasting through the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 30. Weather alerts began more than a day in advance, but the storm...
Dec 26, 2025 | Features
By Michael G. Beaulieu, MD Medical Director LMASDHD I was recently asked why, with all of the technology present today, is life expectancy going down instead of up. Well, the good news is that life expectancy is not decreasing—it’s actually increasing. Life expectancy...
