Whitmer gives three-week order to stay home

Mar 25, 2020 | Features

By Carol Stiffler On Monday, March 23, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave an order that many were equally expecting and dreading: Stay home, and stay safe. From now through at least April 13, Whitmer wants all Michigan residents to stay home in an attempt to slow...

COVID-19: Suddenly, it’s spring break

Mar 18, 2020 | Features

By Carol Stiffler Stacy Price sensed it was coming, but the state-mandated school closures came earlier than expected. At 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that Michigan schools would close on Monday, March 16, and would not reopen...

A silver finish on the ice

Mar 12, 2020 | Features

By Dan Hardenbrook The French Trucking Bantams traveled to Kalamazoo last weekend for the MAHA 14U B State Tournament. The team intended to defend their title and bring a second straight state championship back above the bridge. The group of players, all age 14 and...

Coronavirus: It’s a matter of when

Mar 5, 2020 | Features

By Carol Stiffler The coronavirus is creeping closer to the U.P. As of Tuesday morning, 350 people in Michigan were being monitored for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Though there are no confirmed cases yet in Michigan, there are presently four cases...

Newberry now has two Pure Michigan trails

Feb 26, 2020 | Features

By Carol Stiffler Newberry has been a logging town. A hospital town. A prison town. A struggling town. Now it’s the only town in the state with two Pure Michigan trails, and one of a handful of “trail towns” in the state. The Canada Lakes Pathway, an 11.7-mile path...

Have wolves destroyed the deer population?

Feb 19, 2020 | Features

By Carol Stiffler Lou Bennett owns 20 acres of land east of Newberry and says he’s fed deer herds there for 30 years. It was perfect, he said. The woods offered plenty to eat, and many places for deer to hide. There was no pressure. Each winter, he’d feed between 250...