Michigan Works! fills 154 jobs

The Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium filled 154 positions in December, according to the group’s monthly newsletter.

The jobs had an economic wage impact of $4.9 million, the agency said.

Other December stats:

∫ The agency saw 2,938 total visitors

∫ The agency worked with 176 new employers

SpartanNash expands Double Up Food Bucks program

SpartanNash, owner of the Family Fare in Rogers City, has expanded its Double Up Food Bucks program that allows recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to earn free money to be used toward fresh fruits and vegetables, the company said in a news release.

It added the program to stores in Cheboygan, Coldwater, and Howell this year, the company said, bringing to 46 locations around the state.

The program allows shoppers using Bridge Cards to earn up to $20 per day toward produce.

Locks closed for maintenance

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the Soo Locks in Saulte Ste. Marie are closed until March 25 for “critical maintenance.”

The Poe Lock will be dewatered during the work, the Corps said.

The last vessel to pass through the Poe Lock for the 2019-20 season was the 1,000-foot freighter Burns Harbor on Wednesday, up-bound from Burns Harbor, Indiana for Superior, Wisconsin for winter layup.