News Photo by Julie Riddle Judge Thomas LaCross, of Alpena’s District Court, talks about the news story he has every convicted drunk driver read — a story of three children killed by a drunk driver.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz County employees, like the ones seen here working in the Alpena County Clerk’s Office on Friday, are facing job cuts as part of massive potential cuts to the county budget.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Annette Sauls, dispatcher at Alpena Public Schools, on Friday presses a button to close the school bus doors. Sauls has already had to drive a route this year when a substitute bus driver couldn’t be found.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Thunder Bay Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Alpena, seen here on Friday, has been sold to the McInerney family, which has been in the auto sale industry for decades and has a sales presence around the country.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Two giant pumpkins grown by Rogers City resident Jim Smythe are pictured here.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Rogers City resident Ouida Smythe talks about the memories she and her husband, Jim, have made growing giant pumpkins at their Rogers City home.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Rogers City resident Jim Smythe stands with one of the giant pumpkins he grew at his home on Detloff Street.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Rogers City resident Jim Smythe stands with the Cinderella pumpkin he grew outside his home on Detloff Street.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Rogers City resident Jim Smythe holds seeds from one of the giant pumpkins he grew last year.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Rogers City residents Ouida and Jim Smythe look at their scrapbook reserved for their memories of growing giant pumpkins.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Carved pumpkins sit outside Jim Smythe’s Rogers City home on Detloff Street.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson A carved pumpkin sits outside Rogers City resident Jim Smythe’s home on Detloff Street.

Jazzmyne Kowalski

Angelina DeCare

Alison Borowski

Courtesy Photo Steven Mark Casebier, 33 of Hillman, is pictured in this photo provided by the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post.

Courtesy Photos Kelly Bushey on Oct. 6 reflects at the top of Mount Mariah at Hubbard Lake’s south end.

Courtesy Photo A photo by Kelly Bushey shows a gorgeous Michigan fall day at the South Bay of Hubbard Lake on Oct. 6.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena County Treasurer Kim Ludlow crunches budget numbers on Thursday. Right now, the county is staring at a $1.4 million budget shortfall that could force severe cuts, including layoffs.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Pictured from left to right, siblings third-grader Isaac Guy, first-grader Destiny Guy, and fifth-grader Keygan Guy board the bus after school on Thursday at Wilson Elementary School.

AP File Photo

News Photo by Julie Riddle Downtown Scoops owner Aaron Buza holds a gift certificate, one of the incentives offered to encourage local drug court participants. Gift certificate sales support local shops, Buza said, “but, when it’s for a good cause, it’s even better.”

News Photo by Julie Riddle A river emerges from under the earth at the Undergrounds, Presque Isle County property purchased recently with the help of a grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Debra Ross, deputy clerk with 88th District Court, on Wednesday stuffs an envelope with information about rental assistance programs.

News Photo by Jonny Zawacki Alpena’s Kate Skiba (6) tries to spike a ball past Cadillac defenders Carissa Musta (9) and Madyson Smith (4) during the third set of a Big North Conference volleyball match on Wednesday at Alpena High School.

Courtesy Photo Pictured from left to right are FFNM Legacy Foundation President Michael Mahler and Presque Isle County Historical Museum Executive Director and Curator Mark Thompson.

News File Photo Alcona County Commission on Aging Executive Director Lenny Avery works at his desk at the agency’s office in Lincoln in this October 2020 News file photo.

Courtesy Photo Alcona High School runners pictured from left to right are: Janae Kierzek, Karen Sharboneau, Cole Upper, Carter Upper, Darren Boyat, Sara Decker. All of them earned all-North Star League honors on Tuesday during the league finals in Fairview.

News photo by Jonny Zawacki Alpena goalkeeper Matthew Diamond, left, celebrates with Jacob Beaubian after a 1-0 victory over Cadillac on Tuesday on Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.

News Photo by Alyssa Ochss One person received minor injuries in a crash late Thursday afternoon on U.S.-23 near Partridge Point Road, police said. One vehicle was rear-ended while waiting for a vehicle in front of them to make a turn. A passenger in the vehicle that rear-ended the other was checked by paramedics and had minor injuries, police said.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson New Alpena resident Ken Hemming is helped by Mango’s Express employee Nic Schaub, owner Arturo Mendez, and employees Morgan Barlow and Emilee Ruth Monday at the restaurant in the Thunder Bay Shopping Center, 2205 U.S.-23 S. All are wearing masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Customers leave Great North Pet Supply in Alpena on Monday. A citation issued against the business for violating executive orders was dropped after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled those orders have been invalid since April.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Kenneth Kierzek, seen on a videoconferenced screen, stands with attorney Alan Curtis in the 53rd Circuit Court courtroom in Rogers City on Monday. Kierzek was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting two children.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A discarded truck bed topper behind her, cleanup organizer Lois Hall points out other spots along Hamilton Road north of Alpena where refuse of all kinds has been found over the years.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A needle lies discarded in a “party stop” along Hamilton Road in Alpena.on a recent cleanup day.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Viewed over the top of a rotting mattress, workers prepare a decimated chair to be lifted into an overflowing dumpster on Saturday. A neighborhood group has to clean the woods on their properties several times a year of discarded furniture and trash.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Cleanup crew in the background, mattresses that have seen better days join a pile of rubbish pulled from the woods around Hamilton Road on Saturday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A stack of mattresses is readied to be added to an already full dumpster during a cleanup day on Hamilton Road north of Alpena on Saturday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A traffic sign in the background reflecting the thoughts of workers cleaning up after illegal dumpers, a cleanup crew lifts a moldy mattress found in the woods near Hamilton Road on Saturday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle In addition to the furniture and other large items hauled out of the woods near Hamilton Road at a cleanup on Saturday, workers picked up loads of small trash.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A dismembered couch is carried from a trailer to a dumpster during a day of cleaning along Hamilton Road on Saturday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Cleanup organizer Pat Gallagher looks at a trailer load of furniture hauled out of the woods along Hamilton Road north of Alpena on Saturday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Attorneys prepare for the trial of Alpena’s Heather Winfield, which was scheduled for the end of the month but could be postponed after new evidence arrived.

Courtesy Photo ACC Runner Teddy Peters (left) and his ACC XC teammates had record-setting day at the Kirtland Firebird Invitational.

Courtesy Photo Alpena High senior Kennedy Ellis finished eighth overall at the Katke Invite in Big Rapids, Oct. 2-3.

News File Photo Alpena’s Andrew Dargis (14) positions himself before a throw-in during a boys soccer game against Traverse City West last month in Alpena. Dargis and teammate Sam Cook are pulling double duty this fall, suiting up for both Alpena’s football and boys soccer teams.

News File Photo Alpena’s Sam Cook, left, races for the ball while being pursued by Gaylord’s Charlie Holscher during the first half of a boys soccer game at Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium on Thursday.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Trish Szatkowski, salad bar attendant at Alpena Public Schools, on Friday prepares salads at Alpena High School.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Guest speaker Sandra Pigrim-Lewis, of Alpena, speaks to an audience about the tapestry of all people working together after a silent march for justice down a city street on Sunday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Eric Peterson, organizer of a march for justice in Alpena on Sunday, addresses a crowd at the Bay View Park bandshell after the walk.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Silent walkers let signs do the talking at the conclusion of a march supporting equality from Duck Park to the Bay View park bandshell on Sunday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Walkers bear signs promoting equality at a march for justice in Alpena on Sunday afternoon.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A family participates in a silent walk for justice down Chisholm Street in Alpena on Sunday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle At the start of a Sunday afternoon walk in Alpena encouraging inclusion of everyone, a three-legged dog scans the crowd.

News Photo by Julie Riddle An umbrella at the ready on a rainy Sunday afternoon, a young walker prepares for a march promoting justice in Alpena.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Holding aloft a sign, a walker sports a facemask promoting working for justice at the start of a march down an Alpena street on Sunday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A marcher waits for the start of a silent walk promoting justice on Sunday.