It concerned us when the new chief of Alpena’s Michigan Brown Trout Festival called this year’s festival a “make or break year” for the 50-year-old festival as we know it. Last year, festival President Phil Paquette told News staff writer Steve Schulwitz for a recent story, the ...

Living in this part of Ohio, you learn to appreciate the nuances of the agricultural lifestyle. Some of the most down-to-Earth people I’ve ever met are farmers, and listening to their perspective on life has had a profound effect on me. It has challenged me to work harder, to complain ...

It broke our hearts to read News staff writer Steve Schulwitz’s recent report saying the Huron Humane Society had taken in 193 cats this year through June 30, including 106 kittens, many of them confiscated in a pair of local hoarding cases. Our local shelters take fine care of animals, but ...

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” — Mark Twain How long, oh, Lord, how long? How long must we live with a hateful, vengeful, fearsome, violent nation? How long must we put up with daily assaults on the truth? How long must ...

Art is a beautiful thing — and I mean more than just how it looks. Art stands for something, each piece representing its own purpose. With art comes endless opportunities, as well. Art brings people together. This weekend, for example, the community will come together as Art on the Bay ...

Alpena County’s financial troubles have caught the attention of the state, and that ought to be a wakeup call to county leaders to craft real plans to put the county’s fiscal ship on the right path. The state recently sent the county a letter asking for answers on why the county has run a ...