We were disgusted to read in Saturday’s edition that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources investigated two poached elk in less than a week. Conservation officers believe a bull elk reported Friday near Teets Trail, west of Voyer Lake Road, was killed by a single gunshot, possibly by ...
It’s residents that make a community work. Through volunteerism and work and through investments in tax dollars and shopping, any community venture lives and dies through its buy-on or lack of buy-in from residents. That is why we are strong believers in the idea that residents should ...
“To be or not to be, that is the question.” That famous line of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is delivered by Hamlet as he contemplates whether living or dying is best. One would hope the question of whether to pursue a bond request isn’t quite as dire for Alpena Public ...
“I am a journalist, and I’ve never met, as a group, any tribe I’d rather be part of or that are more fun to be with — in spite of the various punks and sycophants of the press. I’m proud to be part of the tribe.” — Hunter S. Thompson Years ago, I gave a talk to a journalism ...
As we head into Thanksgiving in the days ahead, let’s take the time to slow down and reflect on where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we want to be tomorrow. And as we reflect on those things, let all of us also give thanks for the many blessings that we have experienced this ...
Come Heller high water … ∫ I have a new American hero: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Republicans really went after him at the impeachment hearing Tuesday. They called him a leaker. They questioned his character. They insinuated he was disloyal to the U.S. They even mocked him for wearing ...
Stealing funding meant for children, veterans, and the less fortunate for political gain is shameful and represents the worst kind of politics. Sadly, that is exactly what our governor did. With bipartisan support, the Michigan Legislature delivered a responsible and balanced budget plan to ...
In my last two articles, I first mentioned the four foundations of ecologically based forest management (context, continuity, complexity, and timing) and then described the importance of context. Now, I’ll address the importance of forest continuity and illustrate the concept using the ...
My husband and I have been privileged to spend time in Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated and poorest countries of the world. Nothing could have fully prepared us for the culture shock we were to encounter there — it was one of the most impactful experiences of our lives. On ...
“Thank Heavens” is a term we hear on occasion, and, since we are sneaking up on Thanksgiving, I’ll give it a shot. But first, God gave us a sense of humor, right? So, before you readers beat me up, calling me sacrilegious and accusing me of blasphemy, remember that sense of humor, ...
As a baby boomer, my life has experienced dozens of global news events, ranging from the Vietnam War, the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon, the moon landing and deep space exploration, the fall of the Berlin Wall, multiple war fronts, the triple 9/11 tragedies, the Earth’s changing ...
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, now thoughts of traveling to friends’ and families’ begins to occupy our thoughts. The folks at GasBuddy share with us that motorists will pay the highest price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline since 2014 this Thanksgiving, but, even still, at ...
A recent group trip to Italy was a wonderful adventure, with so much to experience, but there were parts of the trip that didn’t go quite as planned. I’ll share two of them. First, the trip began with the strike of the Lufthansa Cabin Crew. That resulted in our second flight, the one ...
A four-year college degree isn’t for everybody, and it’s also not the only way to find success. As numerous groups in our community are striving to show — through a short film and public forum at Alpena Community College today and through the ongoing work of new career navigators in ...
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the 2020 fiscal year budget into law on Sept. 30. In a late flurry of line-item vetoes, she zeroed out $37.5 million in funding for the state’s Pure Michigan program. For that, she deserves full-throated praise and applause. The Legislature should take its ...
We were discouraged to read reporter Julie Riddle’s dispatch on Monday that Northeast Michigan law enforcement agencies are struggling to recruit young police officers. They struggle to compete with agencies downstate that can often offer higher pay, more activity, and more specialty ...
This week’s installment is a public service for everyone who is burned out over impeachment stories on the national level and the continuing soap opera, disguised as a budget debate, at the state Capitol. With all due respect, if you were aching for some insightful commentary on those ...
Each and every person who goes uncounted in the decennial census set to begin next year could cost their community $18,000 over the next 10 years, reporter Steve Schulwitz told us last week. That’s because data from the census is used to determine state and federal aid and also plays a role ...
Journalists relentlessly pursue the truth in order to provide citizens with the information they need to be self-governing. And yet, for journalists, doing that work can be risky, dangerous and even cost lives. Just 15 months ago, the deadliest attack on journalists in U.S. history took place ...
We may be headed for a warm-up to near-normal temperatures this week, but last week’s wintry wallop is just the beginning of what we know is coming to Northeast Michigan. The snow is beautiful, and it’s why Michigan — and especially northern Michigan — is known as the Winter ...