Opinion

Surprise us: Win a Pulitzer

Letters to the Editor July 25, 2026

Here's a modest proposal I've been suggesting to American newspapers for four years. It's an easy story assignment I guarantee will produce readership no one has seen since the last 3-for-1 tire sale. The Alpena News would be the first to take me up on it. Surprise me. Demand every elected official representing Northeast Michigan voters, from drain commissioner to U.S. senator, answer this question: "Did Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election clearly, fairly, and without question?" Insist on a yes or no answer. Be fair and inform respondents what will happen if they refuse to say ...

Proposed time change will hurt kids

Letters to the Editor July 25, 2026

I was shocked watching the NBC nightly News last night as they announced that the mighty U.S. Congress has finally passed the Sunshine Protection Act which now goes to the U.S. Senate. If these people were in office centuries ago the pyramids might just be completed! Now all they have to do this century is pass the SS and the Safe act. The final clock change could occur in March 2027. From there there would be no longer a "fall back" in November 2027 The bill allows states to opt-out Clause. The way I see it, it looks like it's back to square one! The problem is this was tried before ...

Setting the historical record straight

Letters to the Editor July 25, 2026

I am writing in response to Dave Myers' column in the July 18th edition of The Alpena News. First, I want to say that I generally enjoy Dave's folksy writing style and him personally. But this column made my blood boil. His piece is argued from a Christian nationalist framework, which explicitly rejects the traditional separation of church and state. Rather than offering a unifying blueprint for a fractured nation at its 250th anniversary, his piece reinforces the very ideological divisions it laments—especially for those who are not of the Christian faith. Furthermore, he is wrong ...

Roads, docks, and trails keep Michigan’s outdoor economy moving

Editorials and columns July 25, 2026

At dusk, an RV parked near a Michigan lakeshore can tell the story of a family’s day: sand on the steps, life jackets hung, drying from the last boat ride, and bikes leaning against a tree. The memories seem effortless, but they are not. Behind that day lies a network of public roads, ...

When seniority becomes a substitute for statesmanship

Editorials and columns July 24, 2026

Every time questions arise about the advanced age of America's elected leaders, Washington responds with the same familiar refrain: Experience matters. Republicans say it. Democrats say it. Editorial writers repeat it. Longevity in office, we're told, produces wisdom, steadier judgment and ...

Why the debate over life-saving vehicles?

Editorials and columns July 24, 2026

Somewhere in Los Angeles this year, someone will get home who otherwise wouldn't have. You'll never learn her name. There will be no headline, no celebration, no council resolution -- only an unremarkable Tuesday that ends the way Tuesdays are supposed to end. The same nonstory will eventually ...