After viewing the aftermath of the Washington circus, and now the Chicago matter of Smollett, I will never again mock these governmental banana republics around the world! I wouldn’t blame the police if they walked off their jobs. There was probably less crime and disorder when the late Al ...
Come Heller high water … ∫ A new survey says Americans borrowed $88 billion last year to pay for health care. One in four skipped treatment because they couldn’t afford it. And half of all Americans — half! — say bankruptcy is just one health emergency away. That should be the most ...
Open communication with government representatives is a privilege that I truly appreciate. Citizens sharing insight with their local government to better the community ... well, that’s simply the cat’s meow! Example: In February, 30 individuals, from local government, the District Health ...
UNICEF recently warned that global cases of measles are surging to alarmingly high levels. Worldwide, 98 countries reported more cases of measles in 2018 than in 2017, eroding progress against that highly preventable but potentially deadly disease. In the U.S., the CDC has confirmed more than ...
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. States’ entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives, plus two for senators ...
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help but think one of my missions in life revolves around water. As a former newspaper publisher in York, Neb., I worked tirelessly to inform our readers about the injustice we know as TransCanada’s KXL pipeline. There are so many reasons why that is a ...
Hats off to Jim Marquardt. This month, Marquardt celebrates his 50th year in law enforcement, which by anyone’s standards is a milestone worth celebrating. As reporter Steve Schulwitz noted in a story Wednesday, 50 years in any job is an achievement, but to do so in a demanding field ...
When it comes to law enforcement in northern Michigan, we work hand-in-hand with other departments on complaints all the time. I started my career with the Michigan State Police at the Newberry Post, and my back-up while working the day shift was the local sheriff’s department and the guys ...
This week, students, activists and those on the front lines of combatting child abuse and neglect are planting “pinwheel gardens” at conspicuous places all around the state in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, which happens every April. Such a garden was planted outside the Alcona ...
On Monday, the Michigan League for Public Policy joined a variety of other state and national advocacy groups, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), the Partnership for America’s Children, and the Michigan Nonprofit Association, to hold a Census Day of ...
Next month, Jim Marquardt will step down from the DARE program in local schools as he caps off 50 years of service with the Alpena County Sheriff’s Office. Serving 50 years in any field is remarkable. Doing so in a job that puts your life on the line every single day and is so ...
Tom Turk may have been the first person to “come home” to Alpena. In 1840, Tom and a friend spent a night under the stars at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River. They were alone. Forty years later, in 1882, Turk came back to that same spot, but failed to experience what those who return ...
New York politicians have given Americans one more reason to be leery of so-called “environmental” initiatives. Too often, they are grabs for money and power. A new state budget about to be adopted by the Empire State’s legislature includes a ban on use of plastic bags. Liberal ...
Television actor Jussie Smollett lied when he claimed he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in Chicago, police there maintain. They say he used two accomplices to stage the assault, in a bid for publicity he may have hoped would help his career. Yet, other than a few days in jail ...
It was not a good week for auto owners. On Thursday, members of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association announced they were raising the per-insured vehicle assessment in insurance policies from $192 to $220 for the 2019-20 period. The announced increase generated an immediate response ...
A gentleman from Presque Isle decided the Harrisville City Council should be recalled (Mike Westfall, March 23), for acting upon the will of the voters by allowing cannabis dispensaries in their city, citing ”blood money,” promoting drugs, and his version of “god based morality.” ...
No. So plainly obvious, in my mind, is the answer to the question I pose in that headline that I could end this column right there. But I’ll expound. First, the background: Most of Donald Trump’s presidency has been consumed by a special prosecutor investigating whether he or his ...
Mr. Westfall, in his letter to the editor (March 23), starts out by condemning a forward-thinking bunch of folks about the marijuana issue. “Blood money?” “Pushing marijuana?” Haven’t heard anybody refer to “pushing” since Steppenwolf. At least he acknowledges the medicinal ...
Another Great Lakes shipping season is officially underway, with the opening of the Soo Locks this week. Movement in the lower lakes had begun earlier, with Alpena receiving her first boat of the season March 10, when the Innovation arrived, after needing assistance from a tugboat because of ...
County Commissioner Brenda Fournier’s statement that “PFAS hasn’t been proven to kill anybody” (“Board member hesitant on PFAS resolution,” March 20) may be correct. As to whether PFAS is “very, very harmful,” yes, it is. Any chemical with a lifetime health advisory level of ...