Come Heller high water ... ∫ The Michigan High School Athletic Association is studying whether video gaming is a sport. I can save them time: It’s not. I like sports, playing and watching. And I like video games, although I lose badly to my sons, whose thumbs and brains are way faster ...
The recent letter to the editor by Mike Westfall (March 23) concerning the City of Harrisville’s decision to allow recreational marijuana sales is a good example of why we have the separation of church and state. In Mr. Westfall’s mind, the city council should be recalled because a ...
At a time in our democracy when disinformation, half-truths and intentional misdirection are rampant, it cannot be more critical to find reliable methods of maintaining an informed citizenry. Public notices have served as one such method since before the country’s founding. Under the ...
I was going to respond to Mary Heimnick’s letter about coverage of the Heather Winfield case (March 23), but Mike Westfall’s “Reefer Madness” rant sucked all the air out of the room. (One point for Ms. Heimnick: no one is ever found innocent in a criminal trial in the U.S. At best, ...
“When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does,” claims Meg Ryan’s bookstore-owning character in the 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail.” Books we read, especially as a child, stick with us. Characters extend ...
I walked up to the checkout counter at the local hardware store with two items: a small tub of wood putty and a gallon of Coleman camp fuel. The clerk asked me if I came into the store for both of those items, or just one. Just one, I replied. The wood putty. But, seeing they had Coleman ...
Starting today, Alpena again rolls out the welcome mat to visiting robotics teams from across the state. Like last weekend, the Alpena High School is host again to a district competition of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics teams. The competition is ...
As I am writing this, the Michigan Powerball Lottery jackpot is estimated to be at $750 million for the Wednesday night drawing. By the time you read this, you will know whether you won or not. I suspect that, if you are reading this, you probably did not win, because your mind would likely ...
We at The News are thankful to live in a community that is so giving to its residents. From nonprofits helping put food on residents’ tables to donors helping to make gifts such as the splash pad at Starlite Beach possible, we are joyful every time we get to write a congratulatory note to ...
Attorney General William Barr should have no doubt in his mind about what to do with special counsel Robert Mueller’s report: Release it. Just two considerations need to be taken care of before Barr makes the report available to Congress and thus, to the American people. First is national ...
When I used to teach customer service workshops many years ago, I shared some general customer service statistics: If someone has an unfortunate experience at a business, they will, on average, tell 10 or more people all about every last terrible detail. If someone has a positive experience at ...
While our economy has started to rebound in many areas, Michigan still faces a big problem — we don’t currently have the qualified workers to fill jobs in the industries that are growing the most in this state. And, while a higher education degree or credential is the key to connecting the ...
Residents in Presque Isle, Montmorency and Alcona counties are becoming less healthy when compared to their peers across the state, according to a study detailed in Monday’s edition of The News by reporter Crystal Nelson. Alcona County saw its ranking slide to 76 this year, from 43 last ...
There was nearly 100 years in political experience sitting around the Off the Record table in Studio C the other day as four former state Senate leaders demonstrated how the system is supposed to work. They laughed, they did a little pontificating, they were a living witness to their ...
Last week, Julie Riddle reported on a new program, called Stop the Bleed, that is training Alpena County employees to respond to active shooters and other emergencies by treating injured persons in a way that effectively prevents blood loss. The program, offered through the MidMichigan ...
Life is full of firsts, regardless of one’s age. A first of mine in recent years was watching a rocket launch a satellite into space from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Standing in the sand at Cocoa Beach, I watched the bright flare from the rocket as it lit up the night sky. The sound of the ...
My letter is in response to Ms. Gloria Weaver’s previous letter regarding Ms. Heather Winfield (March 9). While I can appreciate and respect Ms. Weaver’s loyalty toward Ms. Winfield, I believe her defense of Winfield is sorely misguided. Although Ms. Winfield may be a gifted and skilled ...
One of my favorite books is “Detroit: An American Autopsy,” by former Detroit News reporter Charlie LeDuff. At one point in the book, LeDuff describes a dead man found frozen in a block of ice at the bottom of a flooded elevator shaft in one of the city’s many gutted, vacant ...
Is it so hard to believe that a special education teacher and mother took pity on a troubled young boy and welcomed him to her home, included him in family activities like swimming, trips, etc.? Bought him gifts like she would her own children? Innocent till proven guilty. Right? It seems ...
There is no in-between. When it comes to tax abatements, you either “love them” or “hate them.” Like it or not, however, tax abatements are one of the most important tools an economic developer has. In the economic development world, they often are the “icing to the cake” in ...