Two friends, one barn, years of tradition

By Samantha Meyer Beacon Correspondent For more than two decades, Earth Mama Wreath Co. has turned materials from Alger County woods into holiday art. What began as a way for two friends, Mary Jo O’Halloran-Torongo and Julie Begovac, to make extra Christmas money grew...

Ackermans continue long family tradition

By Jennifer Champagne Managing Editor For Joe Ackerman of Alger County, Christmas lights are more than a seasonal display. They are the continuation of a family tradition that has been growing — literally and figuratively — for more than 16 years. Ackerman, a two-time...

Celebrating centenarians

Photo courtsey of Bill Savage By Jennifer Champagne Managing Editor ‘He doesn’t let anything stop him’ When 100-year-old Ed Gage was asked if he wanted a subscription to The Munising Beacon, he didn’t miss a beat. “Do I get it free for being a hundred?” he asked.How...

From the Pulpit: Being thankful is a healthy daily discipline

By Jason LaFlamme Munising Baptist Church Many years ago, I read this quote from German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Satan does not fill us with a hatred of God, rather with a forgetfulness.” If the evil one can distract us from remembering all the blessings the...

Calendar spotlights seniors

By Nicole Gearhart Beacon Correspondent The Alger County Commission on Aging has released the 2026 Exceptional Seniors Calendar, now available for purchase at Putvin Drug Store’s pharmacy counter or at the ACCOA office, located at 1604 Sand Point Road in Munising. ...

Bennett remembers time in U.S. Army Reserves

By Nicole Gearhart Beacon Correspondent Retired Colonel Normajean Bennett, 93, of Grand Marais says she is enjoying the peacefulness of being back in the Upper Peninsula after a busy life split between the U.S. Army Reserves and teaching college courses. “It’s so nice...