News

Long lines formed for the over 40 chilis at the Skandia Township Hall for the Fourth Annual Skandia Harvest and Chili Cook-off on Saturday, Oct. 7. Over 300 people, including many from Western Alger County, attended the event that featured kids games, pumpkin weighing and more.

This autumn, a revitalized bait fish population is contributing to bigger fish and higher catches of trout and salmon off the coast of Alger County. Lake Superior’s population of cisco, also known as lake herring, has swelled to levels not seen since at least 1984.

The gymnasium at Burt Township School was jammed packed with vendors and crafters for the annual Grand Marais Women’s Club Color and Craft Show in Grand Marais on Saturday, Oct. 7. The event had 32 vendors and roughly 250 attendees from all over the area. The money raised from the event will be used by the club for different charitable efforts in Grand Marais while funds from the lunch will benefit the school.

Tonya Heikkinen of Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! was awarded Michigan’s “Shining Star” award by the Michigan Works! Association for going above and beyond to help job seekers and employers in the area.

National Fire Prevention Week commemorates the anniversary of two of the most devastating fires in United States history: the great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fire. Both fires began around 9:00 p.m. on October 8, 1871 and continued through the next day. The Chicago Fire took the lives of 250 people, left another 10,000 homeless and consumed 17,400 structures over 2,000 acres. The wildfire in Peshtigo was the worst of the two fires, yet many people have never heard of it. Within one day, 1,200 people perished in the Peshtigo conflagration. Seventeen towns were consumed and 1.5 million acres were scorched.

Members of the Michigan State Police and the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore law enforcement spoke with the public at a “Faith & Blue” Coffee With A Cop event at Gallery Coffee Company on Monday, Oct. 9. Leadership from both organizations answered questions from the public over a cup of joe in promoting transparency and opening lines of communication between law enforcement and the public.