Build new Soo Lock before economic disaster strikes, advocates warn
There’s a good chance that the car you’re driving is made from American steel. Steel comes from iron ore, and American car companies rely almost exclusively on the kind that’s mined in Minnesota and...
View ArticleWKLT purchased by Grayling radio network
Classic rock will soon sound different on northern Michigan radios: WKLT has a new owner. Blarney Stone Broadcasting, which operates rock station WQON (Q 100.3) in Grayling, has bought several stations...
View ArticleSoo Locks to close as workers remove sunken obstruction
The Soo Locks will be closed for several hours Tuesday morning while workers remove a sunken hazard from the water. Last week, a 100-foot-long section of sheet metal piling fell into the channel just...
View ArticleHowes: Trump's "big border tax" could mean higher price tags at dealerships
Our conversation with Daniel Howes, Detroit News columnist and associate business editor The U.S. auto industry came into the crosshairs of President-elect Donald Trump 's Twitter feed this week. Trump...
View ArticleCall-in show: Broadband internet woes in northern Michigan
Many people in northern Michigan live without access to broadband internet. Others have high-speed fiber connections. In this special call-in hour, IPR tackles the future of broadband in northern...
View ArticleHunting: a driver for conservation and the Michigan economy
Hunting boosts the Michigan economy by $2.3 million annually, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. And Hunting Works for Michigan estimates 34,400 hunting jobs are created in the...
View ArticleLarry Bell reflects on three decades of Michigan’s “big, bold, beautiful beers”
Listen to this interview. In the early 1980s, Larry Bell worked at Sarkozy Bakery in Kalamazoo. There he became interested in grains and yeast, and began experimenting with beers in his basement. “My...
View ArticleHomeless shelter puts expansion on hold after public pushback
Efforts to expand a homeless shelter in Cadillac have been put on hold after public opposition. New Hope Shelter has five locations in the Cadillac area, including shelters for men, women and families....
View ArticleWe’ve Got Issues: Advocates for Soo Locks optimistic about Pres. Trump
Some supporters of building a new Soo Lock are hopeful that President Trump could finally be the one to deliver the goods. Groups like the Lake Carriers’ Association have been trying to get a new lock...
View ArticleLow pay, strict regulations cause 'critical' child care shortage
Child care is hard to find in northern Michigan. Parents face year-long waiting lists to find someone to take care of their infants while they’re at work, and some are resorting to illegal providers...
View ArticleWe’ve Got Issues: Should we privatize the Soo Locks?
Advocates for a new Soo Lock have been trying to get Congress to fund the estimated $600 million project for decades. Congress first authorized the construction of the lock in the 1980s but has not...
View ArticleVoters to decide BATA millage increase this May
The Bay Area Transportation Authority is asking for more money to expand its bus system in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. BATA has put a millage proposal on the ballot May 2. If it passes, the...
View ArticleWe’ve Got Issues: Nearly 20 percent of adults on disability in some areas Up...
More and more people in northern Michigan are collecting disability checks. In some northern Michigan counties, nearly 20 percent of working-age adults are enrolled in disability insurance through...
View ArticleHowes: Ford sales are good, but can CEO Jim Hackett help them catch up in...
Statesides conversation with Daniel Howes, Detroit News business columnist. The automakers who'll survive and thrive in the 21st Century are the ones making the biggest strides in mobility and...
View ArticleWe’ve Got Issues: Mich. Congress members introduce Soo Locks bill
A group of Michigan lawmakers has introduced legislation in Washington, D.C. to authorize building a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie. Supporters of the project say a new lock is needed as a backup for the...
View ArticleChina plans to ban cars powered by fossil fuels. Where does that leave...
Statesides conversation with Russell Padmore, a BBC business reporter. When your biggest customer talks, smart companies listen. For car makers, that customer is China. So when China recently announced...
View ArticleTC highest Airbnb tax earner for state this summer
Michigan earned a lot more in taxes from Airbnb rentals this summer than was initially projected. "In just three months, it’s meant nearly $1 million to the state Department of Revenue," says Ben...
View ArticleKingsley OK's medical marijuana facility
Kingsley is the latest Michigan town to give the green light to medical marijuana businesses. A vote by the village council this week clears the way for TheraCann, a Canadian company that wants to...
View ArticleWe’ve Got Issues: Northern Mich. considers medical pot rules as state regs...
Kingsley is the latest northern Michigan community to pass new medical marijuana rules.
View ArticlePetoskey may loosen rules to allow more food trucks
Petoskey might make it easier to park a food truck in town. Right now, food truck owners have to seek temporary permits to operate on private land in the city or as part of a public event. Food truck...
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