I have what I think is some good news, after last week’s disappointment.

Since everyone seems to appreciate the Substack email newsletters the most, I’m going to lean into them a little bit more. This weekly format will continue, but I’m also establishing separate email lists for the different categories over the coming weeks. This means you’ll be able to get more immediate updates on those things if they’re important to you, or even only those if you don’t care for other Late Edition content.

Simply go up to the arrow at the top right of Lateedition.substack.com and click “My Account”, and you’ll have a list of the options you can check off. There are one or two more to add, but that list is near-complete.

I’m also going to launch a paid Substack newsletter toward the end of the month. I made the decision early on to use Patreon for good reasons, but what I failed to account adequately for was my own, human limitations. I just don’t have the time to do good work on so many platforms. If you’re already a subscriber on Patreon, I’ll communicate with you there about the change, if you’re not, you can just forget I ever mentioned Patreon.

LateEdition.live will also remain in place, although I no longer plan on updating it regularly. Updates will go directly to LateEdition.Substack.com for the foreseeable future.

So ultimately, I’ve found a way to lower my workload without requiring any action or change on your part, which was certainly part of the goal. I think you’ll see an overall improvement in user experience, particularly if you prefer the email updates.

Let me know if you have any concerns on the matter, my ears are open.

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I really wanted to launch the first of my mental health series this week, but there were a couple of interviews that eluded me during the holiday-shortened weeks. They’re lined up for early next week, and I’ll be grinding hard on the first installment through the week to bring it to you next weekend. I’m feeling pressure to both do a great job with it, and to wrap it up so that I can refocus on the nonprofit work ahead.

A note on LGBT Pride Month

For several other special months made to commemorate different oppressed or disenfranchised groups, I’ve invited and hosted special guests to write columns either about their experiences or other issues important to them.

I have no problem making space for LGBTQ+ writers during June, either. Reach out to me at me@joshuavissers.com if you’re interested, and please review the Late Edition Editorial Policy.

What I’m uncomfortable with, and perhaps this says something about me that I’m not aware of, is approaching someone and asking them to make something that I hold to be private into a public matter.

My sexuality is my own (and my partner’s) business and not something I wear on my sleeve, and I’ve never felt the need to question anyone else about theirs, either. The idea of approaching another person and saying “Hey, you’re LGBTQ, right?” seems very rude to me. Can you imagine someone doing that to you? To add to that pressure to make someone’s sexuality public in Late Edition seems kind of outrageous. If someone did that to me, even as a writer, I’d be taken aback.

So I will not be approaching writers for LGBT Pride Month, but I do want to make clear that my open invitation for submissions remains very much open in the month of June.

Legislative Action Update

May 2021

This is the first time I’ve put the Legislative Action update in its own post on Substack. As always, it highlights the bills our state legislators, Sen. Ed McBroom and Rep. Greg Markkanen, have introduced in the last month.

It also highlights some of the votes they each cast. There were more than 100 in each body of congress during May (many of them on budget and appropriations bills), so I had to be selective rather than exhaustive. Feel free to let me know if there are votes you’re disappointed I didn’t include.

Read the Update

More coffin nails for the newspaper industry

Media Matters

Raising fees at the United States Postal Service means new costs for an already struggling industry. Read more in a brief edition of Media Matters.

Media Matters

Sunshine Calendar

The change in format here is probably the largest you’ll see this month, but streamlining it more is going to help me be able to include more content here, too. I’m also going to include Bruce Johanson’s updates about the Ontonagon Village Council here, although I don’t have any video or documents to offer you of those meetings (yet).

Just like the ‘Other News’ section, click on the headlines to see the full entry.

Houghton City Council selects participants for pre-charrette workshop

This is the one I tried sharing last week, but the video’s sound was too quiet to hear. I’ve boosted it now. It’s still quiet, but audible.

Ontonagon pursues federal MERS relief, approves more sidewalk dining

Reporting by Bruce Johanson

The streets of Ontonagon are starting to sound pretty lively, judging by these meeting reports.

Hancock City Council approves service contracts, grant agreements

Pretty quiet on “the sunny side” this week.

Houghton City Council meets this Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers. So far, they’ve also been streaming their meetings online.

For pre-meeting updates, you can follow Late Edition on Facebook.

Other News (aggregated, not sponsored)

//Click on the headlines to read the full story.

‘Mini Golf Guys’ tee off Michigan Tour

By Jesse Wiederhold, Upper Michigan Source

Featuring a local resident and an opportunity to play minigolf for charity on Sunday in Copper Harbor, there was no reason not to share this feel-good story with you.

Up, up and away: Black Ice Comics moves to Shelden Avenue

By Garrett Neese, Daily Mining Gazette

I’ll miss the ‘Batcave’ feeling of the old location, but this new location comes with some exciting possibilities, too.

Housing market is sizzling for sellers but homes are even further out of reach for many Michiganders

By Stateside, Michigan Radio

People buying cheap second homes in the country have priced many first-time buyers out of the market entirely at a time when rents are also climbing.

Washington Middle School cleans up Calumet beach

By Jesse Wiederhold, Upper Michigan Source

Another lighter story from the television side of things, middle schoolers from Washington have been doing this cleanup for more than 15 years now.

FOUND: 75-year-old woman reported missing in Houghton County found safe Wednesday

By Jacqueline Agahigian, Upper Michigan Source

In case you missed the happy conclusion to this missing person story, Judith Plute was discovered by a neighbor and returned to her family safely.

Rejection: Judge denies Dresch’s request for release

By Garrett Neese, Daily Mining Gazette

Garrett’s write-up of Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s strong repudiation of the defense’s claims was bound to be worth reading… ‘Nevertheless, she said, “there are many aspects of his participation that do not bode well for the future, and the record does not support the narrative advanced by many who wrote letters on his behalf who suggested he merely got swept up in what others were doing.”’

If you read this far, share the good news with a friend!

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And if you’ve read Late Edition more than once, it’s probably a good idea to subscribe at this point.

Looking forward to using this new format to better serve your informational needs!