Hello everyone!

I’m keeping this short because there’s great weather across the state this weekend, and we should all be out enjoying it.

I’m visiting my fiance’s family for a long weekend, and I don’t want to spend too much time behind the keyboard, either. I’ll be saving May’s Legislative Update for next week after all, but at least I’ll be able to include the entire month that way.

Tiny News Collective update

Unfortunately, this is bad news. The Tiny News Collective did not approve our application, so we’ll be pushing forward without their support. While this is disappointing, I’m glad to have heard the news so that I can start taking action again.

While I put a lot of effort into the TNC application, I don’t believe any of it was wasted. Much of that work was essentially building a business plan that will be needed anyway, and I also learned a couple of things from the model they’re building, too.

One of the things I learned is that for an outlet as small as Late Edition is, streamlining is key. I can’t maintain half a dozen platforms online and consistently produce good journalism, too. Unfortunately, that’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last five months. I selected the platforms for good reason, but I forgot my own time limitations in the process.

With this in mind, I’m planning on folding some of Late Edition’s branches back into the Substack newsletter. If this is where you normally see my content, you don’t have to do anything differently, it will still be here for you. A few things may be changing, but I’ll make sure to give you a heads up about it.

Ultimately, I’m hoping a more streamlined delivery system will let me produce more news, but more importantly, give me the time to push forward on founding a community-based nonprofit news source.

ATV Adventure Tour Video

I finished that ATV Adventure Tour video! I’d like to say right up front that this is not normal journalism. I’m certainly breaking a lot of AP Style rules, and my level of participation is usually frowned on by serious journalists, too.

But this wasn’t a very serious event. Sure, I could have done a stand-up interview, stayed out of the ATV and recorded a voiceover and been all-business, but I really think this is just as informative, and a lot more fun for everyone involved. I did do a bit of a write-up last week that has more details in it which you can review here.

If anybody is disappointed with my calculations here, let me know. I still have notes, phone numbers, and video, and I can always put together a more traditional coverage story.

Here it is. Feel free to share!

Sunshine Calendar

Houghton’s City Council met this past Wednesday and handled a couple of things I’d like to share some links to. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how low the audio was recorded, so you can’t actually hear much. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I’ll be troubleshooting before the next meeting I record, which I believe is Hancock, next week.

Once I get home, I should be able to boost the audio from the Houghton meeting and re-upload it to YouTube. Nothing lost except a little time.

The full video and board information packet are still available here on the Sunshine Calendar. You can faintly hear the meeting, but unless you have some very good headphones, you won’t be able to understand much yet.

Other News (aggregated, not sponsored)

Click on the headlines to read the full story.

New rezoning sought for Cole’s Creek property: Developer plans campground, vacation home, nature park

By Garrett Neese, Daily Mining Gazette

The controversial development west of Houghton has another twist, Garrett at the Gazette has been following the committees carefully.

Have a little Sisu: Sisu the Clown was educational and informational

By Joshua Vissers, Daily Mining Gazette

This is an old story I wrote for the Gazette, but on Memorial Day weekend, I thought it was appropriate to share the story of a local, late veteran. And while I never met him, ‘Sisu’ was pretty great.

Couple picking up the pieces after Calumet fire

By Garrett Neese, Daily Mining Gazette

Garrett took the time to speak with some of the people trying to clean up the wreckage after last week’s fire. This is good reporting; speaking to the impacted people rather than just rehashing official statements and social media posts.

Bergman asks Michigan to stop giving extra federal unemployment benefits

by Nick Friend, Upper Michigan Source

While I sympathize with businesses that are struggling to find the labor they need, I sympathize a lot more with people that are trying to pay rent, bills, and keep a car on the road when taking home barely $1,200 a month in wages.

Wolves scare deer and reduce auto collisions 24%, study says

By Christina Larson, Associated Press

It’s not by reducing their population, but by encouraging them to hide more and avoid open areas where wolves more commonly hunt.

Michigan governor apologizes for social distancing blunder

Associated Press

“Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer apologized Sunday after apparently violating state-mandated social distancing guidelines at an East Lansing bar and grill.”

Okay, I’ve been at this for two hours and people are starting to wait on me, so I’m going to get going. I hope you all have a happy Memorial Day weekend, celebrating the freedom and prosperity that generations of Americans have sacrificed for.