Opioid settlement, FOIA appeal, MERS debts, sign ordinances and rules of order
The Front Page, Week of Jan. 15, 2022
FOIA appeal denied, Zoom attendance reinstated for public, opioid settlement moved forward
Houghton County Board, Jan. 11, 2022
Alongside fairly routine business, the board of commissioners also denied my FOIA appeal. More on the appeal within The Inside Scoop below. I kept this article to straight meeting coverage.
Red and yellow sign leads to the blues, officers get hairy for charity, rules of order reviewed
Houghton City Council, Jan. 12, 2022
Yes, I had a lot of fun with the headline. There are a couple of things here that I’d like to dig in on more if I can find the time. Unfortunately, I probably can’t.
But it does look like I’ll have an intern or two starting in February. The AT&T easement issue and Fire Station Co sign stories might be good things for them to dig in on.
Ontonagon Village Council welcomes new year, same old MERS problem
Ontonagon Village Council, Jan. 10, 2022
Ontonagon is still struggling with its MERS responsibilities but has started to find some potential avenues for relief from the state and federal governments. Bruce Johanson reporting.
Murkiness in Houghton County
The Inside Scoop
The written word being my preferred form of communication, this response is slightly longer than my brief address to the board on Tuesday concerning my Freedom of Information Act request and appeal.
Normally, The Inside Scoop is behind a paywall, but this one is important, so it’s open to everyone.
Other News (aggregated, not sponsored)
//Click on the headlines to read the full story.
Suspended professor made salty video to get ‘juices flowing’
Ed White, Associated Press
This is a much better version of the story that I initially read and shared on Facebook, but it still doesn’t include the source material. “Salty” is a bit of an understatement, but if you can handle the profanity, give the video a listen and judge for yourself.
The guy strikes me as George Carlin in a sweater vest.
Not-guilty plea entered for teen in Michigan school shooting
Corey Williams, Associated Press
“[Ethan] Crumbley’s attorneys had waived his preliminary examination, moving the case toward trial. Through defense attorney Paulette Michel Loftin, Crumbley entered a plea of not guilty. Crumbley said little during the hearing, except to acknowledge that he could hear the judge and confirm that he was OK with the hearing proceeding via Zoom.”
COVID-19 hospitalizations reach new high in Michigan
David Eggert, Associated Press
It’s not just Michigan, but our local area as well. WUPHD has reported a large spike in cases and now confirms that the Omicron variant is in the area, too.
Mysterious find in the Adventure Mine piques the interest of the nation
Thomas Fournier, ABC10
A unique formation on the ceiling of the Adventure Mine is generating some chatter in geology circles.
Houghton County residents establish public emergency phone on Little America Road
Press release, Houghton County Sheriff’s Office
To mitigate a lack of reliable cellphone reception in the area, Ed and Faye Wakeham organized and paid for an emergency call box near the road on their property.
Kim Klopstein named new KBIC Tribal President
Press release, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal President
After last year’s election removed longtime former president Chris Swartz from the council, Kim Klopstein was named the new Tribal President during this month’s organizational meeting.