Santori's Corner gasoline spill, Summer Youth Program in the MTU Humanities Department, local autism supports, and more
Front Page, June 26, 2021
What we know about the Santori’s Corner Spill
I haven’t done any real reporting on this, but I have compiled the updates that have been released by the Hancock Fire Department and Houghton County Office of Emergency Measures via the Portage Health Foundation. The other local media has been doing a decent job of basic news coverage up to this point, but if you feel like there’s something missing from the reporting, let me know. I’ll try to fill in any blanks next week.
Midwest youth visit MTU, hone writing skills
I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion for a group of high school students who traveled from various states to participate in the week-long Calling All Writers workshop that is part of the Michigan Technological University Summer Youth Program.
The other members of the panel included Charli Mills, Vienna Leonarduzzi, T. Marie Bertineau, Victoria Sage, and Amanda Lutey.
After the discussion, I hung around to interview a couple of the youth and listen to their end-of-week reading.
You can watch their reading presentation on the MTU Humanities Facebook page.
You can learn more about the MTU Summer Youth Program at https://mtu.edu/syp.
Autism advocates pushing for greater awareness, understanding in others
Mental Health Suppor Series, Part 2
The second part of the mental health support series focuses on autism. One of my sources recommended that I break it out of the rest of the series and treat it uniquely, and after some consideration, I agreed it was a good idea.
I kept this one shorter than the first installment, but be sure to investigate some of the links if you’re looking for more in-depth information.
Democracy in the 21st Century demands greater media literacy
The Inside Scoop (and a photo of my cat)
This is the subscriber-only portion of Late Edition. We’d love to have you join us! If I reach 200 subscribers, I’ll be adding reporting on Calumet and South Range village councils to my monthly activities, which will also mean more feature reporting in those locations as I get local sources, too!
Parcel split, collective bargaining, public hearings, thanking Rachel Lankton, pier bids, and more
Houghton City Council, June 23, 2021
The Houghton City Council had a busy meeting this week. Check out a quick written summary, the full video recording, or a mix of both. Agenda and documents are also available.
Other News (aggregated, not sponsored)
//Click on the headlines to read the full story.
A New Model for Local Journalism?
On the Media
This short podcast could be about Houghton and our nonprofit news media in another year. We’re “hot on the heels” of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Report: Over 600 bodies found at Indigenous school in Canada
By Jim Morris, Associated Press
Using ground-penetrating radar, researchers have found clear evidence of hundreds of unmarked graves, evidence of the abuse at the Marieval Indian Residential School.
Giuliani sanctioned, Trump targets senators amid fallout over Michigan vote
By Jonathan Oosting, Bridge Michigan
Rudy Guiliani’s license to practice law has been suspended for the claims he made during testimony of the state Senate Oversight Committee. Senator Ed McBroom presided over that committee as chairperson, and after releasing a report that found no evidence of fraud or hacking able to sway the election, the former president has turned on him.
Army Corps plans extensive review of Great Lakes tunnel plan
By John Flescher, Associated Press
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday it would conduct an extensive review of Enbridge Energy’s plan to build an oil pipeline tunnel beneath a Great Lakes channel in Michigan, which could significantly delay the project.”
Michigan county seeks vote recount sought by Trump backers
By the Associated Press
Spoiler: It’s not Houghton County (yet). This happened in Cheboygan County, but a few people have been pressing for the same in Houghton County, and the commissioners have not seemed opposed to it whatsoever.
Turmoil grows over future operations of theatre
By Jesse Wiederhold, Upper Michigan Source
“…Dues-paying members of the Calumet Theatre … are upset about the theatre board’s decisions. On April 26, the board fired the theatre’s executive director. The remaining three employees resigned the same week.”