Ben Ackley

When four A-10 and two C-146 aircraft landed on a section of M-32 outside of Alpena, it marked the first time modern military planes have purposefully landed on a highway in America.

On Tuesday, August 4, debates over critical race theory, masking in schools and transgender students participating in sports came to a head in Alpena. What was supposed to be a civil ‘town hall’ meeting briefly turned into a shoving match.

Some of the biggest tourist attractions in Alpena lie beneath the waves.Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary holds an estimated 200 shipwrecks. Some of them are mere miles from shore, making them accessible to everyday people.The sanctuary often tops lists of “Things to Do in Alpena,” a town of 10,000 that sits over an hour from the interstate.