Blace Carpenter

On May 19, 2020, Sanford Lake Marina Owner Linda Shephard was getting ready to reopen the business when she got a text that she had to evacuate the area due to an incoming flood. Five years later, she is still rebuilding but is hopeful that the marina will be up and running after the lake returns.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reminding citizens that the state's fuelwood permit is available for purchase. The department is allowing residents to collect extra wood from parks that were affected by the ice storm in March.

Alpena Community College will be hosting this year's College Lineman Rodeo on Friday, where 55 students from across the country will compete in utility worker tasks. There will be two climbing events, a ground repair and a timed multiple-choice exam.

Democrat Michael Lynch said he hasn't officially decided if he's going to run again for Michigan's 2nd Congressional District seat. Lynch ran against incumbent U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia) in 2024 and lost after receiving only 31% of the vote.

In a ceremonial transfer of presidential authority and symbols, Neil MacKinnon was officially vested as Central Michigan University's 16th President. In his speech, he discussed his path to improve CMU through its strategic plan.

Roughly 200 people packed into a room at the Isabella County Commission on Aging on March 21 to show their frustration with Michigan's 2nd Congressional District Representative John Moolenaar and President Donald Trump's administration. Despite Moolenaar not attending, several speakers still spoke out against the representative.

Protesters gathered in Mount Pleasant to voice their concerns about a budget resolution passed by House Republicans in February. The resolution instructs the Energy and Commerce committee, which oversees Medicaid, to slash $880 billion over the next decade, which could affect millions of Michiganders.

For years, local law enforcement in the county were given a blanket deputization to work outside of their jurisdiction by the sheriff. But with the loss of the county's 24/7 road patrol, Sheriff Michael Main has limited their authority.

“We would lose what is special about our clinic and our students would suffer,” CMU Health Certified Assistant Brittany Herrick said during the public comment period.

Central Michigan University President Neil MacKinnon spoke to the campus community about what he's noticed in the first 100 days on campus. He presented several initiatives to combat declining enrollment, budget cuts and expanding research efforts.