Northern Michigan

Cheboygan resident Louis Vallance has been pushing county officials across northern Michigan to support his proposal for a passenger train system. He hopes to persuade the state of Michigan to redevelop old railroads, saying it could help boost tourism in the region.

A historic hotel, called Hotel Northern, in the city of Manistee, will soon become a new apartment complex with some commercial space as part of the statewide effort to redevelop old properties.

Democrat Callie Barr is launching a second bid for Michigan's First Congressional District. She was defeated by Republican Congressman Jack Bergman in 2024 after receiving less than 40 percent of the vote.

On Tuesday, Senate Republicans narrowly passed President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. The bill aims to cut $1 trillion from Medicaid, and rural health centers are worried about its impact.

The Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op says they’re raising their rates on each of its locations by $20 per month this fall. The co-op says the rate hike will pay down interest payments on several emergency loans following the March ice storm.

Volunteers from the North Country Trail Association were hard at work on National Trails Day, rerouting a trail that had been destroyed by a logging operation and the March ice storms.

Montmorency County residents shared their concerns about not being able to dispose of debris from March's ice storm with county commissioners during their latest meeting, stating that it may pose a risk of wildfires this summer. County officials discussed what options they have for sites as well as their mission to fill the county's emergency manager position.

On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer approved House Bill 4345, exempting schools from missing days caused by March's historic ice storm. However, some teachers are concerned about the results of this year's state testing due to the storm's disruption.

The Michigan Hospitality Foundation is accepting financial aid applications for eligible workers who were impacted by the March ice storm.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan has reopened their COVID-19 Urgent Needs Fund to help communities while they recover from the historic ice storm.