Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInESCANABA (WLUC) - The first cruise ship of the season docked in Escanaba on Sunday morning 35 cruise ships are expected to make a stop there this summer after touring the Great Lakes Victory Cruise Lines’ Victory I’s voyage began in Toronto and will end in Chicago and Mackinac Island before coming into port at Escanaba People from all over are enjoying this tour of the Great Lakes “I’m the only Canadian on board and I’m just loving it,” Canadian Writer Toby Saltzman said “I’ve been so warmly received by everybody The cruises that visit Escanaba this summer will be treated to excursions that show off the history and culture of the city Escanaba DDA Director Craig Woerpel says these cruises bolster the U.P.’s economy “There is a lot of economic impact from the cruise ships that are going around the Great Lakes and so this is a way to take advantage of that and hopefully people can see what it is the U.P Saltzman says the little time she spent in the U.P I think Escanaba deserves to be known a little bit better,” said Saltzman the only amount I’ve seen is from the cruise pier to here welcoming town and to me it would be the perfect movie set for some pretty good movies.” Another woman from Delaware on the cruise agreed that the U.P Escanaba’s Cannon Arnt sprints toward third base during a game against Marquette on April 30 — Who doesn’t love a good road trip Escanaba baseball began back-to-back weekends of downstate road games this weekend The Trojans scratched across one run in the first and one in the sixth off Escanaba ace Lennox Peacock three walks and struck out eight in six innings of work on the mound The Eskymos were unsuccessful in their quest to give him run support But the orange and black had their chances Sophomore Brody Ison was left stranded on third base in the second inning sophomore Mikaiden Hughes was stranded on third in the fourth and junior Nolan Bink was thrown out at home in the fifth The Eskymos were bottled to four hits in the loss Junior Cannon Arnt surrendered one run in the first and two in the third The Eskymos had runners on second and third with one out in the second Sophomore Alex Ison flew out for the second out And although junior Brian Boutillier loaded the bases with a six-pitch walk Arnt was left looking at strike three to end the threat The Eskymos had runners on second and third once again in the third Arnt was left on third to end the fifth and Alex Ison was stranded on third base as the final out of the game was recorded An RBI double from Peacock gave the Eskymos a 1-0 lead in the first The lead did not last long as the Jaguars drove in three runs in the bottom half of the first and plated eight eight runs in the second who was the first pitcher to throw in Saturday’s finale allowed three earned runs off three hits with a walk and three strikeouts Joey Garcia allowed eight earned runs off four hits with four walks in 2/3 inning of work walked two and struck out one in 1/3 inning of relief Freshman Bryce Bichler allowed one hit and fanned three across two innings of shutout relief The Sentinels earned a 4-0 win over the Eskymos in Marquette on April 28 Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Michigan | https://www.dailypress.net | 600 Ludington St. Gladstone’s Andrew Karl competes in pole vault on May 2 ESCANABA — Gladstone sophomore Andrew Karl reached new heights in pole vault here Friday soaring a personal-best 14 feet in the Eskymo Invitational track and field meet “He was going for the school record,” Gladstone girls’ coach Jim Murtha said “I’m sure he’s pretty excited.” Karl’s latest effort left him just four inches shy of the school record set by Josh Syverson in 2009 He’ll try again in Tuesday’s Manistique Emerald Invitational The Gladstone girls were crowned champions Friday with 115 points “It was another good performance by our girls,” Murtha said You don’t want them to be too content There’s still a lot of work to do.” Houghton was runner-up at 110.5 and Gladstone edged Bark River-Harris 48-43 for third place “The kids find a way to do it,” Sault coach Jim Martin said We’ve got only five seniors so we’re a fairly young team Scott (girls’ head coach Menard) does a great job with the sprinters and Becky Arbic helps with the high jumpers and hurdlers and Rick Stupak is working with the weight events 800 and 3200 relays and was runner-up to Menominee in the 1600 “The girls gave an outstanding effort in all four relays,” Murtha said They’re working well together.” Sophomore Lucy DeGroot won long jump with a personal-best leap of 15-11 and helped the Braves sweep the sprint relays “I just felt very excited,” she said My handoff was a little shaky in the 4×100 but once we get those down I think we’ll have a good shot at the school record added a first in the 200-meter dash in 27.07 seconds and was runner-up to Manistique senior Leah Goudreau in the 100 Goudreau was clocked at 13.79 into a stiff breeze in the 100 and Sundquist ran a 13.85 “My start in the 200 was really good We do 40-yard dashes in softball which really helps Both of our relay teams did really well.” Goudreau took second in the 200 (28.29) and third in long jump (14-2.5) Freshman Ella Bracket also helped the Braves take the sprint relays and placed second in the 400 (1:02.7) “Ella is getting better and Lauren did really well,” Murtha said “Lauren was able to start the year ahead of where she was last year.” Houghton senior Emilyn Fay took pole vault (9-0) with Gladstone senior Chelsey Demeuse second (8-6) and Manistique junior Kyra Carlson third (8-0) Esky senior Alisha Mabie won the 800 (2:33.36) Houghton junior Tessa Rautiola was runner-up in the 1600 (5:37.91) and 3200 (12:15.59) with Gremlins’ senior Lily Ross second in the 800 (2:38.61) followed by Gladstone junior Payton Takkunen (2:43.01) Carney-Nadeau senior Mariska Laurila topped the century mark for the second straight day in discus with a winning toss of 100-8 Manistique junior Gwen Brewster took shot put (34-0) with Laurila runner-up with a season-best 33-3 Sophomore Emma Zawada provided Bark River-Harris with a first in the 300 hurdles (51.42) Freshman Bristol Shamion got West Iron County’s lone first in high jump at 4-10 and Sault senior Annabelle Fazzari copped the 100 hurdles (17.82) edging Esky junior Ava Stalboerger by .05 second Stalboerger then added a second in the 300s (51.56) and senior teammate Maggie Martin was runner-up in long jump (15-9) Gladstone senior Aaron Hughes placed third in boys’ disc with a personal-best throw of 135-3 in disc and shot (43-3.5) Houghton sophomore Michael Solena won shot (49-9.5) and classmate Mason Joyal was runner-up in disc (138-0) Rudyard senior Ethan Hoolsema took disc (139-2) and Sault junior Braden Ditmeyer was runner-up in shot (43-3.25) BR-H sophomore Gionni McDonough swept the hurdle races Gladstone grabbed the top two places in high jump with junior Mason Peltin going 5-9 and classmate Carter Farnes at 5-7 Manistique senior Blake Mason took third (5-7) Junior Michael Rexford provided Holy Name with a first in long jump (19-6) Sault freshman Ian Southwell took the 400 (54.25) with Manistique senior Ben Gilroy runner-up (54.63) Houghton senior Luke Hill copped the 800 (2:03.15) and 1600 (4:34.54) and Sault senior Shea Armstrong captured the 3200 (10:41.03) “We’ve got a lot of injuries,” Martin said It was good to see different teams and competition we’ll have a nice weekend to recover Esky’s highest finish took place in the 1600 relay in which it took second Escanaba senior Sophie Weaver (right) stands on a set of blocks as North Central senior senior Lane Gorzinski competes in the 4×100 meter relay on May 2 (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press) the project will include asphalt cold milling and resurfacing we are moving dirt and fixing the damn roads to grow our economy drop their kids off at school and run errands safely,” said Gov repaired or replaced nearly 24,500 lane miles of roads and 1,900 bridges local jobs without raising taxes by a dime let’s build on our momentum to pass a bipartisan local road funding plan so we can keep fixing our damn roads and creating good-paying Motorists should expect single-lane closures with a traffic shift this investment is expected to directly and indirectly support 10 jobs This work will extend the lifespan of the roadway and increase safety for motorists Dear Heloise: I like to use parchment paper when baking especially when something might bubble over onto a baking .. Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for 13 years and married for 10 Dear Heloise: We travel with two young children who get bored if they don’t have a few toys to play with ESCANABA — Adele Linnea Kivi of Escanaba passed away peacefully on the evening of Wednesday to Waino and Lizzie (Johnson) Minkin in Bessemer Township She and her siblings were raised on the family farm and helped their parents operate a small service station Adele worked in many resort hotels in Northern Wisconsin she made enough money to purchase her mother a new stove Hugo had taken a job with Michigan Farm Bureau prompting their family’s move to Escanaba also worked in the lunchroom of Escanaba Junior High and then at the high school until her retirement Adele was a woman of great faith and was a longtime devoted member of Bethany Lutheran Church of Escanaba She especially loved taking part in the church quilting group Adele was also a life member of the Escanaba Eagles Club She enjoyed taking adventures to the casino to do some “people-watching.” Adele loved people and it could be said she never met a stranger She was a warm and caring soul with a wonderful sense of humor–right to the end Adele is survived by her children Ron (Carol) Kivi of Sun Prairie and Bonnie King of Escanaba; grandchildren Glenn and Dave; 11 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; sisters She was preceded in death by her parents; husband There will be a time of visitation from 1 until 2 p.m The funeral service will take place at 2 p.m you are cordially invited to join the family for a time of fellowship and refreshments in the Ludington Room of the funeral home Entombment will take place in the Gardens of Rest Memorial Park mausoleum The family has entrusted the Anderson Funeral Homes of Escanaba and Gladstone. Condolences may be left online by visiting www.andersonfuneralhomes.net Escanaba center fielder Clara Braun gets a lead off of third base during a doubleheader against Negaunee on April 23 — When a team’s run differential sits at an even 0 in a three game stretch it may mean a lot of things Saturday’s action saw its three games downstate finish with a combined score of 14-14 The Knights pounced on Esky’s Landry Bray who faced the toughest competition she’s seen so far in her junior campaign WLN tacked on five runs in the first and four runs in the second and third innings off six hits and two Eskymo errors Bray surrendered eight runs (six earned) off two hits and seven walks in an inning of work Junior Cam Buckley allowed five runs (four earned) off four hits in two innings of work Senior Carly Bowden finished 2-for-2 with a double Senior McKenzie Engebretson added a base hit and senior Grayson LaMarche earned a base hit while striking out the side in an inning of relief work who also reached the regional championship game in 2024 stayed neck and neck with the Eskymos for a majority of the Top 5 matchup And with two outs in the bottom of the fifth the Martians had to deal with LaMarche at the plate while senior Maddy Mott stood at second base in scoring position in a scoreless game But the Martians didn’t plan on junior Chloe Dubord’s desire to swing at the first pitch of her ensuing at bat And with LaMarche striking out 12 Martians in a complete game shutout the orange and black earned the win Any successful pitcher will tell you that possessing a short-term memory is vital Bray was a perfect example of that in Saturday’s finale allowing one earned run off five hits with two walks across four innings in the win The Eskymos also want to jump on teams early Bowden’s two-run home run in the first inning helped that cause A lead-off home run from senior Clara Braun grew the advantage to 3-0 in the third An RBI single from junior Addison Noblet pushed the lead to 4-1 in the fourth LaMarche obliterated a solo home run over the left field fence for a 5-1 lead in the sixth Senior Maddy Mott came up with a grand slam in the seventh the senior Katey Lamb delivered the hit death blow cranking a three-run home run for a 13-1 lead Mott finished a flawless 4-for-4 with a grand slam Buckley struck out three across three hitless innings of relief The Eskymos stay on the road for a doubleheader at 4:30 p.m 1960 — The Gladstone Braves won their track and field opener A child pets a pony prior to the beginning of the tilling of the Community Gardens in Escanaba which was done on Saturday morning by teams of draft horses and ponies Tilling the Escanaba Community Garden has been a tradition at the garden for many years LANSING — The Michigan Department of Technology Management & Budget (DTMB) is officially kicking off the .. ESCANABA - The following individuals were recently sentenced in Delta County Circuit Court on unrelated .. ESCANABA — Wood products are part of the lifeblood of our existence We may not often think about wood in our .. Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInESCANABA, Mich. (WLUC) - Saturday, you can go ‘back to the future’ at Bay College’s 4th annual BAY-CON event Organizers say this year’s show will be bigger and better than ever “We’ve seen exponential growth over the last four years about 1,150 the second year,” Bay College Student Life Executive Director and BAY-CON Coordinator Dave Laur said we’re expecting over 6,000 people this year.” An activity zone will keep kids of all ages entertained and three special guests will be making appearances “Sean Chiplock and Nika Futterman, voice actors, and Steve Lavigne one of the first illustrators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles All three of those folks will be here,” Laur said like the time machine in the original “Back to the Future” movie franchise The event is run by Bay College student volunteers The money goes to support the volunteers and student clubs The main show has moved this year to Bay’s Physical Education Complex but there will be events spaced out around campus including Wiles Taco Kitchen and Wildman’s Munchie Mobile Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. Click here for more information Crew members install a new scoreboard at Escanaba Speedway on April 30 ESCANABA — As the countdown to the first green flag nears Escanaba Speedway finished the final phase of the off-season improvements as the new scoreboard was installed on Wednesday “It shows we are growing as a club,” Board of Directors member Reggie Lantagne said “It will make it easier for fans to keep up with the action on the track.” Students and instructors from North Country Electrical Line and Heavy Equipment School along with Roy Ness Contracting and Sales Inc all assisted on the project that will definitely give the fans a way to keep on the races over the course of the season in addition to the new clay received in the fall and a new logo gives the Escanaba Motor Speedway a fresh look going into the 2025 season “We continue to make improvements to better the track for our fans,” Lantagne said “These moves show the track heading in a good direction into the 2025 racing season.” The Motor Mayhem Car Show will be held on Saturday May 10 RAPID RIVER — Weather conditions may have been perfect for ducks but less than that for track and field here .. NEGAUNEE — A baseball doubleheader on Wednesday between Escanaba and Negaunee ended in a split as the Eskymos won .. MARQUETTE — It was a tough day on the courts for Escanaba boys tennis as it fell 7-1 to Marquette on .. FELCH — The Bark River-Harris track and field teams were in the title hunt (WLUC) - Escanaba City Manager Jim McNeil emailed TV6 the city’s state of utilities memo on Tuesday McNeil outlines five significant factors that he says are “influencing the cost of constructing and upgrading drinking water infrastructure supported by current data and relevant sources.” Those include stricter regulatory requirements material and labor costs and aging infrastructure McNeil says the city must replace its 100+ years’ old infrastructure “Costs today are the comeuppance of past obligations and underinvestment a sort of intergenerational transfer of cost We have no choice but to pay the bill,” McNeil said He also says state grants have helped keep utility rate increases manageable why are rates going up despite all these grants?” McNeil said city funds are still needed for non-grant items and matching funds and the grant funded work is only a portion of the overall need.” Escanaba Water Memo by WLUC TV6 on Scribd -------------------------------------------------------------- some Escanaba residents are taking drastic measures to save money TV6 asked members of the Escanaba Rants & Raves Facebook page if they changed their water habits after last year’s utility rate increases “Due to the water rates our family has limited showers Another resident says she doesn’t fill the sink with water when she does dishes “I usually fill a pan or bowl that needs to be washed,” Cindy Wangerin said a single mom who says her water bill has more than doubled “and have been going to Landry Mat to do my washing.” the city is proposing to raise the rates again the city announced a 5% wastewater rate boost and an 8% hike for water for the fiscal year 2025 to 2026 That’s the same water rate increase as last year In his report presented at the budget meeting City Manager Jim McNeil noted that projects like the $14 million upgrade at Escanaba’s wastewater treatment plant under EGLE’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and to achieve MIOSHA compliance; and the U.S EPA and EGLE mandated lead service line and aging watermain replacements mean city residents could face water/wastewater rate increases for several years Some residents commented that they’re now trying to figure out where else they can cut to offset this next rate increase “I’ve decided not to have a garden this year or set up a pool for my grandkids,” Sheila Wedell said Lark says she also set aside her garden plans and won’t be watering her lawn Stacy Herrygers is moving the kiddie pool out to her parents’ home in Bark River rather than the family home in Escanaba “I wanted to plant an in ground vegetable garden this year but will be sticking with more water conserving container gardening,” Herrygers added The budget work session report also noted a 3% increase to electric rates in the proposed budget, which is up from last year’s 2.75% increase TV6 emailed city leaders to ask for an interview on the upcoming utility rate increases “We are going to be preparing our own memo on the state of utilities TV6 again asked McNeil for an interview but has not yet heard back We will update you once that memo is released Escanaba Water Memo by WLUC TV6 on Scribd ESCANABA — Players de Noc is kicking off May with a new show starting Friday night and directed by Players’ own Heather Grimes The showings are at the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center in Escanaba The play follows a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a whimsical and colorful world filled with strange characters like the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat explained why she chose Alice in Wonderland “Alice in Wonderland has been on my bucket list for a long time,” Grimes said and I wanted to convey the story like the book rather than the Disney version we have some comedic elements in there in a nod to the Disney version but we’ve taken our own spin on Alice’s journey through life.” Grimes said Alice’s story is important to her as it’s a story about a young woman letting go of childish things and becoming an adult Attendees will take the journey with Alice as she faces trials and tribulations along the way “It’s the the journey of a young woman in her own mind as she’s trying to let go of the things that she’s known in the past and accept reality for what it is as she becomes an adult,” Grimes explained There won’t be any blackouts during the play as pieces of the set slide and move seamlessly to each scene “All of our pieces slide and move and change just like life changes Everything rolls from one scene to the next just like in life you see changes happen,” Grimes said It was a group effort to prepare the props stage and costumes for the play as roughly 80 people between the cast and crew came together to put the show together “We’ve got some new lighting instruments that we’re implementing this time around too which we’re really excited to debut,” she said so music will be playing throughout the show and I have original pieces of music in the script from Chris Powell,” Grimes said “He did four of the original pieces for the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb and for the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon,” she said Grimes added she is grateful to the sponsors for Players that keep the doors open and allow the group to keep creating magic come on down to Players de Noc the next two weekends and see this wonderful show,” Grimes said with additional shows on May 3,8,9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m There is also a Sunday matinee on May 4 at 1:30 p.m Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center or online at playersdenoc.org ESCANABA — Escanaba will not move forward with a plan to add a nature trail to Ludington Park after multiple .. ESCANABA — The Bark River Area Draft Horse Club will be tilling the Community Gardens in Escanaba on May 3 ESCANABA — Escanaba city officials and C2AE engineers held a special meeting at City Hall prior to the regular .. ESCANABA — A consent judgement for a case between the former Delft theater ESCANABA — Kwik Trip is coming to Escanaba in 2025 after its site plan approval the Escanaba Planning Commission unanimously approved a special land use permit and proposed site plan for Kwik Trip’s new location at 501 North Lincoln Road in Escanaba Kwik Trip Development Manager Nate Byom says the company plans to break ground in June of 2025 with the goal of completing the project by late fall to early winter of 2025 The construction process is estimated to take 22 weeks to complete The company currently has 893 stores across the country Escanaba City Manager James McNeil spoke in favor of the proposed site plan during the public hearing portion of the meeting saying Kwik Trip is a cultural fit for the city “Just wanted to say from a staff perspective Kwik Trip has been one of the best companies to work with so far for us,” McNeil said Byom said the planned store for Escanaba is a newer design called Gen Three “It would be a newer version of what’s in Crivits (Wis.) slightly larger than that and a slightly larger version of any of them that are in Marinette We have four current new build stores in Michigan that are all Gen Three; Ironwood this would be a similar store to any of those,” Byom said The gas station and convenience store will have an attached two-bay carwash The company is also adding a sidewalk from US-2 and 41 to the location to facilitate pedestrian traffic The store will be open 24 hours a day and sells various products saying that Kwik Trip provides fresh products daily “Milk that came in this morning was processed today it would be on the shelves tomorrow,” he said In addition to a new convenience store for the community Byom says the location will bring in more good jobs According to Kwik Trip’s application the project is a multimillion-dollar investment in the city It makes physical improvements to a vacant parcel and is expected to create 30 to 40 permanent jobs The estimated payroll for Kwik Trip employees at the Escanaba location is approximately $600,000 annually Byom estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the staff would be full-time while the remaining 30 to 40 percent would be part-time “Kwik Trip really values their employees One of the unique features is all employees get 40 percent of the profit as profit-sharing as a bonus check at the end of the year We did completely confirm that we’re the only company in the US that does that it’s a really good place to work,” Byom said He added that an established team leader from another location would get the store up and running “We’ll transfer in an existing store leader from another store and bring part of a team in and then kind of grow the new team with local staff it might not start out with the store leader being from Escanaba but the ultimate goal is to have that person live here and be from the community,” Byom explained Following the commission’s decision to approve the land use application and site plan Byom was excited to learn that the company would have a location in Escanaba “Kwik Trip is very happy with the approval of both our special land use permit and site plan approval The City of Escanaba was excellent to work with and we look forward to being a part of the community,” he said ESCANABA — At least three vessels from two cruise lines will be making regular appearances as they dock in .. ESCANABA — A new music festival and celebration the area’s logging history is coming to Escanaba June 28 A common soil fungus sickened more than 150 Michigan paper mill workers in what health officials called the largest such outbreak in U.S The Centers for Disease Control said a 2022-23 outbreak of blastomycosis at Escanaba's Billerud Paper infected at least 162 people from November 2022 to May 2023 Among those infected by the fungus Blastomyces "The mill’s location along (the Escanaba River) in a wooded area is consistent with Blastomyces’ habitat; however the specific environmental factors in or around the mill that led to this outbreak remain unknown," the CDC said in a Jan The CDC, in its weekly morbidity and mortality report said the outbreak was the first recognized blastomycosis outbreak associated with a paper mill or other industrial worksite Officials surveyed 603 of the estimated 1,000 workers at the plant and Here's what we know about the fungal outbreak in the UP What is blastomycosis?Blastomycosis is a fungal disease caused by inhalation of Blastomyces spores that can result in severe pulmonary illness and high hospitalization rates Approximately 25% of cases include such symptoms as skin lesions Up to half of people infected with Blastomyces remain asymptomatic an outbreak of the disease was found among children and adults who visited a northern Wisconsin environmental camp Officials said 48 of 95 people (89 were children) in two groups contracted the disease during a two-week period in June that year Among the 645 workers who took part in the investigation 162 received a diagnosis of blastomycosis and reported signs and symptoms such as cough (90%) Others reported such symptoms as weight loss Diagnostic and treatment delays are common because of clinical similarities with other respiratory infections although antifungal medication can prevent progression or recurrence of disease in symptomatic patients Blastomyces is found in moist soil or decaying wood and leaves in the midwestern and southeastern United States The fungus generally does not grow indoors but the mill had many areas where outdoor air was able to enter buildings The CDC said the fungus is endemic to Michigan and infections happen occasionally The CDC said there were 186 cases reported during a 10-year period from 2007-17 fewer than one blastomycosis case was reported annually The single non-mill-related case identified during the workplace outbreak was consistent with previous surveillance Some northern counties in neighboring Wisconsin with similar environments have an annual reported incidence exceeding 20 cases per 100,000 population What company owns the Escanaba mill?Billerud AB was established in 1883 in Säffle Through expansions and acquisitions of other mills in Värmland the company steadily grew in the early 20th century The name Billerud persisted despite changes in ownership until 1996 it returned through the merger of the paper mills in Gruvön Established in 1891, Escanaba Mill is a major newsprint and coated printing paper manufacturer Escanaba Mill was acquired by Billerud AB in 2022 the mill produces 730,000 tons of paper annually the paper mill idled production for three weeks for ventilation ductwork cleaning and upgrading filters in all air handling units Mill managers facilitated training for workers regarding potential hazards and associated safe practices and protective measures to reduce exposure and encouraged workers to report potential blastomycosis symptoms to health care providers (WLUC) - Upper Peninsula music fans will have plenty to listen to in Escanaba this summer On top of ‘Music Mondays’ and The City Band in Ludington Park on Wednesdays two new music festivals have been added to the lineup “Music has shown to be a really big part of our community over the last couple of years,” Escanaba Downtown Development Authority Director Craig Woerpel said we’re expanding that this year with two new programs that are going to be happening in June.” First on Escanaba’s docket for new summer music events is Make Music Escanaba “The Make Music Escanaba Music Day is a worldwide program where communities of any music experience to be able to make music whether on the streets or on their porches or in businesses,” Woerpel said whether you’re getting a ukulele club together whether you’re getting people just to sing together.” Make Music Escanaba is June 21 the snow should hopefully be gone from the Marketplace Stage on Ludington Street and 15th Thats where Jim’s Music students will take the stage from noon to 2:00 p.m 15 to 30 students from five years old to the teens will showcase their musical chops “It’s a good thing for students to get out there and perform because it gets them out of their comfort zone,” Store Manager Parker Bruce said “Some students do take some convincing to get up there and actually perform but it’s just good for them and their self-esteem and it teaches them that making a small mistake isn’t necessarily always a big issue.” Woerpel says musical acts will play across the city on the summer solstice including at Elmer’s County Market and Leigh’s Garden Winery Then, a week later, residents will have another opportunity for entertainment at the inaugural Logjam Music Festival. Eight bands will play on two stages, including Them Pesky Kids from Minneapolis “The main band that’s coming back is actually my brother He’s playing with Rickey Medlocke with Lynard Skynyrd and Blackfoot right now,” Woerpel said “That band is actually going to be the one that’s going to be on here Other bands include Sit Down Francis and Stonewall of Escanaba and Sky Pilots of Munising It will be the city’s first test of the new downtown social district where festival goers can buy drinks at a local business and bring it outside “The idea is you can go right down to the City Pub or Ludington Grill or some of the other places on the outsides of the perimeter here grab what you want and bring it on in and sit down in a lawn chair and listen to the music,” Woerpel said The festival, on Ludington Street between 10th and 12th Streets, will celebrate Escanaba’s timber heritage. The Great Lakes Timber Show will exhibit crosscut sawing Woerpel says there will be close to 100 vendors including food trucks; a 50/50 raffle; and contests including who can eat the most flapjacks and celebrity logrolling “Just kind of like what you would expect in a downtown celebration,” Woerpel said The DDA is looking for musicians and venues for Make Music Escanaba on June 21. Click here to sign up Woerpel says he is also seeking sponsors and vendors for the LogJam Festival on June 28 ESCANABA — At the site where the Stonehouse restaurant had proudly served Escanaba for decades sheaths of ice coated the helmets of firefighters steady streams from fire hoses still trained on the smoldering remains of the restaurant chunks of snow like miniature icebergs flowed down Lincoln Road The long-standing and much-loved restaurant at the southeast corner of Escanaba’s two main streets was no more and the intersection of Ludington Street and Lincoln Road was blocked off in all directions A fire had broken out on the southern side of the Stonehouse hours prior — one of the business owners said he had been driving by and heading towards his daughter’s house when he saw smoke around quarter to six in the morning Escanaba Public Safety Director John Gudwer said his department got the call at 5:58 a.m when officers arrived they discovered heavy smoke coming from the building “We couldn’t get to the fire because the floor was compromised,” Gudwer said referring to an area near the main entrance on the south side of the building that had a basement beneath it “It collapsed just as the officers opened the door.” While no one was believed to have been inside the building when the incident began Gudwer said that one firefighter was taken to the emergency room Escanaba Township and Michigan State Police were all on scene as efforts continued to douse the smoking heaps of rubble at 10:30 a.m A Brunette and Son truck waited on one side of the parking lot while heavy equipment crunched through what remained of the restaurant and bar With the shock of the loss of a local landmark an onlooker could almost forget the bitter cold until seeing the black gear of a Ford River firefighter encrusted with white ice Temperatures were in the lower to mid-teens when firefighters were battling the blaze A restaurant has stood at 2223 Ludington St The Romps purchased the place in 1982 and have held it since It’s unclear what will become of things from here As an excavator turned over pieces of wall and hoses from the fire trucks kept blasting the smoldering mess Maintaining humor among a group of distressed witnesses whatever food was in there is definitely cooked.” Cause of the fire remains under investigation Escanaba Public Safety was assisted at the scene by the Ford River Fire Department Ed Brunette Construction and the Red Cross Escanaba Public Safety would also like to thank Citgo gas Elmer’s County Market and any other business that donated food and warm beverages to assist firefighters on scene GLADSTONE — Voters who live within the Gladstone Area Schools district will have a chance to vote today on the .. IRON MOUNTAIN — Temperatures this summer could be a degree or two above the historical average in the Upper .. ESCANABA — Escanaba will soon have a new activity for families as work begins to replace the former Webster .. ESCANABA — An enormous sleigh and reindeer that landed on an Escanaba rooftop at the corner of 10th Street and 8th Avenue South was a “Christmas surprise,” said Amy Liss The Lisses had bought a pattern for the craft 13 years ago the project wasn’t completed until this year Employees of Northern Machining and Repair — owned by Amy’s husband the Lisses’ two kids helped paint and decorate it with lights and then the Northern Machining guys used a crane from the shop to get the massive models up onto the roof who was unaware the project had finally been taken on which was originally built for the Walsh family is rumored to have been occupied by Al Capone at some point in time it is in the process of being converted back into a home ESCANABA — The Escanaba Public Library will host an informational seminar “Picking with the Champ,”presented by morel mushroom hunting expert During the seminar he will provide tips for when as well as stories from over 70 years of picking “This is the perfect time for hunting for morels in the U.P Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time picker you’re bound to find a new perspective to gathering the elusive morel,” says Williams A question and answer will follow the presentation The Williams family has been picking morels in Northern Michigan since the 1890s After winning the National Morel Hunting Championship five years in a row Williams retired undefeated from competitive picking to become the “Expert in Residence” for the National Morel Festival For the last 20 years he has continued to share his “Picking with the Champ” seminar at festivals all over Michigan This project is funded in part by the Michigan Humanities an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities the Michigan Arts & Culture Council and the Friends of the Escanaba Public Library IRON MOUNTAIN — A contractor is scheduled to start work Monday in Iron Mountain to verify water service .. | https://www.ironmountaindailynews.com | 215 E steady streams from hoses still trained on the smoldering remains of the restaurant A fire had broken out on the southern side of the Stonehouse hours earlier — one of the business owners said he had been driving toward his daughter’s house when he saw smoke about 5:45 a.m Escanaba Public Safety Director John Gudwer said his department got the call just before 6 a.m Officers found heavy smoke coming from the building when they tried to enter No one was believed to have been inside the building when the incident began One firefighter was taken to the emergency room Escanaba Township and Michigan State Police were all on site at 10:30 a.m as crews continued to douse the smoking heaps of rubble Temperatures were in the low- to mid-teens when firefighters battled the blaze It’s unclear what will happen from here The cause of the fire remains under investigation smoke kept rising from the ruins and hoses from the fire trucks kept blasting the smoldering mess Escanaba Public Safety was assisted by the Ford River Fire Department Escanaba Public Safety would like to thank Citgo gas Elmer’s County Market and any other business that donated food and warm beverages to firefighters on site Branstrom can be reached at 906-786-2021 or rbranstrom@dailypress.net IRON MOUNTAIN — Another attempt will be made to increase compensation for Iron Mountain City Council members that .. IRON MOUNTAIN — The first round of voting for The Daily News’ 2025 Pet Idol contest has ended with all 33 pets .. (WLUC) - Restaurants in Escanaba’s downtown are getting ready to offer new menu items and highlight what makes them special for Restaurant Week in Esky starting Sunday It comes at a time when business may be slow because of cold weather “We have many great opportunities for people to enjoy different kinds of food We are really fortunate to have the number of restaurants that we do in our downtown district in addition to the number we have in the community as a whole We have a lot of great options,” Owner of Bobaloon’s Cafe said Mark Ammel There are 16 restaurants in the downtown. Participating restaurants are listed at escanabadowntown.com “This is based on a national promotion to get people excited about eating out during the cold winter months Many of the restaurants are offering new or unusual items to showcase what they can do you could literally eat every meal at a different restaurant throughout the week,” Executive director of the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Craig Woerpel said Bobaloon’s is going back to its roots as a hot dog stand Ammel is introducing a different hot dog each day including the new waffle dog but it’s got the waffle pattern on the outside we will serve it with Kewpie Mayo or maple syrup Grab-n-Go is offering three new items including a Chicken and Chaffles breakfast sandwich The House of Ludington has a fresh red snapper crusted in macadamia nuts with a Thai peanut sauce and mango salsa served with coconut jasmine rice and vegetable and a Butter Nut Squash Ravioli topped with a maple walnut cream sauce a specialty dish consisting of slow-cooked beef grilled together on a corn tortilla and served with a consume dipping sauce Rosy’s Diner is introducing an All-American Skillet with American fries These restaurants are really going all out to create exceptional food for Restaurant Week in Esky,” Woerpel said He started working at Bobaloon’s in 2004 for his brother and cousin It wasn’t long before he became the sole owner and chef at the restaurant He looks forward to special events like Restaurant Week the Noon Year’s Eve produce drop and annual Chicken Fest “I really enjoy creating those little elements where people get to gather for something that is unique enjoy what’s going on and to enjoy each other for a while That’s what I really find the most happiness in,” said Ammel Other restaurants downtown include Mo’s Pub Swedish Pantry and Hereford & Hops Steakhouse & Brewpub Restaurant Week in Esky runs through Saturday ESCANABA — Residents of Delta County plan to have a town hall meeting — even if U.S The meeting is a response for what a group of organizes say is Bergman’s failure to spend time in the First Congressional District he represents in Congress to return home to speak to his constituents during the most recent Congressional recess citizens are taking it upon themselves to host a 1st District Town Hall on Thursday It will give citizens a chance to express their questions and concerns about the first few months of President Trump’s second term Bergman’s actions during that time,” organizers stated in a news release Eastern time Thursday at the United Steelworkers Local 21 Union Hall An individual can sign up to have a maximum of three minutes to ask questions or make statements to an empty chair representing Bergman there will be a 10-second pause to represent Rep Bergman’s “answer.” Organizers said Bergman and his staff are invited to attend the event and will have the opportunity to answer questions if they are there Local media referred to the crowds as “tough.” He hasn’t had a town hall in his district since At past town halls Bergman had in Escanaba Those who attended were also not able to ask questions directly to Bergman Questions Bergman responded to were chosen by a third party went back to their districts to talk in person with their constituents about Elon Musk attacks on our most vulnerable populations and other issues that have come out of the start of President Trump’s second term,” said Teresa Ross an Escanaba retiree who is among the organizers of the event “Yet when First District citizens need to hear from Rep as usual he doesn’t face the people he represents.” constituents in Pennsylvania and Kansas also have had citizen-organized town halls when their Congressional representatives did not All of these have been organized independently of each other While the USW hall is the venue for the Escanaba event All organization for the event is led by independent citizens All media and the public are welcome to attend ESCANABA — A group which is planning a town hall meeting to criticize Congressman Jack Bergman and his communications with constituents is not telling an accurate story said the Congressman does keep in contact with his District He called the town hall meeting in Escanaba “a political stunt.” Congressman Bergman and our entire team have worked every single day to listen to constituents and to communicate the Congressman’s point of view and reasoning Our office sends thousands of email replies returns phone calls as quickly as possible and sends out regular press releases Facebook and X posts The town hall that was organized is Escanaba will begin at 7 p.m (Thursday) at the United Steelworkers Local 21 Union Hall An individual can sign up to have a maximum of three minutes to ask questions or make statements to an empty chair representing Rep Hogge said Bergman is no stranger to the people in the 1st Congressional District despite what the Escanaba town hall implies “The Congressman has held town halls and has had literally thousands upon thousands of in-person meetings with constituents from every walk of life and every political ideology,” Hogge said when this same group of activists (Indivisible) were campaigning against him in 2017/2018 Bergman would personally attend meetings at their houses and answer questions and discuss the issues that each of them found important this so-called ‘town hall’ is nothing more than a far-left Democrat meeting The people putting it together never formally invited the Congressman and they scheduled it for a day that he is in session — voting in D.C This group can rest assured that after this sort of dishonesty and obscene political gamesmanship our team will be disregarding their demands for the foreseeable future.” Hogge said it is also important to note that Bergman is voting exactly how he said he would during the campaign “He has stood by his conservative principles since day one and quite frankly that’s why he won his latest re-election by over 100,000 votes,” Hogge said “Our caseworkers across the district have been hard at work and have recovered over $37 million for constituents struggling with the bureaucracy at federal agencies like the VA Hogge encourages constituents to reach out to Bergman’s office sign up for our regular e-newsletters and press releases and if they would like a meeting with the Congressman to make a request online at Bergman.House.Gov MARQUETTE – Submissions are in for the 2025 Blueberry Festival poster contest Courtesy photo Four people were injured — two critically — after a crash with a pickup truck and a horse drawn buggy Saturday DELTA COUNTY — Delta County law enforcement officers were called to the scene of a crash involving a motor vehicle and a horse and buggy resulting in the hospitalization of four individuals According to the Delta County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched to the Riverland area on 18th Road near H.25 Road for an accident involving a pickup truck and an Amish horse and buggy The initial investigation found both the truck and buggy were headed eastbound on 18th Road when the truck struck the buggy There were four female passengers on the buggy one victim has been treated and released from the hospital with two of those in critical condition and one in stable condition The male driver of the pickup truck was uninjured The sheriff’s office is being assisted by the Michigan State Police’s Accident Reconstructionist Most of the upgrades will occur at a graphic paper mill in Escanaba as Billerud strives to transition to paperboard production in North America Although Billerud stated in a news release that it remains committed to its North American market positions for graphic paper and specialty label paper it reiterated the goal to “gradually evolve toward packaging materials to optimize capacity utilization.” The Michigan mill investments are intended to enable this transition to paperboard production The company also strives to strengthen its performance in Europe with its strategy updates paper and packaging production in Europe have changed since the beginning of 2022,” Ivar Vatne “Going forward we will prioritize profitability over growth and drive performance We will leverage the growing demand for fiber-based packaging.” The previous plan to spend more than $1 billion to convert the Escanaba plant into a cartonboard production facility also aligns with the packaging materials production goal That project would have created Billerud’s first U.S The company cited changing economic conditions and return on investment analyses for the course reversal Billerud acquired the Escanaba facility when its purchase of Verso closed in March 2022 In addition to the two Michigan production facilities Billerud also has a paper converting facility in Wisconsin Rapids The newly announced investments at the Michigan mills will be carried out in phases The upgrades will align with scheduled maintenance outages to minimize production disruptions Upgrades to the wood yard at Escanaba will begin immediately but most of the work is slated for the second half of 2025 Billerud’s total investments in 2024 are expected to reach about $227 million and that number is expected to grow to about $309 million next year Billerud specifically aims to gain market share in the Midwest according to a Monday note to investors from Michael Roxland senior paper and packaging analyst at Truist Securities He pointed to the mills’ proximity to customers in the competitive Chicago market and converters’ willingness to buy from independent Billerud estimates that independents represent about 36% of capacity in folding boxboard and almost 60% of capacity in food service “we believe [Billerud] is unlikely to disrupt the broader U.S containerboard market as it is only aiming for a less than 1% kraftliner market share by 2030,” Roxland’s note said Truist views Billerud’s updates as incrementally negative for competitors like Graphic Packaging International and Greif considering new boxboard capacity will increase pressure on supply and demand dynamics in the medium term “It could also reignite some investor concerns around new supply which first emerged when [Billerud] announced this conversion in late 2021 in addition to forthcoming new supply from Sappi” in Somerset which is slated to come online early next year Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts Niche packaging sectors are considered ripe for growth and M&A Analysts also weigh in on the influence of the Trump administration and whether the megadeal trend will continue in 2025 Donald Trump’s return to the White House more mature state policy negotiations and a reckoning around 2025 plastics reduction targets are some of the factors poised to affect the industry The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines ESCANABA — An Escanaba Township man is facing life in prison after being charged with several felonies including criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping was in Delta County District Court on Monday for his arraignment in two separate cases involving six felony charges He was arraigned on charges of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree; kidnapping; assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation; assault with a dangerous weapon-felonious assault; weapons-felony firearm; and police officer-fleeing in the third degree The criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping charges are both punishable by up to life in prison According to Delta County Prosecutor Lauren Wickman Gallagher is currently out on bond from a separate case in Allegan County The charges in Delta County stem from offenses that occurred on April 6-7 The fleeing police charge allegedly took place on April 7 when Gallagher fled from police after being instructed to stop his vehicle before he was arrested in downstate Michigan The other five felony charges originate from the day before and sexually assaulted an individual while in possession of a firearm He is currently lodged in the Delta County Jail with a bond set at $525,000 between the two cases: a $25,000 bond for the fleeing a police officer case and $500,000 for the other five felony charges in his other case citing the safety of the public as well as the seriousness of the charges these are very serious felony offenses that are being charged Two are carrying possible punishments of life the bond is going to remain where it is set $500,000 cash or surety,” LaCarte said he will have to abide by several bond conditions was emotional and cried throughout the proceedings He has previously pled guilty in and went to prison on two counts of criminal sexual assault-third degree back in 2019 Gallagher was required to register as a sex offender for life His charges of criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping are violations under the Sex Offender Registration Act and are classified as Tier III offenses Gallagher will return to district court on May 1 for his preliminary hearing