2/19/2026

ASHLAND / BAYFIELD COUNTIES – This latest winter storm has destroyed access to the Apostle Islands ice caves.  The Ice caves opened Monday before the storm hit the Bayfield Peninsula.  The powerful winds blew all the ice out of the area overnight, ending access probably the rest of the season.  Thousands traveled to the Bayfield Peninsula to see the ice caves on the one day they were opened on Monday.  Monday was the first time in 11 years the ice caves have been accessible to the public. 

2/19/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - A new report shows Michigan’s population is aging and bringing younger people into the U.P. and the state continues to be a problem.  From 2010 to 2024, Michigan saw a 2.2% decrease in population of people aged 18 to 64 according to the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency.  The U.S. average was a 5.4% increase in the same time frame.  When it comes to the number of workers in the state who have a bachelor’s degree, Michigan is 34th in the country.  Marquette and Houghton are the only two counties in the U.P. able to attracting 25 to 34-year-olds.  Both counties also have universities. 

2/19/2026

WOOD COUNTY — Now here’s something you don’t see every day.  A naked man was arrested in Wood County in Central Wisconsin after Wisconsin Rapids police say he stole an ambulance then lead police on chase for more than 18 miles with a patient strapped to a gurney in the back on Tuesday night.  In a press release police say, the ambulance was parked in front of a residential home, with 2 paramedics were tending to a patient in the back when the naked man got into the driver's seat and started driving.  One paramedic got out of the ambulance to engage the naked man while the second paramedic tried to prevent the ambulance from being moved. He had to get out of the ambulance when paramedics' safety was compromised. The man drove off with the patient still in the back of the ambulance.  Police were finally able to deflate the front passenger tire of that ambulance causing the man to drive into a muddy field where it became stuck.  The naked man identified as Ben Feltz has been arrested and booked into Wood County Jail.