12/05/2025

BAYFIELD COUNTY - Bayfield County faces a privacy dispute that has become more common across the country. TheDailyPress reports at the center of the issue is Bayfield’s use of five (with one pending) Flock Safety automated license plate readers (ALPRs), installed since 2022 at an annual cost of $3,000 each. The cameras store license plate and vehicle data for 30 days in a national database accessible to subscribing law enforcement, including the FBI and ICE. Sheriff Tony Williams defends the technology as constitutional and vital for locating stolen vehicles and missing or endangered persons. Critics cite privacy, transparency, and potential government overreach, with one judge noting “serious privacy implications.” Records show improper official use, with over 400 thousand searches in July, with Bayfield County officials performing about 490 of those searches. Residents recently complained about the lack of public input regarding the cameras’ privacy implications.

12/05/2025

MICHIGAN - SNAP recipients must now work, train, or volunteer for at least 20 hours per week, for a total of 80 hours per month, to receive benefits. The age limit for those work requirements is also being raised from 18-59 to 18-64 years old.  Previously, 32 states, including Michigan, waived the Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirements. The new rules impose stricter guidelines for state exemptions and eliminate exemptions for veterans, homeless individuals, those formerly in foster care and parents with children above the age of 15.  According to the Congressional Budget Office, the new requirements will reduce the average monthly number of SNAP recipients by about 2.4 million over the next ten years.

12/05/2025

LUTSEN - Nearly two years after the historic Lutsen Lodge burned to the ground, owner Bryce Campbell has been federally charged with arson and insurance fraud.  Court documents show Campbell was more than $14 million in debt at the time of the fire, including close to $13 million in payments toward purchasing Superior Shores Resort near Two Harbors, Minn.  On Feb. 6, Campbell submitted an insurance claim totaling more than $16.5 million dollars. He attributed the loss to “a fire of unknown origin.”  An overnight employee was the only person in the building at the time of the fire.  Law enforcement and prosecutors held a press conference yesterday afternoon in St. Paul, Minn. highlighting their efforts over the past 22 months of investigation.  Campbell is currently in custody in the state Michigan and will be extradited to Minnesota.