12/09/2025

HOUGHTON COUNTY - Houghton County board of Commissioners considering a resolution declaring there are only 2 genders male and female.  Resolution number 25-032 saying sex is based on chromosomes you were born with either XY or XX.  It declares that there are only male and female sexes and that options such as “other” and undetermined should not appear on documentation such as birth and death certificates.  The resolution will be discussed at the Houghton County Board of Commissioners meeting tonight.  A group called Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy says the resolution is a distraction from the real issues and real duties of the board and that they are already planning protests. 

12/09/2025

LANSING - A Michigan Court of Claims judge has denied a request to block a 24% wholesale marijuana tax before it takes effect next year.  Judge Sima G. Patel on Monday wrote the plaintiffs in the case — the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association and a group of marijuana companies suing to block the tax — “have not demonstrated they are likely to succeed on the merits.” The MCIA and suing companies argue the new tax, passed by state lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in October, amends the 2018 voter-passed Michigan Regulation of Marijuana Act. That’s why they argue it should have required 75% supermajority support of the state Legislature to be passed.  While the tax is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, the court left open the possibility that the tax could still be eliminated following a hearing set for Jan. 13.  State officials estimate the new 24% marijuana tax will generate $420 million that would be used towards Whitmer’s “Fix the Damn roads” funding plan.

12/09/2025

IRONWOOD - The holiday season marks a critical time for the need for blood donations, with the American Red Cross specifically calling for types O- and B- donors now and in the coming weeks. The Red Cross is hosting donation drives across Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, and Menominee Counties. Donors who participate during certain timeframes can receive incentives, such as an Amazon gift card or a Red Cross t-shirt. The next local upcoming opportunity to donate will be in Ironwood on Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Ironwood High School, located at 650 E Ayer Street. To schedule a donation, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS.