Hometown Escanaba

Bay President Laura Coleman says enrollment is up at Bay College at time when area employers are in need of educated employees. She says demand includes nursing, EMT, corrections, megatronics and water tech. Plus, Bay is continuing its co-advising program to assist students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other pressures that can affect their education.

Escanaba City Councilman Ralph Blasier says a crime may be at the heart of an investigation involving money in the city’s dealing with Proxima Management Group but, he says, he is not ready to make an accusation. 

The city admits that an investigation is being held in conjunction with the project but provided no details.

Blasier made his comments as part of an interview about his re-election to the Escanaba City Council. The election is Nov. 2.

As a business owner in Escanaba, Mark Ammel says he wants to do everything he can to improve the community. He says leadership is needed to get the type of development that the city would to see.

Ammel is running for Escanaba City Council on Nov. 2. He currently serving on the Escanaba Downtown Development Authority Board.

Ron Beauchamp says the city of Escanaba needs to continue to fight the Dark Store issue in court. The city has taken the lead in the state on the issue.

The Dark Store tax loophole bases the property value of big box stores on other closed or dark stores.

In his campaign to return to the Escanaba City Council, Beauchamp says it is important for the city to continue its fight against the ruling.

Delta County Commissioner John Malnar says he believes a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac will be built to house Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline and other utilities. Malnar attended the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority meeting last week in St. Ignace. He says he is impressed with the plans to build a tunnel beneath the Straits.

 

With shows cancelled in the first year of COVID-19, Bruce Belanger wasn’t sure how this year would go or even if he wanted to perform again.

But when he did his first show in the Spring, he realized why he loves taking his lumberjack and logrolling show on the road. With the season now at an end, he says it was a good year.

OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group exceeded capacity this week for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, causing it to execute its emergency plan to make more room available at the hospital.

Dr. Bill Hook, director of medical services, says OSF has converted its ambulatory care unit to in-patient beds to handle the overflow. That means procedures normally conducted there are being postponed.

Although COVID-19 patients are the reason the hospital reached the tipping point this week, OSF President and CEO Dave Lord says they are seeing a lot of patients who put off treatment during the pandemic on other health issues who now need care.

Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District Superintendent Doug Leisenring says the school districts within the ISD are moving quickly to respond to continuing cases of COVID-19. Leisenring also received the Educational Excellence award from the Delta Chamber.

Katelyn Beaver started making fishing lures when sitting around bored during the COVID-19 pandemic. She turned her love of fishing into a business that is now open on Ludington Street in Escanaba.

Al Ettenhofer says here are just a few tickets available for the fall U.P. Whitetails Banquet on Nov. 3. Plus, he talks about changes in the state's antlerless deer permits and what hunters can expect this year.