It hasn't gotten a lot of attention yet, but there's an interesting dynamic building within the business communities of Marquette County.And although both sides in this dynamic are trying to play down any possible conflict, the potential for conflict is certainly there.I'm talking about the re-emergence of the Greater ... Continue Reading

At TV6, we're currently chronicling the struggles of an 11 person Hmong family in Munising, the Yangs. They've lived in this country for about 20 years, they're well established in Munising with a family restaurant, the Golden Heart, and they want to stay, but six of them are constantly at risk of being deported and being ... Continue Reading

It's sometimes hard to determine whether we're witnessing a profound national trend or just strictly a local phenomenon.I'm speaking of the push we're seeing here in the Upper Peninsula to "grow local" and to "buy local". Two events last weekend spotlighted the movement: the first, held at the Upper Peninsula Children's ... Continue Reading

Is there anybody out there who thinks Rick Snyder won't be Michigan's next governor? Anybody? Okay, understandably, Virg Bernero and his family are out there enthusiastically waving their hands in the air, but there's nobody else. The latest poll on the race says it all: Snyder 53%, Bernero 29%. Snyder doesn't even ... Continue Reading

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When you get a chance, take a look at a documentary that Jason Swanson and I just produced. It's aired on TV6 and Fox UP and it's now posted on the web. You can link to it here Spirit of HiawathaIt's called "The Spirit of Hiawatha" chronicling the last Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival in July. I first went to Hiawatha 6 ... Continue Reading

A tough decision for us this week at TV6.We learned of four lawsuits being filed by current and former employees at the Marquette/Alger Women's Center. The charges deal with misappropriation of finances, harassment at work, threats, and unjustified terminations.Most important perhaps, the plaintiffs claim that officials at ... Continue Reading

I wouldn't say I'm undergoing a political conversion, but I would say my views, which have always trended toward the liberal, are evolving about government spending.Clearly, as a nation, as a state, and as communities, we're spending more than we're taking in, and it doesn't look like that balance is going to shift anytime ... Continue Reading

Hard to believe, but I've been in the Upper Peninsula for almost six years now. It was in July of 2004 that my dog and I headed north from Atlanta. I did the driving and she sat in the passenger seat, shooting me occasional glances as if to ask me when we were going to stop.We finally stopped in Marquette where I'd taken ... Continue Reading

We in the Upper Peninsula had our moment in the national spotlight last week. Reminded me of my days at CNN.CNN was here, along with Fox and NBC and several newspapers covering, first, the arrival of the Tea Party Express, and then the sudden, unexpected resignation of Congressman Bart Stupak. It was a front page story in ... Continue Reading

The Upper Peninsula's Congressman Bart Stupak certainly has a higher profile now than he had just two weeks ago. Not sure if he enjoys his new celebrity status.I talked to him on the phone a couple of times last week during the wrangling over the health care bill, and he was clearly conflicted: he supported the bill but he ... Continue Reading