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News & Opinion from Marquette, Michigan

Uncle Ducky’s Big Summer, a Union’s Challenge in Dealing with COVID, and a Tiny Gem of a Gallery in Our Midst

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DIFFICULT TIMES FOR restaurants and hotels this summer. Not so, apparently, for Uncle Ducky's burgeoning empire in Alger County. "No question, we had the best summer we've ever had,"  owner Bill Duckwall tells us. And how can that be? "People wanted to be outdoors this summer, they wanted space, they wanted fresh air. ... Continue Reading

NMU Nursing Professor Tests Positive

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THERE'S NEWS OUT of NMU that a nursing professor tested positive for COVID last Thursday (eight days ago). This, the day after she had taken a group of nursing students to UPHS for orientation. In an earlier test, she had come up negative for COVID. She apparently led these students on multiple floors of the hospital, ... Continue Reading

Marquette Mountain’s Search, Marquette’s Tourism Trend, and an Actor’s Pivot

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Top candidate turns down the job STILL LOOKING FOR a leader. That's the status of Marquette Mountain as owner Eric Jorgensen and his team continue their search for a new general manager at the Mountain. This, following the surprise dismissal last month of previous GM Andrew Farron who Jorgensen decided was not the right ... Continue Reading

Best Buy Closing

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THIS IS THE kind of news we can all do without. The Best Buy store in Marquette Township is closing down. Last day of business is expected to be October 31st. Corporate headquarters and local management so far are not commenting on the closure, although an official press release is expected within the next day. We ... Continue Reading

The Vista Is More Than a Building, the Children’s Museum Is Struggling, and Marquette Monthly Is….???

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A collapse brings about mourning and hope A SHOCK, TO say the least, when we heard that the roof of the Vista Theater had collapsed. The building is almost a century old, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's an architectural gem in the center of Negaunee, and it's been a stage home for hundreds ... Continue Reading

NMU’s Hopes Are Rising, So Are Negaunee’s, But Munising’s Bagels Are Not

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Numbers lower than expected SO FAR, SO good. That's the feeling at Northern Michigan University after nearly 8000 students, faculty, and staff have been tested for COVID. The latest figures show that only 36 people tested positive, less than a half of a percent. That's remarkably low when you consider the UP is testing ... Continue Reading

StraightTalk: Karl Numinen

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  He's one of the most prominent defense attorneys in the Upper Peninsula who, over 29 years of practice, has occasionally encountered controversy. But Karl Numinen of Marquette doesn't shy away from it all. In his talk with Brian Cabell, Numinen explains his legal philosophy and also sheds some light on himself as ... Continue Reading

Rice Paddy Rumors Quashed, Tiny Grocery Store Opens, and Warm Waters Could Mean Trouble

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Still on the job and planning to stay THE RUMORS HAVE  been out there for a couple of months--that Aoy LaChapelle, the beloved owner of the Rice Paddy, was selling her business and retiring. Not true. "She'll eventually retire but not anytime soon," says her husband Greg Trick, the TV6 anchor. "I'm 65, goddammit!" ... Continue Reading

The $600 a Week Dilemma, Harbor Vista Update, and How Hot Has this Summer Been?

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Employers struggling to fill jobs "IT'S BEEN A deterrent for employees to return to work." That's Munising businessman Tom Dolaskie talking about the government's pandemic relief program that gave employees $600 a week in addition to their unemployment benefits. The $600 benefit recently ended. Congress and the White ... Continue Reading