"IT'S THE ELEPHANT in the room that nobody wants to talk about." Those are the words of Marquette Police Chief Blake Rieboldt. He's talking about the homeless people in town, and more specifically about the problems some of them are creating for his police force. In 2015 and 2016 combined, his officers responded to ... Continue Reading
Big Addition to Downtown, No Big Changes at Babycakes, Nobody at the Bayou, a One Man Gym Downtown, a Diabetic Study in Harvey, a Yellow Facelift for the Wooden Nickel, and a Dubious Award for Ishpeming
LOOKS LIKE MARQUETTE will soon be getting a major new tenant in the heart of downtown. The Chamber of Commerce and the UP Masonic Association will be signing a memorandum of understanding in the next week or so to develop a "coworking" space at the Masonic Square on Washington Street. It's a big deal. Five thousand ... Continue Reading
Township Transforming, Range Bank Centralizing, KADU Opening, NMU Surprising, Partridge Creek Expanding, Phil’s Fund Growing, Tracey’s Impressing, and the Joyful Spectacle of Umbrellas
COME BACK TO Marquette Township along US 41 in a year or two, and you might not recognize the place. It's changing before our very eyes. A 6000 square foot Fraco showroom is being constructed just east of Gordon Food Service. It'll be open in early 2018. More land being leveled nearby, and Planning and Zoning ... Continue Reading
Ball Drop in Jeopardy
LOOKS LIKE MARQUETTE won't be celebrating its traditional New Year's Eve ball drop this year. JP Electric. which has conducted the drop on a volunteer basis since 1988, will not be involved this year. Owner John Prince says he and his staff are getting older, the ball drop has always been a little risky, and it's time to ... Continue Reading
At Last! Orphanage Gets the Go-Ahead
MARQUETTE'S ICONIC ORPHANAGE, which has been an eyesore and a pain-in-the-ass for the city for the last couple of decades, is being reborn. Finally. Home Renewal Systems, a downstate developer that holds a contract on the building, has just gotten word that it will be granted substantial tax credits for the Orphanage ... Continue Reading