IT CAME AS a surprise--even a shock--to many of us. Doug Russell, the highly respected executive director of Room at the Inn and this community's leading advocate for the homeless, was terminated. Fired. It seemed to come out of the blue, totally unexpected. And unfair, as well. After all, the man wasn't making a ton ... Continue Reading
Homeless Woman Finds a Home
AUTUMN IS HER name. She's 23 years old, a gal from Nebraska. She arrived in Alger County a couple of years ago with her father. She hadn't been able to get along with her mother and stepfather back home so she thought she'd give the U.P. a try with her dad. Start a new life for herself. Didn't work out. She and her ... Continue Reading
Hospital Construction Rumors, Homeless Summit, Tysen Update, Downtown Signage Controversy, and a Photography Star
RUMORS FLYING AROUND the construction site of the new hospital. And responses quickly coming back from the hospital. First, some workers claim that there's been some settling and sagging of the floors of the building. "Deflection" is apparently the construction term. Remember, this is reclaimed land that's been ... Continue Reading
The Homeless in Marquette: They’re Becoming Everybody’s Problem
"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