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Editorial

Scammers never run out of ideas

Scammers, it seems to us, never run short of schemes to part people from their money. The police agency involved in one of the latest is the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. According to the agency, the scammer will inform the target that their name was used to rent a vehicle which was stopped at the border and contained a large quantity of drugs. The scammer then has the target verify their Social Security number or tells the target their bank account has been compromised. In some cases, the scammer threatens the target with arrest for the fictional drug seizure and instructs the ...

Drivers must be extra cautious with local schools starting

Local schools are going to be starting soon and we urge drivers on local roadways to exercise additional caution and care when motoring. That's because, of course, children by the score are going to be out and about and in places they haven't been during the summer months. It can be a recipe for tragedy unless drivers think through what they are doing behind the wheel and really pay attention. Those first days back to class are a busy and exciting time. And students themselves, especially younger ones, may need reminders about how to stay safe on their way to school. But we believe ...

State home-heating assistance available

We'd like to underscore the importance of the message in a recent Mining Journal story about what's known as the Home Heating Tax Credit, which helps eligible residents manage heating costs during the colder months. Qualified Michigan renters and homeowners have until Tuesday, Sept. 30 to claim the credit and those who don’t file by the deadline will miss out. State officials tell us that last year, for example, the average qualifying household received $180 in assistance, which is most often applied directly to residents’ utility bills. Some energy providers automatically provide ...

NMU program helps solve cold case

We like a program through the Northern Michigan University Criminal Justice Department that assists law enforcement agencies in solving real-life crimes. We're referring to the cold case program, which has recently helped solve a 39-year-old cold case from 1986, back far enough to be considered investigative permafrost. The cold case program has been in operation since 2022, instructor Christopher MacMaster told The Mining Journal. It helps local police agencies do something that most simply don't have the resources to undertake, he said. “Police and local agencies have limited ...

New police academy grads all have jobs

Call it a sign of the times but the recent graduates from the Northern Michigan University Public Safety Institute all had jobs before they left the university. “It is amazing to see,” training director Adam Maynard told The Mining Journal. “All of them are already hired. A lot of the times you’d exit the academy and look for a job. We are so short on officers that departments are hiring to put people in the academy.” According to NMU, the 20 new would-be officers will be spread out among a dozen departments across the Upper Peninsula. The graduates went through a 16-week ...

Be aware of deadly radon gas

Lung cancer is most preventable by not smoking. But what about being exposed to a colorless, odorless radioactive gas? Have you ever pondered about your lungs being poisoned slowly over time and eventually this form of ionizing radiation leads to cancer? Did you know that you could catch this deadly carcinogen while sitting at home, breathing in your living room air? Radon is the No. 1 leading cause of lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers with more than 20,000 people dying each year in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. This gas is a natural product of Uranium 238 ...