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Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETTE – ”Michigan Week,” highlighting the state’s assets and history, is being re-energized by Secretary of State Candice Miller, who was in the Upper Peninsula last week. Miller is the state’s historian and is responsible for its History Bureau. She met with representatives of Upper Peninsula historical societies and other historical organizations at Northern Michigan University. The event was hosted by NMU president William E. Vandament, the 1995 Michigan Week co-chairman for the U.P. Miller said the Secretary of State’s office and the Michigan History ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago SAWYER AIR FORCE BASE — The last operational air force base at Sawyer will close a month earlier than originally planned. The early inactivation, says Col. Regner Rier, commander of the 410th Bomb Wing, will allow more people to witness the deactivation process. The 410th contributed to the nations victory during the cold war, and more recently, sent 450 people from varying career fields to serve the U.N. during the Persian Gulf War. This early closure will have little to no effect on day to day conversion operations 60 years ago ESCANABA — Commercial fishermen have ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETTE — The Marquette School Board passed a $25 million budget for the school year with $1 million of it in limbo, awaiting a Michigan Supreme Court decision. The court has established that the state cannot continue with its “pay as you go” approach to health benefits for employees. Instead, the court ordered the payments to be moved to a Retirement Fund Health Reserve to be made in advance, removing $294,000 from the district’s budget. Because of these delays, the districts budget will retire this year with a $48,000 balance. Superintendents and government ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETTE — Eleven corrections officers working at the Marquette Branch of the Michigan State Police were taken to the General Hospital after eating beans poisoned with oven cleaner. After detected in the food, the chemical mixture proved to be strong enough to turn a steel kettle purple. None of the officers were hurt, but many spent their workday being tended to at the hospital. Det. Sgt. Helmila of Negaunee is focused on finding the inmate involved in an earlier disagreement with a corrections officer that most likely led to the contamination of food. Helmila would ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago SAWYER AIR FORCE BASE — According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it will take $50 million dollars to clean up the widespread environmental contamination present at K.I. Sawyer, a project that would last until 2025. Despite the high prices and decades of work, these are normal numbers for military bases in the country facing closure. At Sawyer, many of the problem areas are fuel and solvent spills that leached a variety of hydrocarbon-based contaminants into the ground water over many years. The earliest recorded mass gasoline leak on the area was dated back to ...

Superiorland Yesterdays

30 years ago MARQUETTE — The Human Services Coordinating Body conducted a survey of 413 citizens and 136 key community leaders to understand some of Marquette’s key issues. Forty three percent of residents identified unemployment as their biggest concern, and thirty seven percent of community leaders agree. Marquette’s leaders also identified affordable medical care, alcohol and substance abuse, youth delinquency, recreational facilities, and household violence as other important issues. Community leaders are not alone in noticing the rise in health care inaccessibility, as it ...