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Editorial

Roots of political ugliness go deep

Longtime readers of The Mining Journal's Opinion page are familiar with columnist Cal Thomas, a reliably conservative writer who has been around for a good many years. We have found that close readings of Thomas' columns — he typically writes at least two per week and apparently never takes a day off — will reveal, to some degree at least, what Republican Party thinking is on this topic or that one. In fact, we know of some liberals who follow him for that reason alone, to get an idea what Republicans are saying behind the scenes. So, with that as a back drop, it was with a sense ...

Take steps to stop spread of oak wilt

It’s time to leave those oak trees alone. Due to the possibility of beetles spreading oak wilt fungus from tree to tree, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources advises homeowners and landowners not to trim or prune any oak trees from mid-April to mid-July. Sap-feeding nitidulid beetles are most active during this period and can transfer spores from infected trees to healthy trees through wounds, the DNR states in a news release. Recent research at Michigan State University indicates that in Michigan, oak wilt infection risk peaks in May and June. The DNR recommends that ...

Leonard exit from race should be cautionary tale

Many Upper Peninsula residents are only vaguely familiar with former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Leonard, who suddenly halted his campaign late last week. Of course, Leonard had some degree of name recognition going in given his time as a state representative from Clinton and Gratiot counties. He also served as speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. But he was still struggling to put himself on the front burner of Republican politics in the mostly conservative Upper Peninsula when he stepped away from the race. Why? Because, in his own words, he is weary of the ...

Check for restrictions, be careful if burning

With the snow mostly gone and longer sunny days drying everything out, spring fire season has arrived — that dangerous period before enough new greenery grows to make the brown grasses and bare branches less vulnerable to a stray spark or ember. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds the public to check fire danger and burn permit restrictions before conducting outdoor burning activities, as recent storms have increased the amount of debris on the landscape across much of Wisconsin. Even with recent heavy rainfalls and severe weather, Wisconsin last week had 50 ...

City serious about cleaning up Cliffs Dow

There used to be a somewhat grim aphorism about the old Cliffs-Dow site along Lakeshore Boulevard in the city of Marquette: The place is so toxic with old industrial pollution that even the crows pack lunches when they fly over it. Overstated? Perhaps. But clearly, decades of charcoal manufacture through hardwood distillation and God only knows what else has left much of the soil there foul and unusable. Just how foul and unusable? It appears, after years of discussion, a process will unfold this construction season to find out. Using an EPA grant, the city will oversee an ...

Trump promised a ceasefire, civilians in Lebanon need real peace

The 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon that Donald Trump announced ... is desperately needed. It must also be regarded with immense caution. Iran and mediator Pakistan believed that Lebanon was covered by last week’s US-Israel-Iran ceasefire, before Israel unleashed 100 strikes in 10 minutes – killing hundreds and wounding many more on “Black Wednesday”. Lebanon was pulled into this crisis by Mr Trump’s illegal war on Tehran, and should not have been excluded from his truce. The US president, desperately seeking an exit to the broader conflict, is now reining in Mr Netanyahu. But only ...