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Be certain to get your REAL ID sooner than later

We all know that time has a way of sneaking up on us. So, before you start planning your summer vacation or a weekend getaway trip, be sure to have a REAL ID-compliant state license or identification card. Beginning May 7, Michigan residents will need a REAL ID to fly domestically or enter certain federal facilities to comply with federal law, news staff writer Steve Schulwitz reported on Wednesday. A person can tell if they are REAL ID-compliant by ensuring they have a gold star in the top-right corner or a star in the middle of the Michigan graphic of their driver’s license or ...

Job cut protests underscore anxiety over future

This past week, protests around the country and in many places in the Upper Peninsula saw large groups gather to protest the actions of the Donald Trump administration alongside Elon Musk. In the month since Trump took the oath of office, massive changes have come to the United States, particularly due to Elon Musk and his “DOGE” project. One such protest took place in Marquette Tuesday. Jacquilyn Otis, an 80-year-old woman from Marquette, attributes her life experience to why she felt she had to protest; as well as her own life being affected by the Trump Administration, and ...

Sawyer rehab work a boon to area

On Tuesday, the Marquette County Board of Commissioners took a step to revitalize the K.I. Sawyer area when they approved a measure that would designate the base as a commercial rehabilitation district. The measure aims to allow for urban growth and renewal of properties by freezing the taxable value of the properties prior to work being done. “At Sawyer, most of the remaining properties need rehabilitation and this is a good mechanism to incentivize development,” said Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch. “This type of district is being used in the city of Negaunee.” ...

NPS layoffs are shortsighted

The Department of the Interior is terminating 1,000 full-time National Park Service employees, according to an advocacy group that calls the job cuts “reckless,” as reported by Travel Weekly. The National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit based in Washington D.C., said the staffing cuts will “leave parks understaffed, facing tough decisions about operating hours, public safety and resource protection.” The NPCA noted that the Interior Department exempted 5,000 seasonal positions from the current federal government hiring freeze, but that the loss of 1,000 full-time ...

MSU survey finds ‘hands-free’ law having effect

While it should have been obvious, the message to keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road when driving — and off cell phones and other electronic devices — has taken awhile to sink in, despite its potential for disaster. Distracted driving is thought to have claimed more than 3,000 lives in 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With that kind of grim statistic in mind, states have enacted laws to make drivers think twice about using their phones while driving, including Michigan, according to a recent news release. A Michigan State ...

Michigan Education Trust lowers startup costs for prepaid tuition

The Michigan Education Trust, a prepaid tuition savings program, helps Michigan families pay for future education at today’s tuition rates. Over its 37-year history, MET has helped more than 105,000 students work toward their education goals. Beginning this year, the program is becoming more accessible with a new $25 minimum enrollment contribution. This replaces the previous requirement to purchase at least one credit hour to start, which generally ranges between $200 and $800. In a news release, MET Executive Director Diane Brewer said the change is designed to make MET plans ...