2/06/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - Last year was a historic year for cougar sightings in Michigan, and the Department of Natural Resources is investigating potential causes.  Brian Roell, a wildlife biologist with the DNR, telling a down state Michigan TV station Wednesday that Michigan was once a natural habitat for cougars, with the last known cougar killed in the eastern U.P. in the early 1990s.  Cougars were confirmed back in the state in the late 2000s. Since then, the DNR has been monitoring them closely.  Roell noted that the DNR is still utilizing between 1,200 and 1,300 cameras to estimate wildlife populations, including cougars.  The increase in sightings is partly attributed to an increase in trail cams used by Michigan residents.  A significant milestone was reached last year when the DNR documented a cougar reproduction for the first time in many years.  The DNR encourages anyone who sees a cougar to report it through their web-based program. There, photos can be submitted and reviewed by the DNR’s cougar team.

2/06/2026

LAND O’LAKES - The Three Bear Sled Dog Races return to the Land O’ Lakes town hall grounds tomorrow & Sunday after a two-year break. Races start Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Organizers say the “best possible” trails for the Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club event have been prepared, which includes dog-team races, skijoring, and junior classes. Kids Mutt Races are Saturday at noon (register 11 a.m.) and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. (register 10:30 a.m.) and there are other kids’ activities. A veterinarian will be on site; no other pets are permitted. The free event features an ice bar, food, ice skating, a Saturday Frosty Snowmobile Club bonfire from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., and hot pasties for sale. The Musher’s Ball, with live music from Pentatonic, is Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Gateway Lodge. Find full info and updates are on the threebearsleddograces Facebook page.

2/05/2026

LAC DU FLAMBEAU - A federal appeals court dismissed a Department of Justice appeal that upheld U.S. District Judge William Conley’s August 2025 ruling granting Lac du Flambeau-area homeowners an “implied easement” to use four roads on tribal lands.

The dispute began in 2023 when the tribe barricaded the roads over expired easements. A temporary agreement required the town to pay nearly $600,000 in monthly permit fees until October 2024. Despite the tribe reopening the roads, the DOJ sued the town for trespassing, leading to Conley’s decision. The court granted the DOJ’s motion to dismiss its own appeal after canceled mediation.