4/02/2026

IRONWOOD - A 52-year-old Ironwood man has been sentenced to a minimum of 8 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison on drug charges. Todd Smith received the sentence in Gogebic County on Tuesday. Smith's arrest followed a Gogebic-Iron Area Narcotics Team (GIANT) investigation in July, during which he sold 0.24 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. The meth was turned over to GIANT investigators, leading to an arrest warrant. When Smith was arrested on September 30, he was found to have an additional 2.95 grams of methamphetamine. Smith is required to serve his minimum 8-year prison term before he becomes eligible for parole.  In addition, Wisconsin authorities retain the option of violating him on his extended supervision.

4/02/2026

N. WISCONSIN – Enbridge Energy has begun construction on its Line 5 relocation project, around the Bad River Reservation in Ashland County.  Enbridge company leaders also preparing for any potential protests and the financial burden local communities along the pipeline will have to bear.  Enbridge is voluntarily offering to reimburse local agencies for any project-related public safety and emergency response services. When Line 3 was reconstructed in Minnesota, Enbridge was required to reimburse local agencies for policing the project, which cost the company millions.  Line 5 starts in Superior and runs through northwest and Northern Wisconsin and into the Western U.P in our listening area. Bayfield County will be used as a staging ground for Enbridge, while the reroute goes through Ashland County and parts of Iron County.

4/02/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - An A-A-R-P study shows that roughly one in six adult Michiganders serves as a family caregiver, often at the cost of their own emotional, financial, and physical well-being. Family caregivers in the state contribute about 1-point-3 billion hours of care each year. Paula Cunningham, the Michigan state director of A-A-R-P, says despite the effort, most caregivers say it's worth it.

                    0:15  "We hear from caregivers every single day who tell us the same thing: they are doing this out of love, but they are stretched to the limits. Many are dipping into their savings to pay for care, some are cutting back on work or leaving the workforce entirely. Caregiving is real. It's relentless."

In Michigan, more than 1-point-5 million residents provide care. If those workers were paid a wage of around 20 dollars an hour, their labor would be valued at over 27-billion dollars. Nationally, the amount is more than 1-trillion dollars.