9/04/2026

GOGEBIC COUNTY - Marisa Van Zile of Watersmeet has been appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Developmental Disability Council.  The council advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.  Van Zile is a night auditor at Northern Waters Casino and a court officer at the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians’ Healing to Wellness Court. 

9/04/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - Michigan officials are reminding everyone to leave your firewood at home over the Labor Day holiday. Untreated firewood can carry invasive insects and plant diseases to new areas, where they can kill native trees, damage wildlife habitats, threaten forests, and possibly lead to quarantines or restrictions that may impact local communities and businesses financially. Officials recommend buying certified, heat-treated firewood near your destination. The message is simple: buy it where you burn it.

9/04/2026

VILAS COUNTY - As the Labor Day holiday weekend begins, there's a health advisory in effect at Big Arbor Vitae Lake Beach in Vilas County because of blue-green algae blooms. The beach is on the lake’s northeast shoreline, off Buckhorn Road. Officials warn some blooms can produce toxins that make people and pets sick, especially if swallowed or inhaled. Avoid contact with the affected water, and watch for green, cloudy, or opaque water with tiny particles. For more information, go to dhs.wisconsin.gov.