Latest news with #NorthernMichigan
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Manna Food Project reports rise in food insecurity, people seeking food assistance
PETOSKEY — Grocery store visits and housing costs continue to rise, causing major financial strain for some Michiganders, and Emmet County is no different. Carrie Klingelsmith, executive director of the Manna Food Project, said the group has been working to help reduce the strain, spending more on food to keep grocery costs lower for Northern Michigan residents. According to a press release from The Manna Food Project, one in six Michigan residents — more than 1.5 million people — struggle with food insecurity, and one in five children do not know where their next meal will come from. Around 600,000 of those Michiganders are ineligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The number of people experiencing hunger rose to 14.9% in Emmet County, with 48% of food insecure people ineligible for SNAP, according to recent data from Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study, which uses data from 2023. Manna supports residents in Emmet, Charlevoix and Antrim counties, and all three saw an increase in adult and child hunger. Through May 2025, the Manna Food Project had distributed more than 700,000 pounds of food throughout the region, a 24% increase from last year. To try to keep up with demand, Klingelsmith said Manna has been seeking outside funding sources and partnerships, including grant writing. "It is very fulfilling every day," she said. "Everybody right now is just having a really difficult time, and being there to listen and show compassion to people — I think is super important in the work that we do every day." Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage In the last four years, the group has seen an increase of around 84% of people seeking food assistance, Klingelsmith said. She added that when people are food insecure, they likely need financial assistance in other areas as well. "It's a snowball effect," she said. "It just takes one thing — an ice storm, for example — to set people back where they just can't catch up. It's a rollercoaster of people trying to manage the different aspects of their lives." For people interested in learning more about the Manna Food Project, how to donate or get involved with volunteering, visit — Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@ Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @KarlyGrahamJrn. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Manna Food Project sees rise in food insecurity, requests for assistance in Emmet County
Top Gear
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Want to see some big American trucks drag race? Course you do
Advertisement Video Meet the man who bought a track just to drag race semi trucks. Yup, really 10 minutes 27 seconds Top Gear's tuning correspondent Rob Dahm heads to northern Michigan to meet Mike Sturgill, a lifelong trucker who got a taste for drag racing semi trucks and decided to buy a track and bring it to the masses... Advertisement - Page continues below You might like Advertisement - Page continues below Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After the ice storm: PIE&G funds groups that kept the lights on
Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op has launched a program to aid community organizations that supported residents during the March ice storm, according to a community announcement. The storm, which began in late March, caused extensive damage to Northern Michigan's energy grid, resulting in more than $175 million in damages. PIE&G's entire system was knocked out, affecting more than 35,000 rural homes and businesses across nine counties. All members impacted by the storm have had their power restored, and internet service has been restored to more than 90% of subscribers who lost service due to the ice storm, according to the May 21 announcement. PIE&G is collaborating with local shelters, emergency services, fire departments, food pantries and other community organizations to determine how to best allocate additional funding for the support they provided during the storm. How to submit your community announcements for the Cheboygan Daily Tribune 'At PIE&G, we are dedicated to investing in our communities across Northern Michigan,' Allan Berg, PIE&G CEO, said in the release. 'We partner with local groups doing important community work and so many of these groups rallied together during the recent catastrophic ice storm. Part of our values is being a trusted energy and community partner and supporting those groups and individuals that help the communities we proudly serve.' More information can be found at This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: PIE&G launches new aid for local groups hit by March ice storm
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Michigan State Police welcomes new commander to St. Ignace post
EASTERN UPPER PENINSULA — The Michigan State Police recently welcomed First Lieutenant Brock Artfitch as the new commander for the St. Ignace post. Artfich is from rural Nebraska, where he grew up working on a family ranch. He studied at Indiana University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in economics. He then studied law at Michigan State University, where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree. Artfitch also graduated from the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute. Instead of pursuing a career in law, Artfitch joined the Michigan State Police in 2014. He looked for positions in Northern Michigan, as that is where he wanted to move his family. He started off at the Gaylord post before moving to the Seventh District Hometown Security Team, where he gained experience dealing with drug interdiction. Artfitch was later promoted to the rank of sergeant and moved to the St. Ignace post. He spent eight years there instructing other officers in precision driving. He then went on to serve as a field investigator for the Professional Standards Section of the state police. He is now returning to St. Ignace to lead as the post commander. 'I consider myself incredibly privileged to have this opportunity to work with a team of dedicated and experienced sergeants, troopers, motor carrier officers and civilian staff members at the St. Ignace Post," said Artfitch. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our content His job will include a wide range of responsibilities, including coordinating with groups like the Mackinac Bridge Authority and other local and community organizations. Artfitch said his first priorities as commander include active community engagement, combating illegal drug distribution into the U.P. and recruiting new officers to boost staffing levels. He has also made it a goal to reduce serious traffic accidents through more impactful enforcement. 'I am dedicated to the people we serve and will do all I can to support our members in the crucial work they do," said Artfitch. — Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@ This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Michigan State Police welcomes Brock Artfitch as new commander at St. Ignace post
New York Times
26-05-2025
- New York Times
A Sweet and Savory Road Trip in Northern Michigan
Ask any Michigander to define 'Up North,' a colloquial term for Northern Michigan, and you'll find the answer varies widely. For the past 40 years, my family has defined it as the greater Grand Traverse Bay — an arm of Lake Michigan where miles of white sand beaches and towering dunes stretch alongside freshwater lakes so vast they resemble oceans. Here, wildflower meadows bloom, cherry orchards thrive, rolling farmlands unfold and nowhere else do we eat as well. Over the years, we've learned that the best way to experience the flavors of the land and the lakes is by visiting local farm stands, orchards, wineries and fisheries to gather the region's bounty at the source. Canada 10 miles Traverse City Lake Michigan Minn. michIGAN 31 Idyll Farms Michigan Grand Traverse Bay Lakeview Hill Farm & Market Carlson's Fishery Bellaire Smokehouse Loma Farm Old Mission Peninsula Farm Club 22 West Arm Grand Traverse Bay Leelanau Cheese Bos Wine Elk Rapids Leelanau Peninsula Interwater Farms 72 Taproot Cider House The Cooks' House S2S Sugar to Salt Traverse City 131 31 31 2 miles Canada 10 miles Traverse City michIGAN Michigan Idyll Farms 31 Grand Traverse Bay Carlson's Fishery Bellaire Smokehouse Leelanau Cheese Bos Wine Elk Rapids Interwater Farms Lakeview Hill Loma Farm Farm Club Taproot Cider House The Cooks' House 72 S2S Sugar to Salt Traverse City 131 By The New York Times A tour beginning in Traverse City, either venturing west to the villages of Suttons Bay, Leland and Northport, or east to Elk Rapids, Williamsburg and Eastport, could have your vehicle, by day's end, brimming with organic fruit and vegetables, freshly caught whitefish, bottles of Riesling, creamy cheese, baked goods and more. Each stop on this sweet and savory tour offers a taste of a region as diverse as it is delicious. As the season starts, farmers are planting their crops and preparing for the busy summer months, when the region welcomes more than eight million tourists between now and Labor Day. A Different Way of Farming Just seven miles from downtown Traverse City lies Farm Club, a restaurant, bakery, brewery, market and fermentation project that has quickly become a cornerstone of the region's food scene. The restaurant offers a true farm-to-table experience (minus any pretension), while the market overflows with fresh produce, wines, East Coast Pale Ale beer ($13 for a six-pack), sea salt chocolate rye cookies ($3 each), stone-milled heirloom cornmeal ($7 a bag) and five-pound brown bags of flour milled on-site ($12). Coolers are stocked with housemade pickles ($10) and sauerkraut ($12) fermented on-site, a vibrant snapshot of what the farm — two acres at Farm Club and an additional eight acres down the road at their main farm, Loma Farm — has to offer. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
