Menominee County – Upper Peninsula News and Information: Recent Episodes
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ESCANABA — A candidate for State Representative says more needs to be done to create jobs in the Upper Peninsula. Bob Romps of Escanaba says jobs are still lacking despite and state unemployment rate of 4.1 percent in August. “It is downstate but the problem is up here it is still high. People aren’t getting benefits in their jobs so there is a lot of part-time jobs out there but not a lot of good paying jobs where people can make money and have insurance and these benefits. That’s what really kills people is the insurance,” Romps said. Romps says he would like to manufacturing expand. He also says the timber industry is important to the U.P. He is not as keen on tourism. “I don’t think tourism is the way to go because that is only part of the year. We need something that is steadier. When Harnisheger was here, that is when we were at our best in Escanaba,” Romps said. He is also leery of the new mine in Menominee County although Romps does support the re-opening of the Empire Mine in Marquette County. Romps is running against State Rep. Beau LaFave of Iron Mountain in the 108th District. It covers Delta, Menominee and Dickinson counties. The election is Nov. 6.
HARRIS – The Copper Country dominates the 2019 selection class for the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame, with half of the 10 selectees coming from that region. They include former L’Anse football coach Jerry Bugni, U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Linder of Hancock, former NHL skater Jeff Finger of Houghton, former Michigan Tech University coach Fred Lonsdorf and former radio announcer Bob Olson of Hancock. Remaining selectees include former Escanaba High School football standout Marmaduke “Duke” Christie, long-time Munising High School track and cross country coach Fran DesArmo, former Cedarville basketball coach Dave Duncan, veteran Kingsford High School football coach Chris Hofer and former North Dickinson High School and Indiana University basketball standout Todd Lindeman. The 48th annual induction banquet will be held May 11 at Island Resort and Casino in Harris. Four of the inductees are deceased, Christie, Linder, Lonsdorf and Olson. &nsp
MENOMINEE COUNTY – Aquila Resources says a feasibility study for its Back Forty Project in Menominee County is positive. Building an open pit mine will take two years and cost $294 million. Over a seven-year life span, the Back Forty project is expected produce 468,000 ounces of gold, 512 million pounds of zinc. The net present value after taxes with a 6 percent discount is $208 million and an internal rate of return of more than 28 percent. Barry Hildred, President and CEO of Aquila, says completion of the Feasibility Study is a significant milestone. “Back Forty is well-positioned as a permitted project in a favorable mining jurisdiction that is close to existing infrastructure,” Hildred said. He says Aquila is now ready to begin the pre-construction phase. The Company has also identified opportunities to further enhance the overall economics of the Project including the future addition of an underground expansion.
HERMANSIVILLE — The Upper Peninsula Sportsmen’s Alliance has recognized J.R. Richardson of Ontonagon as the group’s 2018 “Outstanding Conservationist.” The award was presented Saturday at a quarterly UPSA meeting in Hermansville. Richardson was appointed to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in 2007 and was appointed chairman of the commission in 2013. He has worked to improve fishing opportunities for anglers, including helping to increase the daily bag limit for brook trout over roughly 40 streams across the U.P. and backing efforts to improve walleye rearing, stocking and distribution, especially within inland waters. This past spring, he worked with trappers and the DNR to extend the beaver trapping season. “J.R. Richardson is a fantastic recipient for our Outstanding Conservationist award,” said Tony Demboski, UPSA president. “He always looks at all sides of a problem and any recommendations that are presented. He is a tremendous supporter of the natural resources across the entire state of Michigan.” Demboski said Richardson has provided extensive work and leadership to the U.P. Habitat Workgroup improving deer wintering habitat, formed the U.P. Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force to help generate policies best suited to the region and he has been very active with youth groups in the western Upper Peninsula.
LANSING — Preliminary discussions on fall hunting regulations for waterfowl and bear regulations are on the agenda today for the Michigan Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing. It also includes a discussion on the management plan for the Menominee River State Recreation Area. It encompasses nearly 10,000 acres of public land in Dickinson and Menominee Counties in the U.P. and Marinette County in Wisconsin along a 17 mile stretch of undeveloped river. It is co-managed by the States of Wisconsin and Michigan. The Menominee River State Recreation Area Management Plan recommends upgrades to a number of recreational facilities while maintaining the “backcountry” experience. The site includes Piers Gorge, Quiver Falls and Pemene Falls. Menominee River State Recreation Area Management Plan »
ESCANABA — The Linsmeier family has several Minneapolis-Moline tractors lined up along the midway at the U.P. Steam & Gas Engine Association’s annual Labor Day Show. Rich Linsmeier takes pride in restoring the type of antique tractors that were once sold by his father at a dealership in Menominee. “I remember several of the tractors in the family being sold at the business,” Linsmeier said. “They’re not around anymore so it kind of makes it a collectors piece, I guess, and you get a chance once in a while to get a real rare piece which is kind of nice.” Linsmeier won an award at the show for his restoration of a 1956 Minneapolis-Moline crawler, a prototype for the company. It made restoring the machine difficult. “The big deal was finding parts for it because it was a one of a kind unit. Everything that was shot or bad we had to build it, make it. So, it was real difficult in finding those parts,” said Linsmeier. The entire family today celebrates the family legacy with the tractors. At the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine show, Linsmeier’s grandchildren climb on the equipment his father once sold. His four sons and son-in-law and their families gather for a weekend showing the equipment they restore. Linsmeier says they have a very good time at the show. He gets emotional as he talks about it. “You can’t ask for a neater thing,” he said. “They are all interested in what I’m interested in and it’s just cool. What more could you ask for.” Today, Linsmeier sells Mahindra tractors at Linsmeier Implement in Menominee. In his case, the antique tractors are a part of his family. But he says it’s important to remember those companies that are no longer around but had an impact on the history of argiculture. “It shows you where we came from. Today, the tractors are so much more sophisticated and they have to be to keep up with technology to be competitive,” Linsmeier said. He said he knows the tractors will eventually go away but taking the time to restore them give us a chance to hold on to them a little bit longer. “It’s something interesting to bring back to life,” he said.
GLADSTONE — Police in Delta and Menominee Counties have received an increased number of calls involving a phone scam where the caller states that a grandchild or other family member has been in an accident and needs money for medical treatment or bond money. Detective Sgt. Jean Belanger with Michigan State Police at the Gladstone Post says most scams involve obtaining a victim’s personal information under false pretenses. The scammer usually portrays a sense of urgency, pretending to be an official of a legitimate organization to fool a victim into providing personal information or requesting that they send money. To avoid becoming a scam victim: Do not give personal information to unknown callers. Do not send money until you have verified the identity of the caller and the circumstances of the request. Do not respond to unsolicited e-mails from unknown senders. Use a reliable source, such as the phone book, to confirm the contact’s phone number or e-mail. Report any suspicious contacts to police. Belanger reminded residents that scams can take many different forms, but if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. They say to verify all information prior to sending any money to someone claiming to be a family member or someone claiming to be assisting a family member.
A tornado was confirmed near Hermansville last week in Menominee County. It was caught on video by Chelsea Blahnik as it came towards her farm. “I went around the corner of the house and I could hear this loud whistling like a semi as it goes by or something. I walked around the corner of the house and the wind just picked up. I looked toward the neighbors, to the field there and there it was. I had to hurry up and get my phone out of course. She began filming as the tornado spun closer. She then went inside with her two year old daughter to seek shelter with the twister. She posted the video to Facebook to show her family and friends what she say. Blahnik said the response to the video has been overwhelming. She received many requests to share the video including requests from stormchasers and the Weather Channel. “We just live in the U.P. on a farm. We live in the country and we post everything to Facebook. We just think things are cool and I wanted to share with my friends and my family but it’s gone beyond that. It’s just nuts,” Blahnik said. The National Weather Service in Marquette says damage from the EF1 tornado Thursday afternoon was limited to forested areas. Winds were estimated to be up to 90 mph. It was on the ground for about 1.25 miles. No injuries were reported. The tornado touched down just south of the intersection of County Roads 579 and 388, lifting as it crossed County Road 388. The damage path was estimated to be 200 yards wide. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along the path. Some small farm equipment was tossed around as the tornado moved within 100 feet of the farm. The National Weather Service said a low pressure system passing across Upper Michigan during the day allowed widespread showers to develop throughout the U.P. During the afternoon and early evening hours the clouds broke up just enough to allow some insolation, which created enough instability to create a brief tornado spin-up over northern Menominee county.
GLADSTONE – Seniors and students were among those that attended the open house Tuesday at the Gladstone State Police Post. Pam Haluska, center coordinator at the Hermansville Senior Citizen Center, brought a group from Hermansville. “They are all excited,” she said. “They love the dog so far. They were surprised by all of the equipment over there and basically just very good information.” The group talked with officers on the SWAT team about the equipment they use and watched a reconnaissance robot work. Nearby, a group of students from the Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy in Menominee took turns on a driving simulator. Lisa Bergstrom says it is good for the students to interact with the officers. I think it is important for them to see how a community is built from a variety of different roles and people coming together,” Bergstrom said, “and I think it is also important for them to get to see and meet the police officers to understand how they are hear to help us and not something or someone to be afraid of.” Spencer, a fourth grader from the school, enjoyed the simulator because it was similar to his video games. “I crashed, that’s for sure,” he said with a laugh. “It’s like my favorite game, Traffic Slam 3.” He also enjoyed playing in the antique police car. The ones in the front pretended to be police officers while the ones in the back were prisoners. Spencer sat in the front. First Lt. Greg Cunningham, post commander, said they were expecting about 300 students from Delta and Menominee Counties to see the displays. “It was an opportunity for the community to stop by and see the resources that the Michigan State Police have and it’s also a good time for our local school districts to have their students there on field trips to interact with the troopers on a more personal note,” Cunningham said. Other displays included the crime lab, crash reconstruction and trooper motorcycle and vehicle equipment.
ESCANABA – More than two inches of rain fell in Escanaba this afternoon causing widespread flooding throughout the city, including Ludington Street in Escanaba where a kayaker took advantage of the high water. Massive flooding also occurred from the intersection of Ludington and Lincoln in Escanaba and continued up North Lincoln Road toward the traffic signal at 3rd Avenue North. Similar flooding occurred on U.S. 2 in Iron Mountain where rain water on the west end of town covered the roadway and ran all the way up to businesses on the highway. The National Weather Service in Marquette says flooding occurred in Delta and Dickinson Counties and storm damage was reported in Menominee County. Classes at the school in Stephenson were dismissed early because of power outages in the area. In Ishpeming, 2,293 Upper Peninsula Power Company customers were still without power late into the afternoon. Three power outages were reported in the southern part of Escanaba. Electric Superintendent Mike Furmanski says one was caused by a downed tree. The other two were believed to be caused by lightning strikes. High winds on Lake Superior are also expected to cause rapid fluctuation in water levels tonight called seiche from Baraga County to Luce County.