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Letters to the Editor

Relief needed for strained prison system

EDITOR: Recently Sen. Ed McBroom and Sen. Jeff Irwin raised important issues focusing on the Michigan Department of Corrections regarding the escalating crisis involving corrections officers and staff. As COVID continues to ravage the workers and incarcerated population, these issues demand immediate attention. For those who work and are housed in Michigan prisons it is entirely impossible to keep social distance and limit transmission of the virus. Reports from various facilities reveal that the MDOC response is following the same pattern which was put into motion when the ...

Consider purchasing a tree in IM

The City of Iron Mountain Tree Board is extending an offer to residents of the city to purchase a variety of tree(s) that can be planted in the boulevard area of your property. The Tree Board applied for and was awarded a grant by DTE in the fall of 2021 and planting will take place in the spring of 2022. The grant required that a diversity of trees be offered and to fill that requirement a total of five varieties have been ordered and are available to choose from. The price for a tree like this, balled with the roots in burlap with a 1.5-inch diameter trunk base has risen ...

Center provides help for pregnant women in need

EDITOR: What if there was an organization in our community that provided pregnant women with needed services to assist them, especially those lacking support or resources? Fortunately, there is such an organization — the Walk of Life Pregnancy Services Center. As a supporter of this organization, I am pleased to be able to tell you about some of their services. Walk of Life’s mission is to provide resources for women who are often young and low income and have unmet needs. Some of their services include: providing tangible items such as maternity and baby clothing, diapers and ...

The consequences of ignoring the warning signals

Wednesday, my wife and I were watching the show “Morning Joe” on MSNBC. Joe and team were attacking the governor of Virginia for the mess that had occurred on an Interstate highway in Virginia. It seems a lot of folks were trapped in their vehicles, unable to proceed to their destination due to some really bad winter weather. It had rained, making it impossible to put a salt and water mixture on the road ahead of the storm, as the rain would just wash it off. Then, it snowed and it snowed a lot and the snow was the heavy, wet variety. Living here, we pretty much all know just ...

State of the Menominee River

As 2021 comes to a close, I would like to offer my “State of the River” address to the people of this Menominee River watershed and beyond. This past year we have seen Great Lakes Exploration file an application for exclusive mineral rights in Holmes and Faithorn townships in Menominee County. The Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River established a “Call to Action” button on our website, www.jointherivercoalition.org, for concerned citizens to submit their letters of opposition. More than 600 letters were filed with Michigan’s Mineral Leases Division in opposition, and we are ...

Put the odds in your favor

EDITOR: Are you insured? I’m not talking about house or car; I’m talking about health and life insurance. Not the kind you get from Blue Cross or New York Life, I’m talking about the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. That is the only policy I feel gives me the statistically assurance that I won’t die from COVID even if I contract it. The U.S. recently passed the 800,000-death mark and the United States just won the title of the most recorded COVID deaths of any other country in the world. Each day there are more than 100,000 cases identified and 1,300 people are still dying ...