Features

Feature Story The comfortable meeting room at 1Q1.

Need to work away from home? Consider these co-working spaces in rural Michigan

Looking for a remote place to work? Considers one of these co-working spaces in the U.P. and beyond. These spaces are ideal for solo work and also to collaborate with others. The amenities include more than an endless supply of coffee.

Longform Chelsea Area Fire Authority Chief Robert Arbini.

Chelsea firefighters seek help to restore aging fire station

Chelsea Area Fire Authority Chief Robert Arbini is sounding an alarm – but it's not for the type of emergency that most community members might imagine. This time Chelsea's fire station at 200 W. Middle St. is in urgent need of rescue.

Longform Danielle Atkinson, founder and national director of Mothering Justice, has been instrumental in advocating for paid leave in Michigan.

Paid sick leave and family leave are moving forward in Michigan. Here's what's next.

For more than a decade, Michigan advocacy groups and some legislators have been working to expand paid leave from work for Michiganders – and this year, their efforts are paying off in two major ways.

Feature Story The Going PRO Talent Fund grants will benefit several industries, with manufacturing receiving the most awards, 54.

GoingPro grants boost workforce development across West Michigan

Benteler Automotive is one of 94 regional employers that have been awarded $4.8 million in the Going PRO Talent Fund grants. These awards will support skill development and workforce capabilities across multiple industries.

Feature Story MMC MP Campus List

Michigan expands tuition-free access to community colleges, boosting higher education equality

The Michigan Reconnect Scholarship program is now open to students as young as 21. The goal of the scholarship is to increase the percentage of Michigan adults with postsecondary education to 60% by 2030.

Feature Story Media participated in a ride on the electrified trail in June.

What's it like riding the U.P.'s electrified trails?

The U.P. is home to the country's first-of-its-kind electrified trail network, allowing off-road vehicle enthusiasts the opportunity to explore 125 miles of the countryside without having to worry about charging. What's it like to ride this trail on an electric ORV? Is this the future of ORVs?  

Feature Story Northern Lakes CMH's behavioral health homes serve residents of six Northern Michigan counties.

Behavioral Health Homes: A transformative approach in Michigan

Behavioral health homes provide holistic care that addresses both the physical and mental health needs of individuals, ensuring a coordinated and patient-centered approach. 

Feature Story graylingair

Northern Strike returns to the Tip of the Mitt

One of the U.S. Department of Defense’s largest joint training readiness programs, Northern Strike, takes place on land, in the sky, in the water and in cyberspace through August 17. The staging here for that extensive military exercise is none other than The Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Grayling.

Partner Content McMorran Place.

Lessons from the trail: How a scenic trail system fosters vibrant communities and economic growth

Over the last ten years, it’s estimated that over $180 million has been invested in 60 different public and private projects along the trail. These projects include restaurants, entertainment venues, housing, hotels, and retail stores.

Feature Story Fishing tourney list image

Fishing tournaments reel in dollars, tourism, and community engagement for the region

Smallmouth and largemouth bass aren’t the only things national fishing tournaments are reeling into the Great Lakes Bay Region. Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw also saw hundreds of people and nearly a million dollars come into the area from direct spending of participants and tourists from these annual events.

Feature Story coopersvillebrewing

How one rural Michigan brewery created community

When Jeremy Grossenbacher decided to open his own craft brewery in his hometown of Coopersville, he knew he wanted to create something more than a place to grab a cold brew. He wanted to create community. 

Feature Story Vander Meulen Builders

A century of craftsmanship: Family firm celebrates 100 years of building homes

Vander Meulen Builders, a fourth-generation family-owned construction firm, is celebrating a century of building custom homes for the Lakeshore community. 

Feature Story Edison Manufacturing within Port Hurons Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Park.

Look Out: Autonomous vehicle production at Edison Manufacturing

Autonomous vehicles have entered the manufacturing scene with one Port Huron-based company leading the way for their production, in Michigan and beyond.

Feature Story adrianpickleball

Rural Michigan embraces popular pickleball

It's the fastest-growing recreational activity in the country, and communities across rural Michigan are embracing the sport, building new courts to meet growing demand.

Feature Story The new Commongrounds building on Eighth Street in Traverse City.

Commongrounds uses co-op model to serve missing needs of the community

Traverse City's Commongrounds is a mixed-use building, offering affordable housing, co-working space, a coffee shop, child education center, and performance venue. It's the first real estate cooperative in northern Michigan.

Feature Story Bosco's Bees honey bees.

"Getting Buzzed" Bosco’s Bees discusses the health of pollinators in St. Clair County

St. Clair County is facing a decline in its European honeybee population and native pollinators. Bosco's Bees is a local apiary weathering this crisis and discusses how their farm has dealt with the resulting challenges.

Feature Story small-surge-networking

Inaugural Surge Summit brings Tech Week GR expansion to Holland

The half-day event will highlight product and technology startups in West Michigan’s Lakeshore region and aims to ignite conversations about pathways to innovation for businesses at all stages and sizes.  

Longform Mark Witte

CCBHCs extend mental health care to more Michiganders despite challenges

Michigan was added to the country's list of certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC) demonstration states back in the summer of 2020, with 29 counties throughout the lower peninsula operating CCBHCs through their community mental health agencies.

Longform Angie Gullekson, MPH,CPS.TTS, community Health Coordinator at Di.strict Health Department #10

Public health campaigns aim to keep kids safe from Marijuana poisoning

As more adults use marijuana, the downside is more young children are ending up with marijuana poisoning. Here's how Michigan's local health departments are keeping them safe.

Feature Story elderberryfarmview

Michigan's first commercial elderberry farm offers u-pick, market and more

Elderberry Farms Estate -- Michigan's first commercial elderberry farm -- grows elderberries, blueberries, lavender, herbs and more.  The 14-acre farm outside Traverse City also has a small market and cafe.