Tom Baldini Mikva Challenge Winner Gets National Award, Gogebic College Searching for New President, State Revenue Estimate Down, & NMU’s New Master’s Degree. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Sweating it Out: The U.P. and the Growing Popularity of Saunas

The Upper Peninsula’s rich sauna tradition, rooted in Finnish culture, is contributing to the booming popularity of saunas across the U.S. Learn about local businesses like The Sauna Guys and Esjay Saunas that are innovating in the industry and helping people experience the relaxation and health benefits of the sauna.

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Military Appreciation Month, New Bay College President, Mackinac Island Named Best, Immigration Law, Commission Vacancy, & More

Military Appreciation Month, New Bay College President, Mackinac Island Named Best, Immigration Law, Commission Vacancy, & More. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Rural Voices

Rural Voices: Don Wotruba

In the latest Rural Voices column, Upper Peninsula Native Don Wotruba gives an account of how his small-town upbringing in Carney-Nadeau provided a valuable foundation that has served him well in the years since he left the UP.

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Gender and Factory Work in the Upper Peninsula – Part Two

In Part Two of this two-part series, Dr. Russell Magnaghi explores gender and employment jobs during the industrial development of the Upper Peninsula’s mining regions: the Marquette, Menominee, and Gogebic Iron Ranges, as well as the Copper Country.

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We are the primary source for economic and policy research and information in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and beyond, working to ensure that our citizens and policymakers alike have the information they need to make informed decisions.

 

We believe that Truth + Knowledge equals Power, and that the people in rural areas deserve access to these tools just as much as anyone else.

The Issues

More From Our Articles

Whitmer for Congress, Donor Dollars at Finlandia University, UP Child Care Solutions, An Idea From a Reader, & Dark Store Exemption Legislation

Whitmer for Congress, Donor Dollars at Finlandia University, UP Child Care Solutions, An Idea From a Reader, & Dark Store Exemption Legislation. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Demography is Destiny? The Implications of Declining School Enrollment for the Upper Peninsula

In his latest article, Michael Broadway takes a look at the drop in school enrollment in the Upper Peninsula and the consequences this decline might have, and discusses what we might do to address this issue.

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Soo Locks Reconstruction, Nurses, Health Care and Patient Care in the UP, Finlandia Closure Continues, and Banned Books

Sault Locks Reconstruction, Nurses, Health Care and Patient Care in the UP, Finlandia Closure Continues, and Banned Books. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Research

Earned Income Tax Credit: Max Steele’s Analysis

Rural areas have several demographic components that lend themselves to having a…

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Recent Population Changes in the U.P. Amidst the Pandemic

The population dynamics of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are well documented. Its population,…

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Boom and Bust: Calumet and Keweenaw National Historical Park 30 Years On

Many communities throughout the Upper Peninsula have developed their sense of place…

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Survey Shows Diversity of NMU’s Student Veterans

Diversity is something that members of America’s armed forces inadvertently come to…

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Housing Rental Cost Dynamics in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Housing prices in the US have been increasing at an average rate…

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