The Issues
Recent Articles
How land banks are transforming rural communities
Marquette County’s Finance Manager Anne Giroux writes about how land banks are proving to be a powerful tool for locally-driven development–transforming communities and improving neighborhoods.
All is not well: UP newspapers endure in era of COVID, cutbacks and social media
Despite immense challenges and an ever-changing landscape, newspapers in the Upper Peninsula have continued to survive. However, the future of print media in the region remains unclear.
Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors: July 13, 2020
Manufacturing and job growth in Dickinson County, new UP veteran service, crowded beaches in Marquette, and parents worry about kids’ return to school. Read more in this week’s Whispers, Noise & Rumors.
CRC: COVID-19 Will Lower State Revenue Sharing Dollars to Local Governments
Jill Roof of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan and Miranda Vetter at the University of Michigan share important insight on COVID-19’s impact on state revenue sharing to local governments.
Rural County Budgeting During a Pandemic
Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch provides an update on the County’s fiscal situation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors: July 6, 2020
Density in the U.P., K-12 funding in Michigan, Opening of U.P. Universities, and some quotes to make us think. Read more in this week’s Whispers, Noise & Rumors.
COVID-19 Distance Learning Response in Rural Western UP School Districts
Longtime Marquette-area educator Pamela Spady gives a detailed account on what distance learning looks like for the four school districts in Gogebic County.
Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors: June 29, 2020
UP’s most famous coach speaks out, NMU’s EAN network is slow, no UP or rural voices on State Board of Education, and UP colleges propose budget cuts . Read more in this week’s Whispers, Noise & Rumors.
Expansion of Telemedicine in Rural America
“The increased use of telemedicine and telehealth has been a breakthrough for rural health,” says Dennis Smith in his analysis of how telemedicine has expanded in America and the role this technology has played in rural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Neighbor, How Stands the UP?
Paraphrasing Stephen Vincent Benét, William Vajda asks the question, “Neighbor, How Stands the UP?” and offers a heartening response to that question amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
