The Issues
Recent Articles
Whispers, Noise & Rumors: May 25, 2020
Read more in this week’s Whispers, Noise & Rumors.
Becoming a rural veteran
“Nothing was the same. The friends I had known two decades ago were gone, or exactly as they had been 22 years earlier; my family were older, many had passed, and the number of people crowded all around me was a difficult situation to adjust to.” Army Veteran Michael Rutledge, who served two decades in the service, provides insight into the challenges returning home and how the rural lifestyle of Marquette and the Upper Peninsula helped him readjust.
What is rural? My experience in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
“My experiences growing up in a small rural town have given me a unique understanding of and appreciation for rural communities–so much so that I, like many others, have happily chosen to return to a rural area to work and raise my family.” Dr. Greg Ghiardi of Marquette gives an insightful personal account of what “rural” means to him in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Whispers, Noise & Rumors: May 18, 2020
Michigan revenue estimates, state employee workforce cut, veterans enrolling at UP state universities, and the significance of our zip codes. Read more in today’s issue of Whispers, Noise & Rumors.
Study finds child care costs, barriers more difficult for U.P. families
A recent Rural Insights paper that examined the child care costs found that, though child care costs present a challenge in the State of Michigan as a whole, they are especially difficult for families in the Upper Peninsula when compared to the urban counties downstate.
NMU study finds youth mental healthcare a challenge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
A recent paper published by NMU student Isabelle Nebel and faculty member Brian Cherry found that access to mental health care for children is particularly difficult in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Whispers, Noise & Rumors: May 11, 2020
U.P. festival cancellations, state revenue projections, universities opening campuses, and public health investment. Read the latest in this week’s edition of Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors.
Thinking about Michigan’s state and local government financial future
A recent webinar put on by the Citizens Research Council shed some light on the financial future of Michigan’s state and local governments.
Impact of COVID-19 on rural businesses and the Upper Peninsula communities
The Marquette Downtown Development Authority recently conducted a study to know what some local business owners are saying about when businesses should open, which should open first, and how it all impacts the employees of these businesses and the owners.
Whispers, Noise & Rumors: May 4, 2020
State budget cuts, Dark Stores, rural capital investment, and summer festivals in the U.P. Read about these issues in our first edition of Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors.
