Ice Man

Russ Ryba and his cult of frozen Straits-crossing fat tire bikers

During most of the year, Mackinac Island is a busy, bustling tourist destination, sometimes seeing as many as 15,000 visitors in a single day. During the winter, ... Read More >>

Pickled Martini

Tastemaker

A tiny sprig of emerald dill floats on the Pickled Martini’s pristine blanket of silky, white foam … and the daggone thing looks like some artist’s version ... Read More >>

Kalkaska Pick-Kwik's Pulled Pork Tacos

Tastemaker

In a town chock-full of fast food restaurants, tasty tacos can be hard to find. “People think Kalkaska doesn’t have tacos,” Glenn Hunter tells Northern Express. But ... Read More >>

The Lazy Novice’s Guide to Ice Fishing

Cheap, easy, and immediate outdoor fun

When’s the best time to fish? Some will say a calm day. Some will suggest early morning; others, evening. But many will tell you one of the North’s ... Read More >>

Northern Michigan’s Safety Net is Broken

As a brutal winter rages on, a new policy at DHHS is causing serious problems for people in need.

A change in how the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services processes applications for benefits like food stamps and emergency heating assistance was supposed to increase ... Read More >>

Regina Carter Bringing Ella Fitzgerald Alive at City Opera House

Jazz violinist and vocalist to resurrect many of Lady Ella's lesser-known songs

Renowned violinist Regina Carter has found inspiration in what might appear to be an unusual place: a vocalist.  Though in the case of a jazz musician, it’s hard ... Read More >>

Loss of Finger Doesn’t Stop Pianist

For Dr. Michael Coonrod, Memorial Day weekend 2014 was looking like any other. He went camping with the scout troop he sponsors, and after dinner they decided to go on a hike, as they had the previous year. But when Coonrod tried to clamber over a barbed ... Read More >>

Mix It Up With Some ’80s Babies

A massive 53-city schedule has been announced for The Mixtape Tour, an ambitious retro-music tour set to launch a little later this year. The tour will focus on ’80s music via headliners New Kids on the Block, who will share the trek with Salt-N-Pepa, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, ... Read More >>

What if you hold a Gamblers Anonymous meeting and no one comes?

For the handful of people who regularly attend Traverse City’s twice-weekly Gamblers Anonymous meetings, something is amiss: New people rarely show up, and when they do, they almost always drop out after just a meeting or two.“So many people come for a week or month and then ... Read More >>

Bullies, Bots, and Trolls, Oh My!

In this turbulent political climate, internet harassment is clearly on the rise, largely due to a president who can’t make it through his first BK Whopper of the day without trolling anyone who disagrees with his half-baked public policy schemes. On Trump’s lead, online bullying of women, ... Read More >>