Lourin Sprenger | Author
The Sun Rises on Solstice Theatre Company
April 11, 2026
There’s a bright new sunrise coming to northern Michigan’s performing arts scene.
For Chelsea Kaye, founder of Solstice Theatre Company in Traverse City, the idea has been years in the making. “Solstice really was a long time coming,” Kaye reflects on the vis…
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The Ultimate Love Story: Interlochen Arts Academy Presents Romeo and Juliet Ballet
Feb. 7, 2026
At Interlochen Center for the Arts, high school dancers are learning what it means to fall in love, feud, and grieve… all without saying a word.
This February, Interlochen’s high school ballet program will present a 90-minute production of the ultimate love story: R…
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Jan. 24, 2026 When 19-year-old Felicity Martines found out she was pregnant, her life changed overnight. The mom-to-be was living in a camper in her parent’s backyard with no heat and no running water. Winter was coming, and she didn’t know where she and her baby would go. She was sti…
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Jan. 3, 2026 As the calendar turns and wellness resolutions begin to take shape, Manistee residents have more options than ever for getting active, whether they’re looking to build confidence through martial arts or find calm strength through yoga. Two local fitness leaders, Manistee Comba…
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Dec. 6, 2025 The first thing most people notice when they walk into Love Thy Neighbor in Traverse City isn’t the stacks of hand-assembled layettes or the line of donated walkers and wheelchairs. It’s the feeling, an unhurried calm that suggests whoever just arrived isn’t an interruptio…
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Nov. 22, 2025 This year, the best gift might come in a box topped with a bow…and then unfold on a tabletop, in a burst of laughter, strategy, or quiet concentration. Across northern Michigan, local game shops are bringing people together, not just through cards, dice, and puzzles, but also…
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Nov. 8, 2025 In our constantly connected, ever-moving lives, it’s all too easy to get swept up in the waves of work, news, schedules and obligations. We rarely carve space for ourselves—and that’s when stress, anxiety, and burnout creep in. Northern Express spoke with …
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Nov. 8, 2025 On an early morning in Gaylord, it isn’t unusual to see Rebecca Brown already moving between volunteers, checking lists, and loading boxes into cars. To her, the work of the Otsego County Food Pantry isn’t about food—it’s love in action. “My parents tau…
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Oct. 11, 2025 If you’ve ever walked through the doors of a Goodwill store in northern Michigan—hunting for that just-right vintage jacket or the missing piece to a Halloween masterpiece—you’ve been part of something much bigger than yourself. “Goodwill Northern Michi…
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Oct. 11, 2025 When the doors of the Traverse City State Hospital closed more than three decades ago, many of its live-in residents were left without stable housing or the support they needed to survive independently. Out of that void came the organization now known as Northwest Michigan Supportive Housin…
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Sept. 13, 2025 Bruce—a three-year-old boxer—isn’t shy about showing affection (as you can see from the story photo). He greets visitors with an enthusiastic wag, a playful nudge, and, if you’re lucky, a sloppy kiss. Beneath his charming exterior is a story of resilience, one that&r…
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Aug. 23, 2025 For more than half a century, northern Michigan’s Head Start, a government-funded program offered through Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA), has been a cornerstone of early childhood education and family support. “We’re providing comprehensive serv…
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Building Resilience, One Family at a Time
Paths to Strength in Manistee
When Small Conversations Spark Big Change
Game On!
Slowing Down: How to Destress in a World Full of Demands
Love in Action at Otsego County Food Pantry
From Halloween Costumes to Fresh Starts
The Power of Housing
Healing from the Inside Out with BARC
Building Strong Children, Families, and Communities