Patrick Sullivan | Author

Feb. 16, 2019

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 efficiency and ensure that clients get processed more quickly.

Instead, the new system, which was ... Read More >>

Lost in the Lake

Feb. 9, 2019

Losing a loved one to drowning is one kind of terrible tragedy. Not knowing where their body is, except that it’s out there in a certain section of water, is another kind altogether.
That’s something Kelly Dalton said she learned after her son, 21-year-old Tyler Lee Spink... Read More >>

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

Feb. 2, 2019

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 mont... Read More >>

Lame Duck Fallout

Jan. 26, 2019

Four bills state legislators passed during its lame duck session have transformed Michigan’s environmental policy.

One sweeping new law prevents the state from enacting environmental standards that are stricter than federal standards, except in certain cases. Another roll... Read More >>

The $365,000 Question

Jan. 19, 2019

After a year of in-depth study, the Grand Traverse County Road Commission is preparing to unveil several options to improve east-west traffic flow around Traverse City.
They plan to host a public meeting in February to announce the options, but in the meantime, officials are keeping ... Read More >>

The Road to Health

Jan. 5, 2019

There’s a movement afoot to improve the health of the Grand Traverse region, and it might begin by reimagining Traverse City’s Eighth Street, between Boardman and Railroad avenues, as a “health district” — an area designed to promote walking, biking, and conn... Read More >>

Nicole Blonshine Isn't Your Average Rural Township Supervisor.

Dec. 29, 2018

When Nicole Blonshine won the position of Blair Township supervisor in 2016, one of the Republican’s first goals as leader of the growing, partly rural area south of Traverse City was to start earning the area some positive press.

She did things like organize a cleanup ef... Read More >>

The Great Flu Pandemic of 1918

Dec. 15, 2018

Imagine driving north from Traverse City, attempting to head into Leelanau County through Greilickville, but at the Grand Traverse County line, police have put up a blockade.

Leelanau County has been quarantined, and you face a choice: Turn back, or get arrested.

Th... Read More >>

How Much Northern Michigan Trash Really Gets Recycled?

Dec. 8, 2018

Depending on where you live, you might have curbside recycling, or you might have to drive to a drop-off location. In some places, you might have to drive to a nearby township to properly get rid of your recyclable paper and plastic and metal debris; what’s accepted varies from plac... Read More >>

An Audacious Goal for Leelanau County

Dec. 1, 2018

Northport Energy was founded a decade ago with a singular mission: to make the tip of Leelanau County completely green.

The group hasn’t gotten there yet, but it’s had some significant achievements. Members have helped establish one of the first “net zero” ... Read More >>

Northern Michigan's Nuclear Risk

Nov. 24, 2018

In 1997, Charlevoix’s Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant was rechristened Big Rock Point Restoration Project, and a massive decommissioning project began.

Soon, little was left of the historic nuclear plant, and spent nuclear fuel was put into temporary on-site storage to... Read More >>

The White Shoal Beckons

Nov. 17, 2018

There was something in Brent Tompkins’ landlocked childhood that instilled in him a love of lighthouses.

When the 44-year-old remodeler learned of a chance to buy not just a lighthouse, but perhaps the most iconic lighthouse on the Great Lakes, Tompkins jumped at the oppo... Read More >>