Todd VanSickle | Author
Free College? Read Between the Lines
Sept. 4, 2021
Jim and Wendy Rowe are basic EMTs with the Frederic Township Fire Department. They love their job and caring for people.
They see a significant part of the healthcare industry moving toward paramedicine, where paramedics make house calls to deliver care to the elderly and sick &md...
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Smooth Sailing
Aug. 28, 2021
On Wednesday nights, the waters of West Grand Traverse Bay churn with Grand Traverse Yacht Club teams racing for inter-club glory.
The eye-catching boats – a fleet of 14 Melges 24s – are known for their easy set-up and high performance on both inland lakes and big open...
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4 Rivers. 4 Adventures. Go!
June 12, 2021
Northern Michigan is a kayaking mecca — and for good reason. The region’s myriad waterways offer a variety of adventures for all levels of kayakers, and an opportunity to rent one of these boats is as ubiquitous as it is to buy. (A visit to your local Meijer or sporting goods ...
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There's Gold in Our Timber
May 22, 2021
You’ve probably seen the high demand for lumber and its skyrocketing prices of late. Or maybe, like folks driving along M-72 between Williamsburg and Grayling in the last year, you noticed a large swath of forest has vanished. With mega South American company Arauco’s open...
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Dec. 5, 2020 Ask any nurse right now; there’s a good chance he or she has a story about crying in the bathroom while at work. Although nurses have always had to deal with stress on the job, the COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse as a second wave pushes northern Michigan h...
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Oct. 24, 2020 Dan Bloomquist and his wife, Evamarie, bought Breakfast & Burger Express in downtown Kalkaska at a great time: December 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Bloomquist considers the forced closure a bit of a lucky break. “It took a little while because some...
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Oct. 3, 2020 Cherry Bay Orchards president Mark Miezio remembers getting a phone call on Labor Day weekend that he hopes he never receives again. “It was a very terrifying thing to get that phone call that one of our new workers tested positive for COVID-19,” he said. Sept. 5, 2020 On a warm, muggy August afternoon, Donald Hager, 93 years old, sat at his kitchen table with his wife Elaine, 91, trying to recall the first president he had voted for. “It is whoever ran against [Franklin Delano] Roosevelt,” Donald said, with a chuckle. “I think...
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May 30, 2020 Billy Bob’s Boneyard is one of the newest food trucks in Kalkaska. Their specialty: homemade pulled pork. Available on sliders, macaroni and cheese, fries, nachos, and more, this succulent, sweet, and tangy pork is good enough to stand alone, but if you’re going to pair ...
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May 30, 2020 The pandemic might have kiboshed many of our traditional summer events and festivals, but the hiking season is still on in northern Michigan. With more than 12,000 miles of hiking trails throughout the state, and — let’s be honest — some of the prettiest of the m...
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April 11, 2020 When Dr. Rod Hanley became the tenth president of Lake Superior State University in 2018, he knew it was a time for a change. March 28, 2020 Amy Rouleau is the director of Restoration Place, a non-profit in Genesee County that educates the public about human trafficking. Feb. 22, 2020 In January 2017, Ron Porritt remembers waking up with a sheriff’s deputy standing over him. He had overdosed on heroin, and a friend had called the police. It was at that moment he realized his life needed to change. Porritt’s addiction to opiates began after a series ...
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Jan. 4, 2020 The sign outside of the Kal-Ho Lounge in downtown Kalkaska promises patrons “Good Food and Pizza.” That sign is a gross understatement if you’ve ever tasted the bar’s Chicken Pickle pizza, which is easily some of the best pie you can get east of Traverse City. And,...
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Dec. 14, 2019 Just outside of Wolverine, the Thirsty Sturgeon Bar and Grille sits on the bank of the Sturgeon River. Depending on the season, the restaurant is popular among kayakers or snowmobilers. Although there are many reasons to stop at this restaurant, the homemade macaroni and cheese migh...
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Oct. 26, 2019 In 2009, Jessica Estes was laid off from her job at a major automaker. She was about 21 years old, and while many of her peers were having kids, the thought of having a family during that time scared her. The economy has rebounded, but that experience of poverty and struggle has m...
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Oct. 19, 2019 Downtown Grayling’s Rolling Oak Brewery loves thy neighbor. So much so that its brewers, Radel Rosin and Jason Malone, created a beer to honor of one of ’em. The guys like to keep business as local as possible, said Rosin, so, in addition to sourcing ingredients like hops from...
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Oct. 5, 2019 What is this contagion? What does it mean for the future of our fruit and orchards? And what — if anything — can we do about it? Aug. 24, 2019 Paddle Hard Brewing in Grayling has taken the guilt out of having a beer for breakfast. Its newly released Wide Awake Stout is strong on coffee flavor and buzz, yet — in strong contrast to traditional stouts, which tend to feel thick and heavy — it’s light and refreshing...
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Aug. 10, 2019 Bojack’s Bake Shop and Cafe in Mancelona — a quick stop right off US-131 — has been in business for 20 years, but it has the vintage-homey feel of a 1950s diner inside a knotty pine cabin. The cafe serves an excellent breakfast, but its freshly made pastries steal the sh...
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Local Nurses Speak Out
Kalkaska's Moose & Stella's
COVID-19's Impact on Migrant Workers and the North's Ag Economy
Voting Up North
Billy Bob’s Boneyard Deep-Fried Potato Salad
Your 2020 Summer-Hike Hot List
A Truly Dope Degree
“I pulled in the provost Dr. Lynn Gillette, and I said, ‘You know we need to form some new academic programs,’&rd...
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Human Trafficking in our Backyard
Since 2012, Rouleau has often found herself on the frontlines rescuing human trafficking victims. It is an emotional experience fil...
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Dangerous Legal Drug? Or Nature's Answer to Opioid Addiction?
Chicken Pickle Pizza
Thirsty Sturgeon's Cajun Chicken Mac and Cheese
The Incredible Shrinking Up North Population
Rolling Oak’s Donut Beer
“We Are in a War Zone Against this Disease.”
In southwest Lower Michigan in 2000, fire blight ripped through a large portion of the region’s apple orchards. The ...
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Paddle Hard Brewery's Wide Awake Stout
Bojack’s Kolacky