Daily Press file photo One person died as a result of a fire that took place on Ludington Street in Escanaba in January. According to Escanaba Public Safety, officers were dispatched to Trinkets & Treasures, located 1011 Ludington Street, shortly before 2 a.m. on a report of flames going through the roof of the building. Within minutes of arriving on scene, the building was fully engulfed with flames.

From downtown fires to the Delta County Board of Commissioners recall, there was no shortage of news in 2024. Here’s a look back at the stories people were talking about in the first five months of 2024. Look for the top stories from June to December 2024 in the Thursday, Jan. 2 edition of the Daily Press and our website at www.dailypress.net.

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JANUARY

2 — The first baby born in 2024 at OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group arrived at 10:59 a.m. on January 2. Ronald Lorin Hueckstaedt IV is the son of Hannah Anderson and Ronald Hueckstaedt III of Escanaba. He weighed 6 pounds and was 18 inches long.

2 — The Delta County Board of Commissioners voted this week to sell its stake in a dump trailer co-owned by the Delta Conservation District and Former Conservation District CEO Rory Mattson to either the district or Mattson — despite it being questionable whether the county owns the trailer at all.

6 — It’s been half a century since the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center was founded in 1974. The arts center, which occupies the Romanesque structure originally built to house a Catholic school auditorium on the northwest corner of South 7th Street and 1st Avenue South, is celebrating “50 Years in the Making” by honoring the past, present and future of culture and creativity in Delta County.

9 — A store clerk’s lucky pick led to a Delta County woman winning a $2 million prize playing the Michigan Lottery’s $2,000,000 Cash Multiplier instant game. The 30-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, bought her winning ticket at North Bluff Grocery, l6287 State Highway M-35, in Gladstone.

18 — Bay College’s Besse Center in Escanaba hosted Lewis (“Lew”) Zuchman, a man who grew up in a troubled environment and whose journey led him to becoming a civil rights activist. Zuchman participated in Freedom Rides, the sit-in movement and the Meredith March Against Fear.

22 — A Delta County man was arraigned in Delta County District Court Monday afternoon for allegedly shooting a man in the Flat Rock area over the weekend. Jacob Cronick, age 28 of 8311 County Road 416 J Road, Cornell, is charged with one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, less than murder or by strangulation, after he allegedly shot Eric Parrotta, his ex-father-in-law.

23 — According to a death notice submitted to the Daily Press Monday, Lila Malinowski-Karaga, age 37, of Hannahville, was the victim of the pedestrian-vehicle accident. Malinowski-Karaga was a member of the Hannahville Indian Com- munity.

24 — One person has died as a result of a fire that took place on Ludington Street in Escanaba early Wednesday morning. According to Escanaba Public Safety, officers were dispatched to Trinkets & Treasures, located 1011 Ludington Street, shortly before 2 a.m. on a report of flames going through the roof of the building. Within minutes of arriving on scene, the building was fully engulfed with flames.

28 — Two people were rescued Sunday morning after falling through the ice in Gladstone. The incident occurred about 10 a.m. offshore in the area of the Gladstone lighthouse.

29 — A motorcyclist was severely injured in a crash with a pickup truck Monday afternoon in Escanaba. The collision occurred at the busy intersection of North Lincoln Road and 3rd Avenue North about 4 p.m. The motorcycle, which was heavily damaged, came to rest under the front end of the pickup. The pickup also sustained front end damage.

31 — Jaime Lynn White pleaded no contest to embezzlement of $20,000 or more but less than $50,000 in Delta County Circuit Court. White had been an employee at Jim’s Southside, a neighborhood grocery store located at 1408 8th Ave. S. Jim Berthiaume, the owner of Jim’s Southside for the last 15 years, was forced to sell the store because of the money lost to embezzlement.

31 — A Menominee Township woman was sent to the hospital after her vehicle collided with a train. At approximately 3:18 p.m., Menominee County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to Elmwood Road #4, west of U.S. 41, for the report of a vehicle overturned alongside the roadway. Law enforcement located the heavily-damaged vehicle and determined it was the result of a collision with a train that occurred near the intersection of Evergreen Road #3 and Bay de Noc Drive.

FEBRUARY

4 — Firefighters responded to a house fire at 1550 Old U.S. 2 and 41 in Bark River late Sunday morning. First responders were called to the scene shortly after 10 a.m. after receiving a report of a home that was fully engulfed in flames. A child was injured due to the blaze.

5 — A man suffered serious burns in a garage fire, according to the Manistique Public Safety Department. The blaze occurred at a detached garage at 418 N. Houghton Ave. in Manistique.

5 — The Gladstone Volunteer Fire Department recently named Craig Lancour their 2023 Fireman of the Year.

6 — A man who died in a downtown Escanaba fire on Jan. 24 has been identified. The Escanaba Department of Public Safety identified the man as Randy Hughes, 52, of Escanaba. Public Safety said the victim’s family has been notified but declined to release further information.

9 — A fire broke out at UP Paper, located at 402 West Elk Street in Manistique, shortly before 3:30 p.m. and affected an area used for outside storage. The facility produces kraft paper from recycled corrugated cardboard boxes. It was baled material to be recycled that was ignited at the Number 4 storage pad.

9 — The 2024 SkillsUSA Regional Competition took place at Bay College and brought together career and technical students from across the Upper Peninsula. Students competed for scholarship money in the Automotive, Computer Maintenance Technology, Precision Machining Technology, and Welding categories. Bay College awarded four $2,500 scholarships to students who placed first in the overall categories and four $1,000 scholarships to students who place second in the overall categories.

10 — A local committee that has been working to produce signs to mark historically significant residences and businesses within Gladstone has seen the successful installation of 10 such signs and continues to plug away at more.

10 — Two students from the Bay College/ LSSU Regional Center Business Professionals of America (BPA) Student Club qualified for Nationals during the State Competition held at Davenport University in Grand Rapids. The National Competition will take place in Chicago on May 10-14.

11 — NOAA researchers at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) report that they’ve seen a steady decrease in ice coverage across the Great Lakes, which has reached a historic low. Together, Great Lakes ice coverage was measured at 2.7 % on February 11.

17 — This week marked the 140 anniversary of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis providing health care needs to Delta County. They first came here in 1884 and have remained here since. This week, OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group celebrated with several events including free blood sugar and cholesterol screening at the YMCA, a special Mass and fellowship at St. Joseph & St. Patrick Catholic Church, and a blood drive at the YMCA.

20 — Restorations at All Saints Catholic Church in Gladstone, which was built just over a century ago, were completed in January after six months of work, not including the plans leading up to that point.

20 — The Delta County Board of Commissioners approved hiring a familiar but often controversial face to take over the processing of soil and erosion permits this week. “I’m only doing it for the landowners in this county so they can get those permits and get them quick,” Former Delta Conservation District CEO Rory Mattson told the commissioners during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s Delta County Board of Commissioners meeting.

21 — A 15-year-old died after his snowmobile went through the ice on Indian Lake. At approximately 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, Negaunee Regional Dispatch received a 911 call from a person who had witness a snowmobile go through the ice about one mile off the south shore of Indian Lake. The snowmobile was carrying two teenage boys when it went through the ice. Two family members in the area were able to get to the scene, however they also ended up in the water. The family members as well as one of the teens were eventually pulled from the water. The Delta County Sheriff’s Department Dive Team was called to assist at the scene and eventually located the snowmobile’s driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

22 — The company that docked cruise ships in Escanaba last summer is closing its doors. American Queen Voyages said it is shutting down because it has been “unable to rebound from the effects of the pandemic.”

22 — There is a change in leader- ship at the Escanaba harbor. Effective immediately, the Escanaba Recreation Department will be overseeing the harbormaster position.

23 — The Delta County Victim Services Unit (VSU) — made up of volunteers dedicated to helping people recover from crises and crimes against them by providing comfort, referrals, and related aid — has a new team member. Three-and-a-half-year-old therapy dog Opal, a poodle trained by Canines for Comfort, works with VSU as needed and elsewhere in the community.

24 — Holy Name Catholic School has hired Nathan Vande Hey as principal beginning in the 2024-25 school year.

24 — Despite lack of snow, Trenary Outhouse Classic was still on today.

27 — More people fell through the ice into Little Bay de Noc this weekend in two separate incidents, including one that left a man dead. The first incident took place Saturday. At 6:25 a.m., Delta County Central Dispatch received a call about a four-wheeler that had gone through the ice, leaving two people in the water. Both people were able to get themselves out of the water and back to shore, where they declined medical treatment. The second incident took place Sunday. Delta County Central Dispatch received a call at 8:43 p.m. that indicated multiple people had gone through the ice on snowmobiles and were in the water.

27 — Michigan’s 2024 presidential primary is in the books, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump securing easy victories locally. In total, 4,647 Delta County voters opted to use the Republi- can ballot. Of those voters, 3,590 (77.25%) voted for Trump. For the Democrats, 2,338 ballots were cast, with 1,957 votes being submitted for Biden (83.7%).

29 — The Delta County Sheriff’s Office recently presented Brad Milligan and Craig Lancour with Life Saving Awards for their actions that saved the life of an ice fisherman on February 13. Milligan and Lancour are both firefighters with Ensign Township and are also trained in ice rescue.

29 — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she signed bills to repeal laws the late Sen. Tom Casperson had passed in the final days of his service in the Legislature. The laws created the Environmental Rules Review Committee made up of 13 individuals from various business, industry, agriculture, and environmental groups, along with the general public.

29 — At approximately 3:30 p.m., troopers from the Michigan State Police Gladstone Post were dispatched to the crash on OO.25 Road, just south of the Big Bay de Noc School in Cooks. An investigation at the scene showed the vehicle, driven by a 47-year-old man from Garden, had gone off the roadway, striking a tree. The damage to the vehicle resulting from the crash was extensive, and the driver, who was the lone occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

29 — The Schoolcraft Tourism Council Annual Meeting on February 29 was a success, thanks to the event committee, volunteers, and all the attendees who contributed to a vibrant atmosphere.

MARCH

2 — The 2024 Special Olympics Michigan District Basketball Tournament was held Saturday, March 2 at the Escanaba High School.

2 — Due to abnormal weather, producers of maple syrup in the Upper Peninsula began tapping trees far earlier than usual this year.

4 — Restaurants in Escanaba’s downtown are getting ready to showcase what they can do for this year’s Restaurant Week in Esky. The special dining event is being held now through March 9.

5 — Articles and other content published in the Daily Press about the Delta County Board have impacted the county’s 2023 financial audit, the county’s administrator said. According to Administrator Ashleigh Young, “the claims and correspondence in the newspaper, news, and social media, this audit will take longer than usual since the information increases the risk of the county and it will need to be mitigated by additional audit procedures.” Of particular concern were claims of financial misappropriations and violations of the county’s policies and procedures.

5 — A 14-year-old teen was arrested after he stole two vehicles in Manistique, according to the Manistique Public Safety Department. He faced a number of felony and misdemeanor charges.

7 — The lack of snow prompted the Escanaba City Council to suspend winter parking restrictions. The council could not repeal the winter parking restrictions because the rules are included in an ordinance, and ordinances must be passed and repealed following specific procedures. However, the council did have the authority to suspend the enforcement of the ordinance, either through the end of the month when the restrictions would normally expire or conditionally as long as there wasn’t snow to plow.

7 — Brian Helfert, a former Menominee County Sheriff’s Department deputy and school resource officer, was sentenced to a prison term for sexual assault. Helfert appeared before Judge Mary Barglind in Menominee County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to nine to 15 years in prison on a charge of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a weapon. The victim was a former student who was a teenager at the time of the assault.

8 — Escanaba High School buzzed with activity, moving parts, music and teamwork as the first day of competition began for robotics teams from around the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower participating in the FIRST in Michigan District Escanaba Event, presented by Highline. The Gladstone Bravebots robotics team were the district event winner at the FIRST in Michigan District Escanaba Event.

8 — A Perronville woman was killed in a head-on collision this morning on U.S. 2/41 in Spalding Township. According to her obituary, Annette Marie Bettiga, 58, of Perronville, passed away on Friday, March 8, due to injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. The Bettiga was pronounced dead at the scene and additional occupants from both vehicles in the 8:21 a.m. crash were transported for treatment of injuries. The collision occurred near County Road 400.

8 — Police are investigating a death threat sent to three county commissioners who are the subject of a recall effort. According to Commission Chair Dave Moyle, on Friday, March 8, the three commissioners — Moyle, Bob Barron and Bob Petersen — each received an email from a “Chuck Hicks,” whose email domain name was customized to “pissoff. com.” Each email was sent individually over

a 30 minute period to the commissioner’s official county email address, but all contained the same message: “Resign now or die next week.”

9 — The construction industry honored outstanding apprentices at what has become an annual event over the weekend. The Apprentice of the Year banquet was held by the Upper Peninsula Construction Council at the Island Resort and Casino to recognize outstanding apprentices. Frank Wertz of UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 111 was named 2023 Apprentice of the Year. He received $1,000. 2023 finalists were Ean Bevins of UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 111 and Seth Coburn of Millwrights Local 1510. They each received $500. In all, 22 apprentices were nominated.

10 — Smoke detectors are being credited with alerting Manistique residents their home was on fire. The home was destroyed and the family pets were lost in the blaze. The occupants, however, were able to escape safely. The fire was reported at 3:11 a.m. at 429 Delta Ave., in Manistique.

12 — A group of 18 high school students took part in the Upper Michigan Welding Educators second annual event at Bay College recently.

12 — Due to the unseasonably mild weather the Manistique Public Safety Department elected to suspend the enforcement of the city’s winter parking ordinance.

12 — An Escanaba woman thought someone hacked her Michigan Lottery account when she logged in and saw she won $25,000 a year for life playing Lucky For Life.

Patricia Royer, of Escanaba, won the prize when her Lucky For Life ticket matched the five white balls drawn on March 12: 03-13-24- 36-44. She bought her winning ticket online at MichiganLottery.com.

14 — After nearly 60 years of local ownership, Besse Forest Products Group has been sold to the Hoffmann Family of Companies.

14 — A tortoise that went missing in Schoolcraft County Monday has been found. According to the Michigan State Police Manistique Outpost, the 30-pound sulcata tortoise went missing Monday. At the time of its disappearance, the tortoise, named “Yoda,” was last seen on County Road 448, near Smith Lake, in Schoolcraft County. The tortoise was found early this morning on private property, about a half-mile from the owner’s home.

14 — The Daily Press received multiple awards this week for writing and photography. The 2023 Michigan Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest awards were announced this evening at the association’s Salute to Journalism dinner held in Plymouth, Mich. Winning were Daily Press News Editor Ilsa Minor, Sports Editor Mitch Vosburg, and Columnist Andie Balenger.

16 — Youth ages 8 to 20 gathered at Crazy Joe’s Pool Hall in Escanaba for the Great Lakes Youth Pool Tournament. The annual event is open to any youth who has any experience playing pool.

16 — A competitive squirrel hunt has grown into a fundraising force. The 9th Annual Yooper Squirrel Derby raised $3,300 for youth shooting sports. The hunt, held, drew the largest group of hunters ever seen for the event. A total of 64 hunters participated, up from the prior record of 36, set in 2023.

19 — Today marks the 100th anniversary of the first meeting of the Escanaba City Band and the beginning of countless hours music shared by generations of Delta County residents. The group is one of the city’s oldest cultural organizations.

According to a notice published March 18, 1924 in the Daily Press, the first members of the band met at 7:30 p.m. at city hall with Conductor Joseph H. Greenfield.

19 — The UP Paper mill in Manistique has been sold to ProAmpac, according to a press release issued by ProAmpac. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, ProAmpac produces packaging solutions for a variety of products. The Manisitque mill produces 100% unbleached recycled kraft paper for packaging applications.

20 — The Delta Conservation District was informed by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office today that a number of actions by Former Conservation District CEO Rory Mattson violated state law. “Specifically, these potential violations involve the District’s longstanding practice of offering services to private clients as an environmental consulting firm, including District staff members acting as paid expert witnesses in environmental enforcement lawsuits brought by the State of Michigan. Additionally, the Department has concerns about the District’s financial management and recordkeeping practices,” the letter sent to Conservation District Board Chair Joe Kaplan by Assistant Attorney General Danielle Allison-Yokom, of the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Division said.

21 — The Escanaba City Council made a donation to support updates to the Delta Astronomical Society’s Planet Walk on Ludington Street. The project will update the placards and make repairs to the scale model of the solar system that runs along Ludington Street.

21 — A barn was destroyed in Wells Township. About 8:52 p.m., officers were called to 3239 18th Road after receiving a call that a barn was on fire. When officers arrived they found that the large metal barn was fully engulfed in flames along with a camper that was parked nearby. Officers were able to stop the fire from spreading into the woods and were able to extinguish it.

23 — A young man who was born and raised in Escanaba and spent his summers sailing on Lake Michigan has been traveling the globe working regatta services for international hydrofoil catamaran races. As events are held in different host cities in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the 2023 to 2024 season is from June to June. With SailGP, Joshua Anthony has worked in eight countries in as many months. Right now, he’s about 8,700 miles away helping run the Sail Grand Prix in New Zealand.

23 — A shooting incident took place in Stonington today. The incident, at 12 p.m., apparently started with a dispute over a driveway. Troopers were dispatched to a shared driveway area on the Stonington Peninsula for a report of a neighbor dispute involving a firearm. When troopers arrived they learned two neighbors sharing the same driveway had an argument over maintaining the road.

The alleged suspect, a 79-year-old man, produced a baseball bat and revolver during the argument. He eventually fired multiple shots at the alleged victim, a 67-year-old man. None of the bullets struck the victim. According to troopers, the victim used a small tractor to defend himself and eventually pinned the suspect to the ground until troopers arrived.

24 — Northern Lights YMCA Hip Hop Dive Aqua Easter Egg Hunt was held today. Children and their guardians splashed their way across the YMCA’s pool to collect 20 eggs, each of which was filled with tokens that were redeemed for prizes at the end of the event.

25 — The Escanaba Public Safety Department has released the results of its investigation into the cause of a fatal fire in downtown Escanaba in January. The fire killed one person, destroyed two buildings and damaged other structures. According to investigators, the fire was caused by “human introduction of the ignition source to flammable material.”

25 — Fans of Culver’s restaurant in Escanaba had reason the celebrate with the opening of its new building on North Lincoln Road. The former Culver’s building was torn down last fall and a new building was constructed in the same location. It was a popular place with a line of vehicles wrapped around the building waiting to make takeout orders.

28 — Three Escanaba Public Safety Officers were recognized this month for saving the life of an Escanaba man and Two first responders in the City of Gladstone just received official commendation by the Gladstone Public Safety Department for their actions during an ice rescue that occurred this winter. PSOs Mitch Peterson, Dalton Deneau and Aaron Young were given life saving awards at the March 21 Escanaba City Council meeting. In Gladstone the honored first responders were Public Safety Officer Charity Potier, Volunteer Firefighter Jayson Frandle.

APRIL

2 — The Escanaba Township Hall has been undergoing renovations to make its facilities more convenient, including making the restrooms ADA-compliant and constructing a warming kitchen on the main floor.

4 — The Bonifas Arts Center is giving a helping hand to the artists of the East Ludington Gallery. An exhibit of their work opened at the arts center gallery. The building that previously housed the East Ludington Gallery

was damaged in a fire in downtown Escanaba in January.

8 — Escanaba was the place to be to view Monday’s solar eclipse. Despite a forecast of cloudy skies and rain, the area enjoyed clear skies as the eclipse occurred. It made for excellent viewing conditions.

8 — An Escanaba woman who embezzled from Jim’s South Side grocery while working at the store was sentenced Monday. Jamie Lynn White was sentenced to one year in the Delta County Jail with credit for 243 days served. She was ordered to pay $57,871.04 restitution to Jim Berthiaume, former owner of the store, and will be placed on three years probation.

8 — The Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba’s Ludington Park recently received some TLC in the form of needed renovation work. Volunteers spent Monday, April 8 repairing the basement walls of the structure and cleaning.

9 — The Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association (GLTPA) — the same organization that unites members and aficionados for the Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo, held in Escanaba and Green Bay on alternating years — brought its Spring Celebration to the Island Resort and Casino. The convention-style event featured speakers in the showroom, around 50 exhibitors, a luncheon, an award presentation and prizes.

10 — A large-scale project to overhaul Gladstone’s Wastewater Treatment Plant — an endeavor of roughly $20 million, loaned to the city by the state — has been underway while the existing facilities, built in 1974, continue regular operations.

11 — A 22-year-old Dagget Township man has been linked to threats made against the Delta County Board of Commissioners, as well as other public officials in the Upper Peninsula. According to information released by Menominee County Prosecutor Jeffery Rogg, Peter James Sand, of W5036 County Road 358 in Dagget, confessed to the threats against Delta County commissioners Dave Moyle, Bob Barron, and Bob Petersen, following his arrest Tuesday for threats made to the Menominee County Prosecutor’s Office earlier this year.

13 — Escanaba Kiwanis Club Home and Garden Show kicked off today.

19 –The Department of Natural Resources has received several calls of sightings of a bear and cubs in the Gladstone area, according to Gladstone Public Safety.

20 — Return of the Bay-Con is being held today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Escanaba Bay College Campus. Return of Bay-Con will again feature a large vendor space with more than 130 vendors, a taco truck, vintage video gaming, cosplay contest, Zombie Lab, trivia and more.

23 — In a first for Delta County, the Delta County League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women held a closed forum Tuesday for the candidates running in the May 7 special recall election for the Delta County Board of Commissioners. Microphone issues prevented residents at home from hearing some of the answers to questions and prompted the forum to be restarted after part of the opening introduction from the League was given. A sparking electrical problem under the seat of District 4 candidate Kelli Van Ginhoven led to emergency tech support while other candidates continued to answer questions. Then, not long after the electrical problem, the city’s diesel backup generator kicked in as part of routine maintenance. Strong winds blew the exhaust back into the Escanaba City Council chambers, subjecting candidates, volunteers and members of the media to noxious fumes for the last half hour of the event.

26 — A Menominee man was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on April 26 after the meth lab he was operating exploded on April 7. Donald Mark “Tooter” Myers, age 51, was convicted by plea of possession of methamphetamine on Feb. 5

29 — Three members of the Escanaba High School’s Business Professionals of America club will soon be heading to Chicago to compete at the national level, with another four accompanying them as voting delegates and conference volunteers. Maddie Wilson, Adrianna Getzloff and Sarah Myers on the Small Business Team and Myers individually for Legal Office Procedures will all be competing at the National Leadership Conference in Chicago, which is May 10 through 14.

29 — A vehicle involved in a fatal head-on crash was passing an ambulance when it crashed into another vehicle parked on the side of the highway. As a result of the crash the driver of the Chevrolet Silverado, a 35-year-old man from Escanaba, was pronounced deceased on scene.

MAY

1 — Bay College has officially announced its Distinguished Alumni of the Year for 2024. This year’s award will go to Bay College graduate of 2007, Jean M. O’Dette.

3 — High water damaged a portion of US 2 and 41 west of Escanaba to the extent that the highway had to be closed Friday. The damage occurred at a crossing over Portage Creek just west of Escanaba. According to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) the pavement damage was the result of high water. The area has received extensive rainfall over the past several days. One motorist who observed the damage described it as a portion of the pavement on the crossing literally sinking away.

6 — North Shore Marine Terminal & Logistics Inc. is suing defense contractor Lockheed Martin for negligence and breach of contract in lawsuit. On May 6, an attorney for North Shore, filed a complaint regarding damage to the underwater seabed and dock facilities owned by North Shore during sea trials of a littoral combat vessel. The vessel in question is the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, a combat ship that was using the North Shore facilities for docking and security.

7 — The voters have spoken. All three Delta County Commissioners who were the subject of Tuesday’s special election have been recalled, with their challengers winning by large margins. In District 3, Republican Commissioner Bob Barron was defeated by challenger Myra Croasdell, who ran for the seat as an independent. Croasdell received 1,410 votes (73%) to Barron’s 514 (26%). Ten votes were submitted for write-in candidates. In District 4, Republican Commissioner and Board Chair Dave Moyle was defeated by Democratic challenger Kelli Van Ginhoven. Van Ginhoven received 932 votes (72%) to Moyle’s 353 (27%). Eight votes were submitted for write-in candidates. For District 5, Republican Commissioner Bob Petersen was beaten by independent challenger Matt Jensen. Jensen received 947 votes (72%) to Petersen’s 358 (27%). Eight votes were submitted for write-in candidates.

7 — The search for a missing kayaker in Little Bay de Noc has ended. The body of a 29-year-old male from Lower Michigan was recovered at 1 p.m. in about 14 feet of water. The kayaker that drowned in Little Bay de Noc was identified as 29-year-old Tyler Wright of downstate Grand Rapids.

10 — A graduation ceremony doubling as a draft day for students that will be entering building trades was held at the UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 111 Hall in Escanaba. Eleven graduating seniors from Escanaba, Gladstone, Iron Mountain, Marquette and Rapid River were recruited by local electric, mechani- cal, metalworking and construction companies.

11 — The East Ludington Gallery has found a new home. The gallery officially reopened Tuesday at 1000 Ludington Street, the former site of the Morrison Shop. The prior home of the East Ludington Gallery, located across the street at 1007 Ludington St., was badly damaged by an early-morning fire on Jan. 24.

13 — The Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference (NLC) took place in Chicago from May 10 – 13, and was attended by the Bay College / LSSU Regional Center BPA student club. Out of the club’s two student competitors, both medaled in their respective events. Griffin Johnson, BPA club president, took first place in Ethics & Professionalism, second place in Prepared Speech, and third place in Contemporary Issues. Tregan Lippens, BPA vice president, captured second place in Ethics & Professionalism and fourth place in Contemporary Issues.

14 — Swearing in ceremonies for the winners of the Delta County Board of Commissioners recall election held last week and a reorganizational meeting that was planned for Wednesday were scrapped this evening, after the Delta County Board of Canvassers failed to certify the election results. “They’re basing their decision on the ratio of the votes, because two of (the races) have the exact same ratio and the third one was a similar ratio, so they think that that shows that the machines were somehow programmed with (an) algorithm,” said Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki.

16 — With a 2023 state general fund budget appropriation of $30 million, six Michigan Department of Natural Resources fish hatcheries are being improved by updating outdated and aging infrastructure. They include Upper Peninsula fish hatcheries in Thompson and Marquette.

17 — After failing to certify the results of the May 7 Delta County Board of Commissioners recall election Tuesday, the Delta County Board of Canvassers voted to certify the election Friday evening. All four members signed off on the certification, despite one member not voting to certify and reading a two-page statement claiming she was being “coerced.”

20 — The new OSF HealthCare Daniel J. Kobasic Cancer Clinic welcomed its first patients starting today.

20 — The Delta County Board of Commissioners paused for a photo after the swearing-in ceremony for the three new members this morning at Escanaba City Hall. Matt Jensen, Kelli Van Ginhoven, Myra Croasdell were sworn in.

21 — A planned conversion of the Escanaba paper mill to produce cartonboard, a packaging material found in items like cereal boxes, was scrapped today, Billerud announced.

23 — Tom Butch has announced his intention to retire from the Bay College Board of Trustees upon completion of his last term expiring December 31. Butch has faithfully represented the citizens of Delta County and Bay College for 50 years.

25 — Nah Tah Wahsh PSA senior Shuang Gao has been selected as the Daily Press 2024 Student of the Year.

27 — Before a large audience of citizens, many of whom spoke in opposition of the idea, the Gladstone City Commission moved to approve a resolution establishing a special assessment district — the entire city — for the purposes of levying an estimated 4.5 mills to fund needs for the Pubic Safety Department and Volunteer Fire Department.

30 — Against the backdrop of the once-failed certification of Delta County’s May 7 special election, the involvement of election-denying groups from across Michigan, and staunch warnings from the state about how canvassers should carry out their duties, a routine audit of the election was held for Wells Township Precinct 2 Thursday. No irregularities were found, and all totals matched what was previously reported.

30 — A fire at an assisted care facility in Gladstone displaced five residents, but no injuries were reported. Gladstone Public Safety officers said they responded to reports of a structure fire at A New Dahn Rising, an assisted care facility located at 1301 Delta Ave. in Gladstone around 4:16 a.m. Troopers and Gladstone Public Safety officers were able to enter the building and rescue all five residents without sustaining any injuries. The first was caused by a cigarette that was discarded on the back patio of the building.

31 — A local high school had its first graduation for seniors in 53 years Friday night. Holy Name High School in Escanaba has six students graduating in its 2024 class, the first graduation for seniors since the original Holy Name High School closed its doors in 1971.

31 — The annual Krusin Klassics Fun Run Parade was held.

31 — An Upper Peninsula historical society now has a place to call home for its new museum in Manistique. At the end of May, the former Manistique Lumber building — dating back to the 1880s was moved. It was estimated to weigh approximately 72 tons. The building was to be moved approximately 300 yards across the historic Syphon Bridge.