Newsmakers 2009

Newsmakers 2009

Newsmakers: Rejected Whiting plan stings

Bob Sutherland's "best Christmas ever" as owner of Cherry Republic doesn't erase the sting of Traverse City's rejection. City commissioners in August voted down a plan that involved renovating the downtown Whiting Hotel.
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Jan 2, 2010 7:45 am 1 Photo
Newsmakers: Victim afraid to let dog outside

Things just aren't the same for Jan Zimmerman. The Garfield Township woman struggles with a suffocating sense of unease months after someone killed "Possum Pie," her beloved poodle mix of three years.
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Jan 1, 2010 12:25 am 2 Photos
Newsmakers: Crystal Lake ice claimed two

Snowmobile season is in full swing and many Frankfort residents are testing their sleds on local trails. any of them recall the tragic February accident that shocked the small community in Benzie County.
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Dec 31, 2009 7:10 am 1 Photo
Newsmakers: Cause of crash still unknown

It's been two months since a small, single-engine plane crashed near Interstate 75 in Otsego County, killing two well-known Gaylord men.
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Dec 30, 2009 7:30 am 2 Photos
Newsmakers: Dam removal ready -- on paper

A new Boardman River will begin to take shape in the coming year, at least on paper.
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Dec 29, 2009 7:20 am
Monday, December 28, 2009
Newsmakers: Budget woes define school year

Local school administrators have tried to stave off budget deficits all year; they've drawn down fund balances and cut as many extras as possible. But they believe the 2010-11 school year could be worse if the state continues to reduce per-student amounts awarded to districts.
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Dec 28, 2009 7:15 am
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Newsmakers: Closure leaves workers reeling

Kristina Piatt's family enjoyed a lean Christmas this year as she continues to struggle with fallout from losing her job at Cherry Blossom LLC " and losing pay she'd already earned.
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Dec 26, 2009 11:10 pm 1 Photo
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Newsmakers: Election added two new faces

Traverse City voters elected a new City Commission this year, bringing two new faces onboard and removing a familiar one.
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Dec 24, 2009 7:39 pm 2 Photos
Newsmakers: Mixed reactions to smoking ban

Gary Wagner plans to ignore a new law that soon will ban smoking inside his Kalkaska restaurant.
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Dec 24, 2009 1:25 am 1 Photo
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Newsmakers: BATA bus system turned around

The Bay Area Transportation Authority needed change. The public bus system got Tom Menzel.
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Dec 23, 2009 12:45 am
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Newsmakers: New rules allow hens in city

Urban farming proponents clucked this year until Traverse City officials changed rules to allow residents to keep small chicken coops.
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Dec 22, 2009 7:40 am 1 Photo
Monday, December 21, 2009
Newsmakers: Region felt sting of recession

The recession in 2009 contributed to lifestyle shifts and lost security for people across the nation, but especially in Michigan, where the country's highest unemployment rates and a government in financial crisis have done little to offer comfort.
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Dec 21, 2009 7:35 am 1 Photo
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Newsmakers: Wind is the buzz word

Spinning blades on giant wind turbines may become a more frequent scene across the state and potentially offshore in Great Lakes waters. Utilities are investing in windmills locally and a Norwegian company recently proposed an offshore project just south of Ludington.
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Dec 19, 2009 11:20 pm
Newsmakers: New board may bring change

Since their election, incoming Traverse City school board members Julie Puckett and Kelly Hall have visited nearly every building in the district.
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Dec 19, 2009 1:01 am 1 Photo
Friday, December 18, 2009
Newsmakers: Tribal chairman follows through

Derek Bailey made several promises throughout his campaign to lead a local American Indian tribe. So far, it appears the youngest tribal chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians has lived up to that pledge.
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Dec 18, 2009 7:25 am 1 Photo
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Newsmakers: Troopers did time for poaching

People still talk about two men who prowled the road at night and shot a big buck out of season, from a vehicle, with a spotlight, and then had the nerve to enter the illegal antlers in a big buck contest.
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Dec 17, 2009 7:20 am 2 Photos
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Newsmakers: Theme park dream continues

Newsmakers explores the stories that made headlines in northwestern Michigan in 2009. In this installment: There's nothing doing on landlocked state property in Crawford County where developers proposed a theme park anchored by an aircraft carrier.
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Dec 16, 2009 7:50 am 1 Photo