Features

Longform Joe Volpe, program manager at Ferndale's Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center.

Mental health takes heavy toll on Michigan's LGBTQ youth

Mental health is a major challenge for Michigan youth in general, but the problem is even greater for the state's LGBTQ youth.

Feature Story Participants in the 2023 songwriters retreat.

Port Austin sets the stage for a songwriting retreat

The fourth annual Huco Songs songwriter retreat weekend takes place at the Port Austin Artist in Residence Bee Barn from Sept. 27-29. The retreat invites songwriters of all ages, experience, and styles to learn techniques, tips, and collaborate with a supportive network of creatives.   

Feature Story onawaybranchlibrary

Spark grant will help Onaway with trailhead, recreation improvements

Onaway, a small city not far from the Mackinac Bridge, has been awarded a big Michigan Spark grant to help with the development and improvement of recreational amenities and a trailhead.

Feature Story sunrisephotographer

Capturing the sunrise: A Marquette photographer's years-long mission

Bugsy Sailor has taken a photo of the sunrise every morning of every day for nearly six years straight. In 2019, he started the Year of the Sunrise project, and today has a gallery of photos on display online, and at his store, the Upper Peninsula Supply Co.   

Feature Story Nic Theisen (left), co-owner of Loma Farm and Farm Club, plants brussels sprouts with employee Dexter Lamie.

Labor of mixed emotions

Is farming a labor of love? Not necessarily, says Nic NAME, the subject of a recent Points North podcast. 

Longform Elizabeth Agius

Michigan organizations, universities, and agencies growing the public health workforce

Michigan, as well as the rest of the world, is going through a health care workforce shortage. The Michigan Health Council’s (MHC) Michigan Health Care Workforce Index projects that nearly all 36 health care occupations will experience workforce shortages between now and 2033.

Longform GHS Urgent Care

Funding gap threatens care for Michiganders utilizing community mental health

Michigan’s community mental health agencies face deep revenue gaps this year — a projected $93 million.

Feature Story The Autonomous Surface Vessel en route to Lake Superior.

Autonomous vessel to map the Great LakesBut first it will solve Lake Superior mystery

The Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Technological University this week launched its Autonomous Surface Vessel. The unmanned vessel will map the Great Lakes and help answer decades-old questions involving the whereabouts of more than 200 unaccounted for shipwrecks and plane crashes in Lake Superior. 

Feature Story DoubleTree

DoubleTree Hotel in BC to offer premier hospitality for guests, hands-on learning for students

Battle Creek welcomes DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton in September. As part of a unique community partnership, the hotel will feature luxury accommodations and a hospitality training center, the first 'training hotel' in Southwest Michigan.

Feature Story Josh Chapman, President and CEO, YMCA of the Blue Water Area

Blue Meets Green collaborative feeds economic prosperityNonprofit Journal Project Feature

The Blue Meets Green collaborative considers all sectors while cultivating a prosperous St. Clair County.  

Feature Story Project Connect Flyer

Project Connect brings together Sanilac County residents and resources

Taking place 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, September 26 at the Sandusky Fairgrounds, Project Connect will share resources, services, food, health care access, and more with county residents in need.

Feature Story The comfortable meeting room at 1Q1.

Need to work away from home? Consider these co-working spaces in rural Michigan

Looking for a remote place to work? Considers one of these co-working spaces across rural Michigan. These spaces are ideal for solo work and also to collaborate with others. The amenities include more than an endless supply of coffee.

Longform Chelsea Area Fire Authority Chief Robert Arbini.

Chelsea firefighters seek help to restore aging fire station

Chelsea Area Fire Authority Chief Robert Arbini is sounding an alarm – but it's not for the type of emergency that most community members might imagine. This time Chelsea's fire station at 200 W. Middle St. is in urgent need of rescue.

Longform Danielle Atkinson, founder and national director of Mothering Justice, has been instrumental in advocating for paid leave in Michigan.

Paid sick leave and family leave are moving forward in Michigan. Here's what's next.

For more than a decade, Michigan advocacy groups and some legislators have been working to expand paid leave from work for Michiganders – and this year, their efforts are paying off in two major ways.

Feature Story The Going PRO Talent Fund grants will benefit several industries, with manufacturing receiving the most awards, 54.

GoingPro grants boost workforce development across West Michigan

Benteler Automotive is one of 94 regional employers that have been awarded $4.8 million in the Going PRO Talent Fund grants. These awards will support skill development and workforce capabilities across multiple industries.

Feature Story MMC MP Campus List

Michigan expands tuition-free access to community colleges, boosting higher education equality

The Michigan Reconnect Scholarship program is now open to students as young as 21. The goal of the scholarship is to increase the percentage of Michigan adults with postsecondary education to 60% by 2030.

Feature Story Media participated in a ride on the electrified trail in June.

What's it like riding the U.P.'s electrified trails?

The U.P. is home to the country's first-of-its-kind electrified trail network, allowing off-road vehicle enthusiasts the opportunity to explore 125 miles of the countryside without having to worry about charging. What's it like to ride this trail on an electric ORV? Is this the future of ORVs?  

Feature Story Northern Lakes CMH's behavioral health homes serve residents of six Northern Michigan counties.

Behavioral Health Homes: A transformative approach in Michigan

Behavioral health homes provide holistic care that addresses both the physical and mental health needs of individuals, ensuring a coordinated and patient-centered approach. 

Feature Story graylingair

Northern Strike returns to the Tip of the Mitt

One of the U.S. Department of Defense’s largest joint training readiness programs, Northern Strike, takes place on land, in the sky, in the water and in cyberspace through August 17. The staging here for that extensive military exercise is none other than The Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Grayling.

Partner Content McMorran Place.

Lessons from the trail: How a scenic trail system fosters vibrant communities and economic growth

Over the last ten years, it’s estimated that over $180 million has been invested in 60 different public and private projects along the trail. These projects include restaurants, entertainment venues, housing, hotels, and retail stores.