|
|
|
The 2026 Boat Schedule is the topic for a special transportation authority public information session at the BIC Center today. Last year, the boat started its day in Charlevoix rather than on the Island in a change the Boat Company said was driven by staffing and other issues. The plan for this year is the topic for the meeting this evening at 5:30.
Governor Whitmer says the state is appealing a federal court ruling that blocks Michigan’s effort to shut down Line 5 pipeline. The judge sided with Enbridge, saying federal law and foreign policy override state authority. The long-running dispute continues as courts decide where the case belongs and regulators review a proposed tunnel under the Straits. Meantime, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in February on whether Michigan or federal courts should decide the fate of Line 5 pipeline. Enbridge Energy wants the case in federal court, while Dana Nessel says it belongs in state court and poses risks to the Great Lakes.
Garlin Gilchrist has dropped out of Michigan’s race for governor and is now running for secretary of state. Gilchrist, now the state’s Lieutenant Governor says he wants to keep focusing on making government work better for residents, a move that reshapes the Democratic field as candidates line up for both races.
Donald Trump returns to Michigan on Tuesday to speak to members of the Detroit Economic Club. The members-only address in Detroit coincides with the opening day of the Detroit Auto Show, marking Trump’s first visit to the state in 2026.
Impact100 Little Traverse Bay plans to award $342,000 in grants to nonprofits serving Emmet and Charlevoix counties in 2026. The funding will be split into three $114,000 grants, supporting bold, high-impact projects with lasting community benefit. Applications are open through January 31, with grant recipients announced in August. |
|
Now, here’s a look at events happening on your Emerald Isle…
First your meeting planner…
The Transportation Authority has that meeting today at 5:30 about the Boat Schedule. Their regular monthly meeting is set for tomorrow at noon. School board meets this evening at 6:30. Thursday, the Emergency Services Authority meets at 2:00. J-TAC meets at 4:30 and the library board also meets at 4:30. A-A meets Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6:00. Locations and more details are in the calendar entries online.
On the fun front today…
Monday, it’s All You Can Eat Pizza and Salad night at the Shamrock.
Tuesday, Babes and Toddlers mix it up at the library at 10:00. AT the BIC Center, there’s Pickleball at 10:00 in the Theater and Chair Strength Training in the Hangout at 10:30. And Tuesday evening it’s trivia time. Let’s Get Quizzical is up in the Hangout at the BIC Center with the fun getting underway at 6:00. Sign your team up at tickets dot bic center dot org.
Highlights for the rest of the week include…
Wednesday, the Islander boys basketball squad is off to the U-P to play Paradise with a tip-off time of 10:30 in the morning. There’s BINGO at the BIC Center at 1:00 and at 5:00 its Time for Art, also at the BIC Cener. This week, it’s time to make Valentines Day Cards in a session lead by Leila Freijy. The class is limited to 12 students, so sign up in advance at the BIC Center Front Desk.
Thursday evening, you can grab the burger & a beer special at the Shamrock starting at 5:00, and its Euchre Night down at Whiskey Point Brewing. Cards hit the table at 7:00.
Friday, Senior + Vets Coffee & Donuts is at the BIC Center from 9:00 to 11:00. There’s Pickleball at 10: and Chair Strength Training at 10:30. Friday, the basketball squads from Mackinac Island are here for home game stands with Islander girls and boys squads. They’ll play again Saturday morning.
[On the radio, Kick off your weekend with our fantastic Friday lineup! After the 6:00pm news, enjoy “That Thing with Rich Appel” featuring top forty hits from the 70s. At 9:00pm, tune into “The Titus Jennings Experience” offering music from all genres, followed by “The Midnight Special” with Marilyn Rea Beyer at 11:00pm for music, farce comedy, and late-night escape.]
Also Saturday, the Fiero Code Club is on at the library at 1:00. There are two movies at the BIC Center Saturday as part of the library’s Big Read Project on Survival. At 3:00 it is Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog. A young boy struggles in the Canadian wilderness with his new best friend. Rated PG. At 6:00 Liam Neeson takes on The Grey after an Alaskan plane crash. It’s rated R. Both film are based on books you can check out from the library.
[On the radio, tune in for Country Classics at 5:00 Saturday evening with host Sheri Timsak. At 7:00, Jackson Smith and Steve Girbach are in with Songs from the Trail. Mark Beltaire takes over at 9:00 with Rockin’ the Boat and continues at 10:00 with the Blues Cruise. Cousin Dan wraps up the evening with the Too Good Radio Show starting at 11:00.]
Sunday, there are services at the Christian Church at 10:00 and mass at Holy Cross at 12:15. |
|
NAME OF DAY: Today’s BIC Center Name of the Day is Amanda. If that’s your name, come into the BIC Center to pick out a free drink of your choice.
BIRTHDAYS: On our Birthday list today: Smantha Bugai and Declan McGee. Happy Birthday to Smanatha and Declan, and if we missed you on the list, Happy Birthday to you too from everyone at WVBI and your Beaver Island Community Center. |
|
TRAFFIC: No delays inbound or outbound to the airports. The Island Beltway is running smoothly and there are no bridge delays. But, hey, let’s be careful out there, especially in the school zone. |
|
On this day in 1959, Detroit songwriter Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records, originally called Tamla. The label would go on to reshape American music, bringing Black rhythm and blues into the pop mainstream and producing more than a hundred Top Ten hits in the 1960s. Also on this day in 1992, the fictional HAL 9000 computer makes its debut in Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey—polite, brilliant, and famously unreliable with the pod bay doors.
Hal 9000 wants to chat with you about your Motown Collection. Image from Wikimedia Commons |
|
Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is brackish (adjective) [BRACK-ish] an adjective meaning “somewhat salty.” It most often describes water found where rivers meet the sea, like estuaries, where freshwater and saltwater mix. When brackish entered English in the 1500s, it simply meant “salty,” from a Dutch root. Over time, the word picked up an added meaning — “unpleasant” or even “repulsive” — likely inspired by the murky, mucky, and sometimes stinky nature of coastal swamps and estuaries. |
|
Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Monday… |
|
Here’s a thought for the day from Anglo-Irish philosopher Edmund Burke, who was born on this day in 1783: “When you fear something, learn as much about it as you can. Knowledge conquers fear.” |
|
On a lighter note… Why are Microsoft employees never relaxed? Because they’re always on Edge. |
|
That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Monday, January 12th, 2026. I’m Kevin Boyle reporting from W-V-B-I’s Langford Family Studios asking you: why not go ahead and make it the best day ever? And thanks for listening. |
|
### |
|
Today Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Tuesday Rain and snow before 4pm, then a chance of rain. High near 36. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Tuesday Night A chance of rain showers before 7pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers between 7pm and 10pm, then a chance of snow showers after 10pm. Cloudy, with a low around 14. Blustery, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Wednesday A 40 percent chance of snow showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 20. Blustery, with a north wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. Blustery. Thursday Partly sunny, with a high near 22. Thursday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. Friday A chance of snow showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Friday Night A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Saturday A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 22. Saturday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. Sunday A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 17. Blustery. |
|
Air Quality Index this morning was 25. |
|
|
|
Photos from webcams at wvbi.net and mackinacbridge.org |
|
Coming up in our Community Calendar Report…
Boat schedule changes are up for discussion tonight at the BIC Center… Michigan appeals a federal ruling on Line 5 as the Supreme Court steps in… Garlin Gilchrist switches races, Trump returns to Detroit, and more than $340,000 in local nonprofit grants are up for grab
…plus a run-down of local events, birthdays and more after global and national news from F-S-N. [Time check.] |
|
Today’s featured image: The 2025 Boat Schedule was a change up from past years. The plan for this year is the topic for a forum this evening at the BIC Center. Image of 2025 Boat Schedule from BIBCO Website (the 2026 schedule has not yet been posted) |
