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The proposed Line 5 tunnel has cleared a major federal hurdle. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved Enbridge’s permit to build beneath the Straits of Mackinac. But that’s not final approval. The Michigan Supreme Court recently threw out a key state permit, meaning Enbridge must again win approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission. Several court challenges involving Line 5 also remain unresolved. #Environment
In other infrastructure news, the University of Michigan says it will move ahead with a $1.2 billion computing center in Ypsilanti Township despite strong local opposition. The 144-acre facility would support university and Los Alamos National Laboratory research, including artificial intelligence and national security work. Township officials vow to fight the project, citing concerns about its impacts and a lack of transparency. #Environment
Beaver Island E-M-S is getting a new emergency response vehicle delivered today. The Dodge Durango, nicknamed “Echo,” is left Charlevoix on the 8:30 boat. It will allow paramedics to respond directly to 911 calls from wherever they are. Equipment will be installed this weekend, with the new Echo expected to enter active service Sunday. #Healthcare
The latest episode of the Tides That Tie podcast is out. It looks at the nearly century-old Arranmore Pipe Band as they prepare to return to Beaver Island this year for the Irish Feile. It explores the band’s history, the legacy of Alec Brown, and their memorable 2023 Island visit. There’s a link to listen in today’s script online. https://www.biihg.com/podcast-the-tides-that-tie/ #Events #Heritage
The Arranmore Pipe Band is featured in the latest episode of the Tides That Tie podcast. The band will return to the Island in September for the Irish Feile. Phot provided by the Beaver Island Irish Heritage Project via Facebook
Finally in our news, if you’ve been waiting for the lake to warm up before you take a swim, your time has arrived according to forecasters. Great Lakes beach water temperatures may be reaching their warmest point of the summer this week. Southern Lake Michigan is approaching 78 degrees, while waters up north are a little cooler. Unofficial reports from the Public Beach are that the water is warm, but that’s backed up by sensors in the lake. It’s 70 at the mid-lake buoy southwest of Gull Island, 73 at Sleeping Bear and in Little Traverse Bay, and 71 in the Straits. Lake But, if you like it cold, Lake Superior still has some pockets of water in the 50s.
Great Lakes surface water temperatures as of yesterday. Graphic from seagull.glos.org |
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Now here’s a look at other upcoming events on your Emerald Isle…
First your meeting planner…
A-A meets today and Saturday at 6:00
…and that is it for the week. Locations and more details are in the calendar entries online.
On the fun front today…
Thursday, there’s Pickleball at Peaine Township Park at 9:00. The COA’s normal Cardio Drumming and Art Therapy is off today on vacation. Those sessions return mid-August. There’s Women’s Bible Study at 10:00 a.m. at the BI Christian Church and at 10:30, there’s Senior Tai Chi at the BIC Center. The Annual Quilt Show opens at 11:30 at the Beaver Island Gallery. See the latest work by Island artists alongside the first and latest quilts made by students at B-I-C-S. The Weekly Bocce Ball rolls is on at 4:00 on the courts at the Peaine Township Park. And, Thursday evenings are Burger and a Beer Night at the Shamrock. TUNES Presents continues with their week of workshops with a session on singing Beaver Island and Great Lakes Songs. That’s at the Brother’s Place. At the BIC Center, Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers take to the stage for a night of folk and jazz. Showtime is 7:30. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org.
Claudia Schmidt returns to the BIC Center with Sally Rogers on Thursday for another unforgettable evening of song, story, and harmony. Tickets are available at the BIC Center Front Desk or online at tickets.biccenter.org. Graphic provided by BIC Center
Highlights for the rest of the week include…
Friday, there’s Senior and Vets Coffee and Donuts from 8:30 to 10:30 in the Welcome Center at the BIC Center. At 9:00 A-M Pickleball Outdoors on the Peaine Township courts. Back at the BIC Center at 9:30, there’s Summer Yoga in the Theater plus Chair Strength Training up in the Hangout. At 7:00 at the library, author and poet Steve Brown will read from some of his work and answer questions. Also at 7:00, TUNES Presents an outdoor concert at Gene Masta’s garden. Songs, Steps & Strings will feature internationally acclaimed musicians performing Irish, Appalachian and Great Lakes traditional music and dance. It’s presented in partnership with the Northwoods Music Collaborative. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the music, the garden and the company of Islanders. Your free will donation will help support Tunes.
As part of its week of music workshops, TUNES presents a multi-artist concert in the garden. Image from TUNES via WVBI Community Calendar
[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.]
Saturday, the Artisan’s Market is on at the Point starting at 10:00. Also at 10:00, there’s a writer’s workshop at the library with author Steve Brown. At noon, TUNES has a Guitar & Chorded Instrument Workshop at the TUNES Studio with Brian Miller. It’ll be an interactive, hands-on learning experience designed to help participants master the fundamentals of guitar chords and their application in music. Open to all levels. Registration is required. There’s a link in the calendar online. Protar’s House will be open for tours from 1:00 to 3:00. And Saturday nights are Prime Rib Night at the Shamrock.
[On the radio, tune in for Country Classics at 5:00 Saturday evening with host Sheri Timsak. At 7:00, take a trip back to the best of the 80s and 90s with the Mix Tape show (that’s a 120-minute TDK cassette tape for those in the know) hosted by WVBI’s Adam Pettigrew. 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 Episcopal Mission at 9:00 and at the Christian Church at 10:00. Mass is at Holy Cross at 12:15. And the Amik Cultural Center is open 1 to 3 PM.
Looking ahead to highlights for next week…
Monday, at 9:30, summer yoga is on at the BIC Center. It’ll be a session on Basic Flow. COA has Cardio Drumming at 10:00 and Art Therapy at 11:00 at Peaine Township Hall. At 11:00, there’s Summer Therapeutic Chair Yoga at the BIC Center and over at the library, it’s the Senior Digital Café. And, don’t forget, Monday evenings are All You Can Eat Pizza and Salad night at the Beachcomber, so you can go next door to grab dinner before or after the show.
Tuesday, at 9:00 there is Pickleball on the Peaine Township Courts. At 9:30, there’s Chair Strength Training up in the Hangout at the BIC Center. At 10:00, Babes & Toddlers mix it up at the library. At 7:30, the BIC Center stage welcomes John Ellison & the Carpenter Ants. John is famous for his many time covered hit Some Kind of Wonderful released by the Soul Brothers Six. The Carpenter Ants are West Virginia’s renowned ambassadors of Appalachian soul with their own string of hits, including every time they come to the Island. Join us for a special evening of joy, energy, and enduring spirit of American music. Showtime is 7:30. Tickets are at tickets dot bic center dot org.
Wednesday, there’s Summer Restorative Yoga BIC Center at 9:30. Also at 10:00, there’s American Mah Jongg at the BIC Center in the Hangout, and at 1:00 there is Afternoon Bingo. Protar’s House will be open from 1:00 to 4:00. At 4:00 the Amik Cultural Preservation Center will be open. In our Dark Skies, tonight is the first quarter moon, the third phase of the Lunar cycle. Despite the name, you’ll see about half the moon when it comes up over Lake Michigan. |
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Those are the highlights. Find a full listing of events at calendar dot W-V-B-I dot net. |
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Today’s BIC Center Name of the Day is Kenny. If that’s your name, come on down to the BIC Center today to pick out a free drink of your choice. |
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On our Birthday List: Tina Morgan, Becky Gerace [jer-ACE] and Patti Crawford are celebrating today. Happy Birthday to Patti, Becky and Tina, and if we missed you on the list, Happy Birthday to you too from everyone at the BIC Center and WVBI. |
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TRAFFIC: No delays inbound or outbound to the airports. The Island Beltway is running smoothly. There are no bridge delays. But, it is busy in town when the ferries arrive and there are lots of folks out hiking and biking. So, let’s be careful out there. |
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On this date in 1521, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán [teh-nohch-tee-TLAHN] falls after a months-long siege. Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés, aided by thousands of Indigenous allies opposed to Aztec rule, capture the city after fierce fighting. The defeat marks the effective end of the Aztec Empire. The Spanish later build Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlán.
And on this date in 1961, Berlin wakes up divided. Shortly after midnight, East German soldiers and police begin closing streets and stretching barbed wire along the boundary between East and West Berlin. The barrier is intended to stop the flow of East Germans escaping to the West. The barbed wire soon gives way to concrete walls and guard towers, creating one of the defining symbols of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall will divide the city for more than 28 years, until the border finally opens in November of 1989.
A memorial of over a thousand crosses and a segment of the Wall for those who died trying to cross the wall to escape communism. Photo by Victorgrigas on wikimedia.org |
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is the noun salvo [SAL-voh]. A salvo is a simultaneous discharge of weapons, especially artillery or gunfire. More commonly, it can mean a sudden outburst or series of comments, criticisms, questions or other actions directed at someone or something. For example: The candidates exchanged a salvo of attacks during the opening minutes of the debate. Salvo comes from the Italian salva, meaning a salute or volley of gunfire, which itself comes from a Latin word meaning “safe.” |
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Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Thursday… |
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Here’s a thought for the day from Hernán Cortés: “He travels safest in the dark night who travels lightest.” |
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On a lighter note… |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Thursday, August 13th 2026. I’m Kevin Boyle reporting from W-V-B-I’s Langford Family Studios wishing you a great day and asking: why not go ahead and make it the best day ever? And thanks for listening. |
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WEATHER |
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[Current Condition Report, then…] |
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Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 77 at the beach and 83 in the woods. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning. Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 77/84. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east after midnight. Saturday A 30 percent chance of showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 76/82. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Saturday Night A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Sunday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74/81. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Monday Sunny, with a high near 75/78. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Tuesday A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74/77. Tuesday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Wednesday A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74/76. |
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Air Quality Index at 7:09 was 28. |
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Fire Danger: High |
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Out on the Big Drink…
Photo from the North Lake Michigan Buoy. Provided by the National Data Buoy Center |
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Today Variable winds 5 kt or less. Partly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Friday ENE wind 5 to 10 kt becoming N in the afternoon. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Saturday SE wind 5 to 10 kt. A chance of showers, mainly after 1pm. Waves 1 ft or less. Sunday WNW wind 10 to 15 kt. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 ft or less. Monday NNW wind around 10 kt becoming WSW in the afternoon. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temps: 70 at the mid-lake buoy southwest of Gull Island. 73 at Sleeping Bear and in Little Traverse Bay. 71 in the Straits. |
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Photos from webcams at wvbi.net and mackinacbridge.org |
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Coming up in our Community Calendar Report…
The Line 5 tunnel clears a major federal hurdle, but it’s still not a done deal. Beaver Island’s new EMS response vehicle arrives today. The Arranmore Pipe Band is featured in the latest Tides That Tie podcast ahead of their return to the Island. And lake temperatures are nearing their summertime peak.
Those stories along with a run down of local events, birthdays, this date in hisotry and more are up after this global and national news… [Time check.] |
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Today’s featured image: The Arranmore Pipe Band is featured in the latest episode of the Tides That Tie podcast. The band will return to the Island in September for the Irish Feile. Phot provided by the Beaver Island Irish Heritage Project via Facebook |
