At its meeting next week on Tuesday the Peaine Township Planning Commission will consider changes to zoning on land near the municipal airport, near Sloptown Road and on Kings Highway near the stone house.  Changes proposed are from agricultural to commercial by Kings Highway and east of the airport and from agricultural to Ag-Business south […]

Weather on the mainland over the last several weeks has left Michigan’s blood supply dangerously low. Versiti Blood Center of Michigan says thousands of donation appointments were canceled, and blood can’t be stockpiled for long. Local patients still need care — for surgeries, trauma, and cancer treatments. If you’re headed across to the mainland in […]

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has unveiled Michigan’s first Maritime Strategy, a ten-year plan to grow the state’s maritime economy while protecting the Great Lakes. The plan focuses on modernizing ports, creating jobs, expanding clean vessel technology, and strengthening maritime workforce training. State officials say the strategy positions Michigan to lead maritime innovation while safeguarding the waters […]

State Representative Parker Fairbairn is raising concerns over a state health proposal he says could shortchange rural communities in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Fairbairn says the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services plans to make sparsely populated counties compete with large urban areas like Wayne and Oakland counties for federal rural healthcare […]

The bone chilling cold is building ice out on the lake. And that trapped the lake freighter Algoma Intrepid Saturday afternoon off Garden Island. The Coast Guard cutter Mackinac came to her rescue later in the day. The operation was one of many conducted over the last week of cold temps as the freighters work […]

An arctic chill has settled over the Island this morning with the temperature at the BIC Center at -3 at 8:00 this morning and a wind chill at -22. Some cancellations are the result.  School is closed today and the away games at Big Bay planned for tomorrow are off (that more a function of […]

The City of Petoskey has issued a public statement clarifying its role in any potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity — even though officials say there’s been no known ICE enforcement action within city limits. City leaders say the letter is meant to address resident concerns and growing national anxiety, emphasizing that Petoskey police do […]

WVBI Community Calendar Report January 21, 2026 While bitter cold is headed our way on Beaver Island, forecasters say southwest Lower Michigan could be dealing with another round of lake-effect snow. The National Weather Service says shoreline communities near Lake Michigan could see up to a foot of snow today, even as attention shifts statewide […]

It’s bitter cold outside this morning. After dipping to 5 degrees for the overnight low, we’re at 7 at 9:00 this morning and not expecting to get above 15 by the end of the day. We could warm up a bit tomorrow with a high of 21, but then it is back into the freezer […]

It’s yet another gnarly weather day, especially on the mainland. Snow is blowing on the Island this morning and accumulating on the mainland with up to six inches in the forecast for our nearshore neighbors.  And it will come down fast at 1 to 2 inches per hour. Probably not a lot of flying today. […]