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Michigan’s Budget Office is preparing for a possible partial shutdown if no deal is reached by the October 1 deadline. Governor Whitmer will address lawmakers Tuesday, urging them to negotiate, saying the GOP House plan passed this summer is unacceptable and already weeks late. With schools two and a half months into their fiscal year, some may have to borrow just to keep operating. State agencies are also drafting contingency plans, though officials say their focus remains on enacting a full budget on time. Scientists are weighing what they dub a “Noah’s Ark” strategy to save Michigan’s collapsing whitefish populations. Once abundant in lakes Michigan and Huron, the fish have plummeted as invasive mussels stripped away their food supply. Now, some tribal biologists want to move whitefish into inland ponds as “refugees” until the lakes can sustain them again. Early experiments by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe show promise, but scaling up would take millions of dollars and broad cooperation. Advocates say it’s a desperate but necessary step to preserve a species central to the Great Lakes ecosystem and Native culture. Traverse City leaders broke ground Friday on the $29 million Freshwater Research and Innovation Center at Discovery Pier in Elmwood Township. The goal: to make northern Michigan a hub for “blue tech” — technology applied to water. The center will feature labs, classrooms, and research space to attract businesses, students, and scientists from around the country. It’s slated to open in 2027. Leaders hope it will and position Traverse City another Woods Hole for water research. Rendering of envisioned Freshwater Research and Innovation Center at Discovery Pier. Image from Cornerstone Architecture If you’re enjoying our stretch of warm, dry weather, good news — it looks set to last through the end of September. M-Live forecasters say a persistent ridge pattern is blocking the usual fall cool-down, keeping highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s on the island and into the 80s on the mainland well into the month. Forecasters say there are no signs of a cold plunge or frosty nights until early October at the earliest. So the summer party continues a little longer, with warm days and low humidity hanging on through at least the 29th. In sports, we have scores from the volleyball matches. Islanders won the match taking three sets to the Ojibwe squads one. Islanders took the first 25-16. Ojibwe the second 24-26, and the Islanders the last two: 25-18 and 25-17. The team is away this coming weekend with the soccer team for matches against Big Bay De-Noc. |
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Now, here’s a look at events happening on your Emerald Isle… First your meeting planner…
On the fun front today… Tuesday, there’s Chair Strength Training at the BIC Center at 9:00. Pickleball is outside on the township courts at 9:00. Babes and Toddlers mix it up at the library at 10:00. At 3:00, the library will hold a Fiero Code Club Boot Camp info session for adults. Learn how to code and earn certificates to document your skills. And, in our Dark Skies, look for Jupiter in the early morning hours to the east. It will rise higher in the sky each night as we head to the end of the month. There’s more at dark sky island dot org. Wednesday, at the BIC Center, there’s Bingo at 1:00 in the Hangout. Book Club meets at the library at 3:00 to discuss Call me Athena by Colby Cedar Smith. And, there is BINGO at the G-F-C. Doors open for fellowship at 6:15. Games start at 7:00. Highlights for the rest of the week include… Thursday, at 9:00, there’s Pickleball on the Peaine Township Courts. At 10:00 a trio of activities: Tai Chi in the Hangout at the BIC Center, C-O-A Cardio Drumming out at the Peaine Township Hall and Women’s Bible Study at the Christian Church. And, Thursday evenings are Burger & a Beer Night at the Shamrock. Friday, Senior + Vets Coffee + Donuts is on at the BIC Center from 8:30 to 11:30. At 9:00, there’s Chair Strength Training in the Hangout at the BIC Center. There’s Pickleball at 9:00, too, on the outdoor courts at Peaine Township Park. B-I-C-S Soccer and Volleyball squads head up to Big Bay for matches on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Both teams are coming off wins last week against Ojibwe here at home. [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, there’s Pickleball outdoors at 9:00. The Artisan’s Market is back this weekend starting at 10:00 out at Whiskey Point. Fiero Coding Club is on at the library at 1:00. At 3:00 at the BIC Center, there’ll be a kick-off for the 2025-26 Big Read series with programming around the novel The Bear and the theme of survival. There’ll be books selected by the library paired with movies shown at the BIC Center and more. Copies of The Bear and a schedule of events will be distributed, and there will probably be snacks. And, Saturdays 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, 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 Episcopal Mission at 9:00 and the Christian Church at 10:00, and Mass at Holy Cross at 12:15. Looking ahead to highlights for next week… Monday, the Great Lake Islands Summit gets underway down at the C-M-U Biological Station. There’ll be participants from islands across the Great Lakes from Madeline Island in Lake Superior to the west and Wolf Island in Lake Ontario to the East. Also on Monday evening at 7:00, Gina Mangra will talk about foraging skills at the library. Learn how to survive in the wilderness as part of the library’s 2025-26 Big Read project. |
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NAME OF DAY: The BIC Center Name of the Day is Sarah. If that’s your name, come on into the BIC Center today to pick out a free drink of your choice. BIRTHDAYS: Emily Burton and Nancy Tritsch are on our list today. Happy Birthday to Nancy and Emily, and if we missed you on the list, Happy Birthday to you too from everyone at WVBI and your Beaver Island Community Center! |
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TRAFFIC: No delays inbound or outbound to the airports. The island beltway is running smoothly with no bridge delays. But, let’s be careful out there—especially in the school zone. |
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On this date in 1620, with just over a hundred passengers—some of them religious separatists and some fortune seekers—the Mayflower begins its voyage from England to the ‘new Promised Land.’ In November, it will anchor near Plymouth Rock as cold weather sets in. Even with aid from the local Wampanoag people, only about half the pilgrims will survive the harsh first winter.
Painting of the Mayflower departing for its passengers new world. Image from plymrock.org |
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Our Merriam Webster Word of the Day is debunk (verb) [dee-BUNK]. To debunk something is to take the bunk out of it—that bunk being nonsense. (Bunk is short for the synonymous bunkum, which has political origins.) Debunk has been in use since at least the 1920s, and it contrasts with synonyms like disprove and rebut by suggesting that something is not merely untrue but is also a sham—a trick meant to deceive. Top of Form Bottom of Form |
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Now, to wrap up for this Beaver Island Tuesday… |
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Here’s a thought for the day from Lauren Bacall, who was born on this date in 1924: “Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world.” |
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On a lighter note… In April of 1620, it rained. That same year, the Pilgrims arrived. So it turns out the saying is true. April showers bring Mayflowers. |
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That’s the W-V-B-I Community Calendar Report for this Beaver Island Tuesday, September 16th, 2025. I’m Kevin Boyle reporting from W-V-B-I’s Langford Family Studios, wishing you a great day and asking you: why not go ahead and make it the best day ever? And thanks for listening. |
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Today Sunny, with a high near 70/75. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 61/58. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 73/75. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 58/56. West wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight. Thursday Partly sunny, with a high near 71/74. North wind around 5 mph. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 57/54. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 66/70. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 55/52. Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 67/71. Saturday Night A chance of showers after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57/54. Sunday A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68/71. Sunday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59/56. Monday A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68/72. |
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Fire Danger Level on the Island set at Low. AQI this morning was 28.
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Out on the Big Drink… |
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Today Variable winds 5 kt or less. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Wednesday SSW wind 5 to 10 kt. Sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. Thursday Variable winds 5 kt or less. Partly sunny. Waves 1 ft or less. |
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Water Temperature: It’s 64 in Little Traverse Bay. The North Lake Michigan buoy southwest of Gull is reporting 64 with less than one-foot seas.
Mid Lake Michigan photo at time shown. Provided by NWS |
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Photos from webcams at wvbi.net and mackinacbridge.org |
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Michigan’s budget deadline looms, whitefish face a “Noah’s Ark” rescue, Traverse City breaks ground on a new research hub, and summer warmth holds on. Plus, Islanders volleyball scores. All of those stories in today’s Community calendar Report along with a look at this date in history, birthdays, a word of the day and a bad joke…all after a global and national news update from FSN. [timecheck] |
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Today’s featured image: Rendering of envisioned Freshwater Research and Innovation Center at Discovery Pier. Image from Cornerstone Architecture |
