bspeer@thealpenanews.com
Do you, like me, believe we have reached a critical stage dealing with the coronavirus in Michigan?
Everywhere I turn right now, I see tensions running high, people’s nerves frayed, and disappointment and discouragement much more prevalent in discussions and attitudes.
While, for the most part, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has maintained a pretty solid approval rating throughout her past 10 months dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, I believe how she handles the next few weeks especially the reopening of bars and restaurants will be especially important for her.
Whitmer announced on Friday that bars and restaurants can reopen on Feb. 1, with limited seating, no congregations such as packed dance floors, a mandatory 10 p.m. closing time, and a requirement to collect contact information for the patrons to help with contact tracing should someone end up infected.
sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Julie Riddle
Justin Hinkley, recently named publisher and editor of The News, poses in front of the building in downtown Alpena on Thursday.
ALPENA Justin Hinkley, the current managing editor of The Alpena News, has been named publisher and editor of the newspaper.
He will assume the new positions on Feb. 12, upon the retirement of longtime publisher Bill Speer.
Hinkley promises to continue the time-honored traditions of The Alpena News of providing readers what they want and deserve, with high-quality reporting, storytelling, and service.
“For more than 122 years, The Alpena News has been the leader in news coverage and the most responsive and effective advertising medium for Northeast Michigan,” Hinkley said. “We will continue to focus on local news reporting and providing quality advertising, both in our printed newspaper and our digital website, TheAlpenaNews.com. We take very seriously our role in informing our readers a
Normally, I keep my political thoughts pretty much to myself.
But, for those who really know me (meaning I have shared political discussions with them), they know I have always been a Mitt Romney guy.
Intrigued by his ties to Michigan, his success in business and organization, and the political stands he takes, I have been a Romney supporter.
Romney never has disappointed me. I find that, in a swamp of insanity and deceit, Romney most often is the voice of reason and common sense.
Recently, Romney was one of several people interviewed for the January/February issue of the Deseret Magazine, part of the Deseret News. I want to share liberally from his interview, which occurred before the recent violent riot in Washington, as I believe he addresses all that is wrong in American politics today.
Relevance is important in my line of work.
That is why the team here at The News always is working hard to keep you informed with information that is important for all of us.
Did you know that, last year, the local news reporters produced over 3,000 pieces of local news which included things like stories, photographs, and news briefs? Looking at just the three main reporters Steve Schulwitz, Crystal Nelson, and Julie Riddle they produced 1,110 stories, 1,056 photographs, 648 briefs, and 91 in-depth known to journalists as “enterprise” projects.
Those numbers do not include the contributions of a summer intern we had or two other reporters who no longer work here.
Hall of Fame Atlanta Braves pitcher Phil Niekro died at the age of 81.
The headline took me back to the roots of my career in eastern Ohio, and, specifically, the little sleepy community of Blaine.
Located on the old National Road that at one day, centuries ago, was the main stagecoach route from the eastern seaboard to the wild west, when I lived back in those parts, it was a tired very tired old coal town with a dirty creek running through it, a rough set of railroad tracks that rattled my car every time I drove over the crossing, and a well-used but very tired ball field.