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Lora Greene
ATLANTA Alpena attorney Lora Greene will preside over the Montmorency County probate court, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced today.
Filling a vacancy left by retiring Judge Benjamin Bolser, Greene will fill a partial term as probate judge for the county, until Jan. 1, 2023. To serve the remainder of Bolser’s term, through 2024, Greene would have to run for reelection in November 2022.
Greene, an Atlanta resident, owns a private practice in Alpena and serves as public administrator for Alpena County.
Alpena County Circuit Court cases over which Bolser presided in the past year may be reassigned to Greene, but that determination will be made by the State Court Administrative Office, according to Judge Ed Black of the 26th Circuit Court.
cnelson@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Alpena resident Katy Samp, pictured right, on Tuesday picks up her daughters Kylie Fitzwater, middle, and Leah Fitzwater, left, from Lincoln Elementary School.
ALPENA In-person learning resumed for Alpena Public Schools students on Monday, after they spent the last two weeks learning remotely from their homes.
“It feels really good, we’re all happy,” Alpena resident Katy Samp said as she picked her daughters up from school on Tuesday.
Samp is able to work from home while her daughters, third grader Kylie Fitzwater and first grader Leah Fitzwater attended school remotely. Samp said the girls missed their friends and were happy to be back in school.
ALPENA High Winds caused power outages in several Northeast Michigan counties Friday evening. Alpena Power Company reported multiple power outages in Alpe
Alpena News editorial
After a strong initial rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, public health agencies nationwide appear to have hit a ceiling.
District Health Department No. 4 leaders announced recently they would scale back vaccine clinics because too few residents showed up to mass vaccination callouts.
As of Thursday, Presque Isle County counted 48% of residents 16 and older as fully vaccinated, according to state data. About 44% of Alcona County residents, 42% of Alpena County residents, and 41% of Montmorency County residents were fully vaccinated.
Those facts concern us. Public health experts say we need to vaccinate as much as 85% of those 16 and older to declare the pandemic “over” and return to normal life.
The Alpena News
News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Southgate resident Paula Gravlin shops Thursday at Rusty Petunias Marketplace in Alpena.
ALPENA Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday morning that the state can begin to fully reopen once health officials fully vaccinate 70% of Michiganders 16 and older.
As of Wednesday, about 37% of those Michiganders had been fully vaccinated against coronavirus infection, according to state data. About 44% of Alpena County residents, 50% of Presque Isle County residents, 45% of Alcona County residents, and 43% of Montmorency County residents in that age group had been fully vaccinated, according to state data.
According to Whitmer’s Vacc to Normal plan, two weeks after hitting the 70% target meaning 5.7 million fully vaccinated Michiganders Whitmer says her Department of Health and Human Services would lift its limits on gatherings and its requirement that Michiganders wear face masks in public.