https://shannonkonoske.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Shannon KonoskeenWed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/06/10/tv6-investigates-usps-aims-evolve-amongst-declining-letters/UPPER MICHIGAN. (WLUC) - While USPS officials mentioned some locally specific issues facing U.P. post offices, the agency and legislators point to the declining use of the service as a major cause. They say that as we post fewer letters and mail items, the money to support the service also goes down. After several years of declining performance, legislators have taken the USPS mail delivery issues here in the U.P. to Washington. In May, Michigan Representative Jack Bergman met with Postmaster G...Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/06/10/tv6-investigates-usps-aims-evolve-amongst-declining-letters/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/06/09/tv6-investigates-usps-representatives-explain-up-mail-delivery-delays/DICKINSON COUNTY, Mich. (WLUC) - Empty mailboxes for days at a time and even weeks at a time are a shared experience that several Dickinson County residents have contacted TV6 about over the past year. Between 2025 and early 2026, TV6 received a handful of tips from Iron Mountain residents claiming they were not regularly receiving their mail. Just a couple of months ago, Marquette residents began reporting a similar experience. TV6 wanted a better understanding of the scope of these mail deliv...Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/06/09/tv6-investigates-usps-representatives-explain-up-mail-delivery-delays/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/18/upside-alger-correctional-facility-inmates-help-dogs-find-forever-homes/MUNISING, Mich. (WLUC) - In an Upper Peninsula prison, inmates and rescue animals are working together for a brighter future. Alger Correctional Facility’s Dawgz Adapt Program specially chooses inmates to train shelter animals, so they have a better chance at finding a home. The program is creating positive change for handler and hound alike. Edward Alsteens is one of 24 inmates training Delta Animal Shelter dogs. He’s been in the facility for 55 years on a second-degree murder charge. 13-wee...Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/18/upside-alger-correctional-facility-inmates-help-dogs-find-forever-homes/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/14/tv6-investigates-what-health-experts-have-say-kratom-use-is-drawing-more-attention-michigan/UPPER MICHIGAN, (WLUC) - Kratom has become a household term in recent months—especially as Michigan lawmakers debate whether to prohibit its sale and as health officials track a rise in reported kratom-related medical cases. In March, legislation to prohibit the sale or distribution of kratom products passed through the Michigan House. This week, TV6 learned of an overdose death in Marquette County involving kratom derivative products. So, the question is: has kratom use—and the health risks t...Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/14/tv6-investigates-what-health-experts-have-say-kratom-use-is-drawing-more-attention-michigan/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/08/upside-club-supports-each-other-regions-growers-through-passion-pollinators/IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WLUC) - On the UPside, one group’s hobby not only fosters a buzzing community, but a critical ecosystem. Thirty new boxes of honeybees arrived at Stag Farms in Dickinson County Wednesday. There, about a dozen beekeepers from the area picked them up to start their new hives. The pollinators traveled more than 2,000 miles by semi-trailer, before a final stretch in the bed of Mark Edens’ truck from Rhinelander, Wisconsin to Iron Mountain. “Chris Hansen from Hansen Honey Farm...Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/08/upside-club-supports-each-other-regions-growers-through-passion-pollinators/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/01/3rd-graders-help-raise-funds-fellow-student-undergoing-bone-marrow-transplant/CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich. (WLUC) - Six-year-old Cale Campbell’s journey began in early December, when unusual bruising led his parents, Cody and Ashley, to seek a medical evaluation. Within days, testing revealed pancytopenia—a dangerous drop in all blood cell types—and Cale was admitted to a hospital in Green Bay, Wis. Further testing confirmed bone marrow failure and Cale was diagnosed with very severe idiopathic aplastic anemia. In April, Cale received his transplant. Now, he waits—hoping his bo...Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/05/01/3rd-graders-help-raise-funds-fellow-student-undergoing-bone-marrow-transplant/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/22/tv6-investigates-future-air-travel-upper-peninsula-essential-air-service-program/UPPER MICHIGAN. (WLUC) - Part one of this TV6 Investigates involved talking to airport managers about the pros and cons of the Essential Air Service program. But there’s been a trend in federal spending cuts that could jeopardize the future of EAS, while demand for flights could also determine the future of EAS support for Upper Peninsula airports. Federal EAS requirements state that an airport must maintain an average of 10 enplanements, the physical action of a passenger boarding the plane, p...Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/22/tv6-investigates-future-air-travel-upper-peninsula-essential-air-service-program/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/21/tv6-investigates-essential-air-service-part-1/UPPER MICHIGAN. (WLUC) - Every airport in the Upper Peninsula is classified as a rural airport. That means those airports are more than 75 miles from a larger hub and see fewer than 100,000 passengers each year. Most rural airports today are protected by the Essential Air Service program. Under the program, qualifying airports can have the federal government cover the cost of two roundtrip flights per day. Essential Air Service is a by-product of two historical events: the closing of the Civil...Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/21/tv6-investigates-essential-air-service-part-1/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/15/upside-wells-township-honors-their-own/WELLS, Mich. (WLUC) - In the Wells Township community, the name Lori Lynch has become synonymous with service to others. At the local school, she’s a familiar and welcoming presence, serving up hearty meals, each one thoughtfully prepared with care. Her journey hasn’t been a short one, but it’s been deeply meaningful. Over the years, Lynch has worn many hats—working as a janitor, a bus driver, and an assistant in the kitchen. Still, her dream of becoming the school’s full-time chef remained jus...Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/15/upside-wells-township-honors-their-own/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/15/tv6-investigates-up-population-growth-decline/UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WLUC) - We now know the most recent U.P. population numbers from the U.S. Census. Between 2021 and 2025, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Mackinac, Marquette, and Schoolcraft Counties all saw population increases ranging from 0.16 percent to 0.74 percent. Luce County saw the highest growth rate, at 1.17 percent, going from 5,982 in 2021 to 6,339 in 2025. That’s much closer to its 2010 population of 6,582 before it saw a 0.02 percent decrease over the decade. But why this recen...Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/04/15/tv6-investigates-up-population-growth-decline/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/08/01/wis-man-charged-delta-county-cold-case-kidnapping-sexual-assault-decades-after-crime/DELTA COUNTY, Mich. (WLUC) - The Michigan State Police announced Friday that a Wisconsin man has been criminally charged with kidnapping and sexual assault 39 years after the crime occurred in Delta County. However, the suspect died before he could be arrested and appear in court for arraignment. In a Friday press release announcing the charges, the Michigan State Police said the Manistique Post originally began investigating the case in 1986, after a woman reported she was assaulted while tak...Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/08/01/wis-man-charged-delta-county-cold-case-kidnapping-sexual-assault-decades-after-crime/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/05/29/michigan-ranks-near-last-nation-inpatient-psychiatric-bed-availability/UPPER MICHIGAN. (WLUC) - Michigan is ranked 47 in the nation for inpatient psychiatric hospital bed availability. The U.P. specifically is 20 beds short of its identified need and has the staff to operate even fewer beds than already exist. Only two hospitals in the U.P. have inpatient psychiatric beds to begin with: UP Health System-Marquette and MyMedical Center-Sault. According to UPHS-Marquette, inpatient psychiatric care is typically needed when someone poses a danger to themselves or othe...Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/05/29/michigan-ranks-near-last-nation-inpatient-psychiatric-bed-availability/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/04/07/hes-an-escape-artist-skandia-residents-emu-goes-unsanctioned-jog/SKANDIA, Mich. (WLUC) - Some drivers in Skandia may have momentarily questioned the U.P.’s native wildlife Saturday. Skandia resident Amy Waldo posted the video below, captured by husband John, to Facebook. She said her husband John and son Lukas were on their way into Marquette when they spotted an emu trotting down the shoulder of U.S. 41, just north of Devooght’s General Store. “There’s never a dull moment in Skandia,” Waldo said. The emu’s owner Aaron Prisk commented on the post, revealin...Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/04/07/hes-an-escape-artist-skandia-residents-emu-goes-unsanctioned-jog/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/03/26/rep-bergman-asks-clarity-fish-wildlife-staffing-amid-concerns-sea-lamprey-program/WASHINGTON D.C. WLUC) - The Great Lakes Fishery Commission says it’s planning for multiple scenarios so it can keep its sea lamprey treatment program on track, despite uncertainty in the wake of Supreme Court battles regarding federal staffing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in February that 12 Upper Michigan-based probationary employees who are contracted for the GLFC’s sea lamprey program would be let go. That decision was made to adhere to President Trump’s executive order requ...Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/03/26/rep-bergman-asks-clarity-fish-wildlife-staffing-amid-concerns-sea-lamprey-program/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/01/31/coach-who-mentored-up-northern-wisconsin-skaters-among-those-killed-dc-plane-crash/UPPER MICHIGAN. (WLUC) - A figure skating coach who mentored young skaters in Upper Michigan and Northern Wisconsin was among the 67 people killed in Thursday’s deadly mid-air collision between an Army helicopter and a jetliner in Washington D.C. A coach for the Marquette Figure Skating Club confirmed with TV6 that retired ice dancer Alexandr “Sasha” Kirsanov was on the airliner with the 59 other passengers and 4 crew members who were killed in the crash. His wife told People that he was accomp...Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/01/31/coach-who-mentored-up-northern-wisconsin-skaters-among-those-killed-dc-plane-crash/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2024/11/13/renewable-world-energies-says-it-has-no-means-complete-au-train-dam-updates-recent-response-ferc/AU TRAIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) - Renewable World Energies (RWE), which owns the Au Train dam, told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Tuesday that it has “no means to complete necessary upgrades” to the dam. In the letter, addressed to Debbie Reese, FERC secretary, RWE says: “On September 12, 2024, the Commission sent a letter to UP Hydro requiring: (1) a plan and schedule to perform the necessary spillway capacity upgrades to meet Commission dam safety standards; (2) a plan and...Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2024/11/13/renewable-world-energies-says-it-has-no-means-complete-au-train-dam-updates-recent-response-ferc/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/09/30/mission-point-hancock-cited-abuse-neglect-patients/HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has found a Hancock nursing facility in violation for neglect and abuse of patients. According to a report from LARA released Wednesday, the agency cited Mission Point Nursing and Physical Rehabilitation Center of Hancock for abuse and neglect due to “insufficient staff to meet resident needs,” based on the following: Overall, the report stated, “This deficient practice resulted in wide-spread neglect of...Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/09/30/mission-point-hancock-cited-abuse-neglect-patients/https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/02/18/michigan-senators-introduce-bill-drawing-attention-state-history-indian-boarding-schools/LANSING, Mich. (WLUC) - Indian boarding school survivors in Michigan are hopeful that a newly introduced bill will bring attention to the history of boarding schools and help find justice for the survivors. “It was a haunting experience that really impacted my life in so many ways,” said Linda Raye Cobe, Lac Vieux Desert Tribe member. “And the loss of my culture has taken years to relearn.” Survivors of Indian boarding schools say the history of abuse and cultural erasure cannot be forgotten....Fri, 18 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/02/18/michigan-senators-introduce-bill-drawing-attention-state-history-indian-boarding-schools/https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/07/searching-for-recovery-in-the-u-p/From left, Brooke Tharp, foundation assistant for Great Lakes Recovery Centers, assists sisters Lily and Sophie Delongchamp of Negaunee in registering for the GLRC’s Run for Recovery on Wednesday night. Lily and Sophie Delongchamp both attended in support of loved ones in recovery. (Journal photo by Shannon Konoske) MARQUETTE — Over a fifth of Marquette County residents report alcohol consumption rates that can be defined as excessive drinking by health professionals, statistics show. These nu...Fri, 30 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/07/searching-for-recovery-in-the-u-p/https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/07/local-woman-14-years-sober-shares-challenges-triumphs-of-recovery-journey/EDWARDS MARQUETTE — When Chanin Edwards, now a Marquette resident, first arrived in the Upper Peninsula in 2005, she stepped off a Greyhound bus that she had caught “somewhere down south,” having detoxed from alcohol on the two-day bus ride. In Ironwood, where she lived for several years before moving to Marquette, she was met by the friend who had purchased her bus ticket and with her, a bottle of liquor and a 30-pack of beer. “I got off that bus sober,” Edwards said, “but that was the last...Fri, 30 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/07/local-woman-14-years-sober-shares-challenges-triumphs-of-recovery-journey/https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/05/an-ongoing-challenge-pandemic-exacerbates-existing-food-insecurity-for-children-older-adults/From left, Community Action Alger-Marquette employees Wendi Griess, Kitchen Aid, and Yvonne Kytola, administrative assistant for Community Nutrition Services, sort and assemble food boxes for Meals on Wheels and Head Start recipients in the region. (Journal photo by Shannon Konoske) EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part two of a multi-part series. Part one was published in Tuesday’s edition. Part three will be published in this coming Tuesday’s edition. MARQUETTE — The local economy has begun to slowly...Fri, 21 May 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/05/an-ongoing-challenge-pandemic-exacerbates-existing-food-insecurity-for-children-older-adults/https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/05/pantries-and-the-pandemic-u-p-faces-unique-challenge-in-meeting-need-for-nutritional-food/St. Vincent DePaul Volunteer Tim Leahy prepares food boxes for families at the Marquette pantry. (Journal photo by Shannon Konoske) EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part one of a multi-part series that examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted food insecurity in the Upper Peninsula. Part two, which will focus on food insecurity among seniors and children, will be published in Friday’s edition of The Mining Journal. MARQUETTE — Combating food insecurity in the Upper Peninsula has for decades...Tue, 18 May 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2021/05/pantries-and-the-pandemic-u-p-faces-unique-challenge-in-meeting-need-for-nutritional-food/