TV6 Anchor Exodus Continues, Adventure Team Gets Pleasant Surprise, Numinen Stars in a TV Show, Possible Tollways in Michigan, and Where’s the Ice on Lake Superior?
The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell
AND YET ANOTHER anchor says goodbye to TV6…Alyssa Erwin, the co-anchor of the Morning News for the last one-and-a-half years, has departed… “We got her letter of resignation last Friday,” says WLUC GM Rick Rhoades, “and we accepted it. And now we’re moving forward.”
So, why did she leave? No one’s saying anything officially, at least not yet. “I don’t have anything new to share,” Erwin says, via a Facebook message, “but I would like to thank the viewers of TV6 for always supporting me while on the air waves.”…Viewers had noticed her increased absences from the Morning News in recent weeks…
“She’s been a huge part of the morning team,” says co-anchor Elizabeth Peterson. “We’re going to miss her.”…A search is now underway for her replacement while others, including 6 pm anchor Pavlina Osta, will step in temporarily to fill her spot…
THE LAST FEW years have seen quite a turnabout for TV6 which, until recently, had boasted a remarkably stable anchor team…Consider the changes: Vicki Crystal, the longtime anchor of the Morning News, departing for the ministry…Greg Trick retiring…Karl Bohnak retiring/getting fired during the Covid vaccination controversy…Sarah Blakely quitting for the same reason, as well as alleged sexual harassment…Steve Asplund, the news director and longtime anchor, retiring after more than three decades…Mike Ludlum, recently terminated over charges of misconduct at the station…And now Erwin…That’s a lengthy list of familiar faces.
But the UP’s news leader plows forward with a cadre of new, mostly younger, personalities…And to be honest, that’s generally how it works at most small market TV stations.
MEANTIME, WZMQ, THE upstart CBS station, continues its push to challenge TV6’s dominance…It’ll be airing two special, live broadcasts in the next few weeks—the opening ceremonies of the Meijer State Games of Michigan on February 10th, and the start of the UP 200 on February 17th…WZMQ doesn’t have the manpower or resources of WLUC, but seems determined to make a dent in WLUC’s ratings…
MARCH 1ST…THAT’S when Lakeshore Boulevard could have a new neighbor moving in. Namely, the 906 Adventure Team which recently announced a deal to buy the two-and-acre parcel currently occupied by Parker&Sons…A few more details to be taken care of, but Todd Poquette, the Adventure Team’s director, feels confident they’ll close March 1st, earlier than first expected…Don’t expect any major work to be done on the property until next year…
However, the team, itself, will be moving into their headquarters on the property (their “basecamp”) this spring. And how about this for a house-warming gift? Ashley Home Furnishings, in a display of support and enthusiasm for the Adventure Team, has offered to donate furnishings that will be needed for the basecamp…That’s an awfully nice way to welcome a new neighbor…
SOUNDS LIKE MICHIGAN could start turning some of its highways into toll roads…According to Bridge Michigan, a study has determined that 14 highways, including large parts of Interstates 75, 94, and 96, could become toll roads…Why the possible change? Gas taxes help pay for road improvements, but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road these days, fewer taxes will be collected in the years ahead…Money for repairs and maintenance has to come from somewhere.
MARQUETTE ATTORNEY KARL NUMINEN will be featured on an episode of the true crime series “Accused: Guilty or Innocent?” airing tonight (Thursday) at 9 pm on the A&E television network…It’s a case from Iron County that Numinen handled last summer. His client hit and killed a county road worker…The program focuses on how it feels to be accused of a crime and prepare for a trial…
THE MARIJUANA BUSINESS may appear to be booming in Marquette County, but here’s a word of caution from Colorado, according to NPR…Sales of cannabis had soared during the pandemic, but since then, sales have declined 20%...Some grow operations are now closing down, inventories are piling up. That also means tax collections are down.
EGG PRICES INCREASING, in some cases to $6 and $7 a dozen…Outrageous! But as some folks have noted, many of us unquestioningly pay $6 for a single cup of fancy coffee, and $10 for a single gourmet sandwich…By comparison, 50 cents for one egg doesn’t sound especially overpriced.
ANOTHER GIANT STEP taken by Artificial Intelligence, and it’s kinda cool, but kinda scary…ChatGPT, the chatbot, was launched in November, and is capable of writing essays, poems, songs, letters, and just about anything else…You just have to give it instructions, and then…Abracadabra! It spits out your document…Yes, there are great, potential time-saving benefits here, but the potential for cheating on school assignments seems enormous. Stanford University has already noticed students using ChatGPT on exams…How will our teachers deal with suspected cheating by their tech-savvy students?
TAKE A LOOK along the shores of Lake Superior, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find many chunks of ice…Normally, by late January, the ice has built up well beyond the shoreline… “Ice coverage on Lake Superior is well below average,” says NWS meteorologist Taylor Prislovsky. “In fact, it’s near a record low.” He says only about 5% of Lake Superior is now covered with ice, and most of that is near Thunder Bay…Normally, by this time of year, 15-20% of the lake is covered…Much colder temperatures next week will likely…finally…increase the ice build-up.
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Eggs are a main source of protein for low income Americans; especially the elderly and families with children. Obviously its not a problem for wealthier Americans to spend 6-7 bucks for a dozen eggs. For the single Mom with three kids its a very big deal. Inflation and its impact on food prices is very big deal to Americans.