The Hancock City Council met April 6 for both the regular City Council meeting as well as a consecutive Budget Work Session meeting.

Following a water boil advisory on March 7, City Manager Mary Babcock made note of the “confusing” nature of the notice in terms of who it applied to and its lacking reach to the public. In response, she noted, the method for distributing such notices will be “standardized.”

At the budget work session, the council heard from four city department heads about the kinds of expenses they are expecting to face in the upcoming fiscal year. The council begins making a new budget by first getting an idea about what the city needs, with more work sessions to follow.

First, the council heard from the head of public works, John Erickson, whose laundry list of expenses was something the council expected. Its contents included sweeper maintenance, an extension to an existing storm sewer, a replacement for the current street sander truck, as well as a particularly pricey replacement for the vacuum truck that unclogs city drains.

Next, Police Chief Wayne Butler presented a decidedly tamer list of expenses which included medical supplies, police report software systems, fire extinguishers, CCTV upgrades, and a replacement for the city server responsible for evidence.

The chair of Recreation Commission, Deb Mann, shared with the council the basketball court replacement at Terrace Park, new grills and fire rings at Hancock Beach, and the gazebo at Klondike Park to be built by the high school. Hancock is slated to build a one-acre dog park, which, after some crowdfunding, was another item in the expense list. The Recreation Commission is also resurfacing the badly decaying tennis court at Laurn Grove Park and converting it to four pickleball courts.

Finally, Fire Chief Rolland Bojo Jr. ran through some truck service expenses, some new turnout gear, and pointed out the city’s upcoming need for a new aerial fire truck because the current one is 22 years old. To maintain compliance with regulations, the city needs an aerial truck of less than 25 years of age.

The Hancock City Council convened Wednesday, March 2 to hear a presentation on the progress of the upcoming business and technology park, among other business.

The council began the meeting with a presentation from OHM Advisors, the architectural planning firm charged with preparing drawings and permits for the upcoming business and technology park in Hancock. Specifically, the project entails the construction of a new street from Tomasi Drive to Lake Annie Road furnished with 19 commercial lots. According to a representative from OHM, the planning and design phase is around 75% complete, which has allowed for the permitting process to begin. Once permits are in-hand and planning is finished, OHM will receive bids for the construction of the business park, which is slated to begin in May. The project is expected to finish by November, at which point the roughly 2-acre lots can be populated by new businesses.

Following the departure of council member Will Lytle in February, the council has carried an open seat awaiting applications from candidates to serve out the rest of the term, which expires in November. With interest from five candidates, Mayor Paul LaBine began discussions with his pick for the spot, ex-Mayor Lisa McKenzie, who has also served on the council. When asked, the mayor described her as “non-committal” with regard to future terms, however her experience and knowledge for the position made her a strong candidate in the eyes of the council. The council approved her appointment five to zero with one absence.

Following the completion of the draft Zoning Ordinance #309 by the Hancock Planning Commission, the ordinance came before the city council for introduction. The ordinance would define zoning for properties within the city, as decided by the Planning Commission. The council opted to table the issue until they could schedule a “work session” to debrief council members on the content of the ordinance.

The Houghton City Council met Feb. 23 to hear regular city reports and to handle city business.

The council began the meeting by drawing attention to an upcoming event at Kestner Park this Saturday Feb. 23 beginning at 11 a.m. Organized by community member Mary Kaminski, Winter Fun Day Waterfront Relay at Kestner Park (Chutes and Ladders) will have skating, skiing and snowshoeing open to the public. She and city manager Eric Waara made it a point to invite meeting attendees and the public to the event.

As the warmer months draw nearer, the city of Houghton is preparing to host cruise ships touring the Great Lakes. According to city manager Eric Waara, the city is expecting to have a ship anchored off the Kestner Park waterfront. In about 90 days, buses and walking tours are expected to accompany the cruise visitors to furnish their Houghton-visiting experience.

During the report for the police department, Chief John Donnelly noted that, in the coming week, sergeants of the Houghton Police Department are attending Crisis Intervention Team training as a part of their mission to police effectively. Chief Donnelly made mention of how training such as this has contributed a major part in his own effective handling of police situations, allowing him to grow and improve as a professional. To this end, he readily involves his officers in such training to better the department.

In discussion of the formation of a subcommittee dedicated to mental health, the council invited and heard from Kevin Store, the Executive Director of the Portage Health Foundation. He began by imploring the council for questions on the topic, to which council member Joan Suits asked “What could we do as a city to aid mental health efforts?” In reply, Store mentioned the city’s “good job with training police,” but warned that the ”complex issue” is constrained mostly by funding. For patients without Medicaid or major immediate danger, he noted the major “service gap.”

Following the discussion with Kevin Store, council members discussed their concerns about what exactly a subcommittee would actually contribute to the situation. “Another layer of bureaucracy” may not be a solution, in the mind of Suits. The council agreed and, after further discussion, moved to rescind the mental health subcommittee motion.

The council approved two Special Land Use permits, both of which are connected to upcoming local businesses. First, the council approved a permit for the construction of a boardwalk system on the wetlands around Cole’s Creek to accompany an upcoming campground in the vicinity. Second, the council approved a Special Land Use permit for an adult-use cannabis store at 1301 Ridge Rd. near Border Grill.

The Houghton City Council met Feb. 23 to hear regular city reports and to handle city business.

The council began the meeting by drawing attention to an upcoming event at Kestner Park this Saturday Feb. 23 beginning at 11 a.m. Organized by community member Mary Kaminski, Winter Fun Day Waterfront Relay at Kestner Park (Chutes and Ladders) will have skating, skiing and snowshoeing open to the public. She and city manager Eric Waara made it a point to invite meeting attendees and the public to the event.

As the warmer months draw nearer, the city of Houghton is preparing to host cruise ships touring the Great Lakes. According to city manager Eric Waara, the city is expecting to have a ship anchored off the Kestner Park waterfront. In about 90 days, buses and walking tours are expected to accompany the cruise visitors to furnish their Houghton-visiting experience.

During the report for the police department, Chief John Donnelly noted that, in the coming week, sergeants of the Houghton Police Department are attending Crisis Intervention Team training as a part of their mission to police effectively. Chief Donnelly made mention of how training such as this has contributed a major part in his own effective handling of police situations, allowing him to grow and improve as a professional. To this end, he readily involves his officers in such training to better the department.

In discussion of the formation of a subcommittee dedicated to mental health, the council invited and heard from Kevin Store, the Executive Director of the Portage Health Foundation. He began by imploring the council for questions on the topic, to which council member Joan Suits asked “What could we do as a city to aid mental health efforts?” In reply, Store mentioned the city’s “good job with training police,” but warned that the ”complex issue” is constrained mostly by funding. For patients without Medicaid or major immediate danger, he noted the major “service gap.”

Following the discussion with Kevin Store, council members discussed their concerns about what exactly a subcommittee would actually contribute to the situation. “Another layer of bureaucracy” may not be a solution, in the mind of Suits. The council agreed and, after further discussion, moved to rescind the mental health subcommittee motion.

The council approved two Special Land Use permits, both of which are connected to upcoming local businesses. First, the council approved a permit for the construction of a boardwalk system on the wetlands around Cole’s Creek to accompany an upcoming campground in the vicinity. Second, the council approved a Special Land Use permit for an adult-use cannabis store at 1301 Ridge Rd. near Border Grill.

After some initial apprehension earlier this year, the World Health Organization has categorized the present coronavirus problem as a “pandemic.” This is but one of the many official decrees dispensed by governing agencies and authorities at all levels, all around the world.

In Michigan, responding to the threat of the virus, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has instituted a multitude of measures that are very much affecting day-to-day life for citizens. Firstly, by cancelling K-12 public school, followed then by closing swaths of establishments, leaving drive-through and to-go operations intact. All gatherings of over 50, in fact, have been banned. This, all in an effort to socially distance the population to prevent the spread of the infamous disease. The mortality of the disease comes primarily from the oldest of the population, though it is especially dangerous because any individual can carry it.

Among other states to close down dine-in services of establishments are Ohio, Illinois, New York, and Washington.

The measures go on extensively, including even ones such as the temporary ability to purchase marijuana in a drive-through setting, allowing newly-legal dispensaries to operate. Closures most recently include gyms, movie theaters, even courthouses are minimizing operations to those concerning the currently incarcerated and other essentials. Many sports leagues, even, have shuttered in response to the virus, on all levels of competition. From Tech’s own participation in the WCHA hockey tournament all the way up to the NHL itself, the season has ceased.

The Governor has also suggested the incoming of more new limitations on the state level. In a call to Governor Whitmer reported by MLive, “the reason that we’re being so aggressive… is because we are trying to flatten the curve.” She continues, mentioning that “we are having discussions with our chief medical officer whether or not we need to promulgate an additional order on that front.”

Some other actors, too, have made significant moves with respect to the virus. Michigan energy companies DTE and the Upper Peninsula Power Company are stopping shutoffs for nonpayment for qualified low-income customers. They say, “we are on high alert to help those customers whose lives are being disrupted.”

The United Auto Workers labor union has voiced concerns for its workers that show up to work risking infections, with the Detroit area being a hotbed of cases in the state. Workers want Ford to temporarily shut down U.S. production as they have done in Europe when responding to the virus. They are especially concerned as daycares threaten to close, leaving no way for workers to have their kids taken care of, schools having long been shuttered.

For the city of Hancock, all non-essential meetings until April 6 of city officials are canceled. This, however, does not apply to City Council meetings.

Schools in the area, like many others in the state, are offering free breakfast and lunch meals to those with children under the age of 18 in lieu of regularly-scheduled daily school meals. Parents are to preorder meals by Tuesday noontime for each week, to be handed out beginning the Wednesday of March 18 at 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and continuing likewise for the two following weeks.

At the time of writing this, there are 65 confirmed cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in Michigan. It remains that there are zero known cases in Houghton county.

Among seven other universities who collectively received nearly $1 million in the furthering of NASA’s moon-faring Artemis program is Michigan Tech and its help with the work in studying the Moon’s darkest places.

Through NASA’s Space Grant project and BIG Idea challenge, two STEM outreach initiatives are put on by the agency, an impressive sample of institutions are beneficiaries. It includes the Massachusetts Institution of Technology, Dartmouth College, and Penn State alongside MTU, with Tech’s $161,074 in funds received second only to that of MIT.

NASA’s Artemis is the program responsible for putting the next set of American astronauts on the Moon. Sister of the eminent Apollo, the plan is to get there in just four short years, leveraging modern technology to discover a whole new multitude of information about our nearest celestial body. NASA’s Artemis website describing the program also features the involvement of commercial work to “establish sustainable exploration by 2028.” Finally, and perhaps most exciting, is the promise to “use what we learn on the and around the Moon to take the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars.”

A primary reason NASA is interested in the dark side of the moon is to access the extraterrestrial water (ice) of the Moon’s surface. Having little knowledge of the dark side of the Moon, NASA has rallied each institution receiving the cash into developing some constituent parts of what could be used in the Artemis program, especially to explore the Moon. One part of Artemis’ purview is to better understand the dark side of the Moon. Specifically, Tech’s assignment is to develop technology of the following description:

“A small rover to lay lightweight, superconducting cable that tethers to a lander as it traverses craters in permanently shadowed regions. Once in its final destination, the rover acts as a recharging hub and communication relay for other robots working in the area, providing continuous power without requiring direct sunlight.”

Other details about Tech’s project for NASA include its name; tethered-permanently shaded Region Explorer or T-REX. According to a project synopsis document, the especially cold temperatures of the Moon’s surface beneath its shadow allow for superconducting properties within materials.

Following the completion of the task in 10-months’ time, teams will present to a panel of NASA experts in person during a “design review.” Those technologies proven to be viable might just be able to see their work in use by NASA in the next big space program.

As a new presidential election gets underway, the convoluted first stage of the process, the Iowa caucus, concludes in an accordingly tentative photo-finish. The previous Iowa caucus, too, was a close race, with victory designated on the grounds of one-quarter of one percentage point.

This year’s caucus distilled an even less decided result in just one-tenth of a percentage point, though, more prominently, it featured a hiccup in the process. For the first time, Democratic National Committee and the Iowa Democratic Party employed the use of a smartphone app to aid in calculations and data collection. The app faltered, however, causing incomplete reporting of results and delaying the conclusion of the caucus. This, and questions about the veracity of the process as a whole.

The construction of the app, called IowaReporterApp, was contracted by the political party to a small tech firm known as Shadow Inc., to whom over $60,000 was paid according to mandatory disclosure documents. The company faced significant criticism for the mishap, taking to Twitter to address detractors. They write that they “sincerely regret the delay in the reporting of the results” and the “uncertainty” it has cast upon “candidates, their campaigns, and Democratic caucus-goers.” The DNC has placed the blame on a “coding issue.”

In pursuit of just what went wrong, tech publication Motherboard interviewed a handful of experts. Namely, a lifetime Android developer Kasra Rahjerdi said of the app that he “[doesn’t] want to throw it under the bus—but the app was clearly done by someone following a tutorial. It’s similar to projects I do with my mentees who are learning how to code.” Adding onto the scathing remarks is a cybersecurity CEO, noting that “The mobile app looks hastily thrown together.” The source code for the app has gone public, available for anyone to review.

The severity of the misstep has led many to look into the relatively unknown tech firm. Shadow Inc., a for-profit company, was started by a company called ACRONYM, which is a 501(c)(4) non-profit founded by a political strategist of the DNC. Unlike the apolitical 501(c)(3) designation for non-profits, ACRONYM can freely jockey for political influence and participate in political campaigns.

On Feb. 4, nominee Pete Buttigieg claimed victory on Twitter and in a speech to Drake University in Des Moines, a whole week before the official caucus results were sorted out and published, mired in the IowaReporterApp debacle. “By all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.” In the speech he mentioned that “by the time it’s all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation.” Since then, Buttigieg’s victory was made official by the magical one-tenth of one percent, by far the closest caucus in American history.

The mentioned political strategist and ACRONYM founder, Tara McGowan, has since sought to distance her non-profit from the incorporated Shadow. On Twitter, she pushed that Shadow Inc. is an “independent company” and that ACRONYM “invested in” the company, and according to an official statement by the company, it is “eagerly awaiting more information from the Iowa [DNC] with respect to what happened,” commensurate to their claimed role of mere investor. A year earlier on Twitter, she announced that ACRONYM was “launching Shadow, a new tech company to build smarter infrastructure for campaigns”

McGowan is married to Michael Halle, who is a top strategist for Buttigieg’s narrowly victorious campaign, a campaign which has also paid out to Shadow Inc. for software. She, Halle and Iowa DNC chairman Troy Price can be seen also on McGowan’s Twitter, pictured celebrating a birthday.

According to LinkedIn, the current CEO of Shadow Inc. Gerard Niemira served as The Chief Operating Officer at ACRONYM for 3 months, after serving as their Chief Technology Officer for a year. Both companies are registered at the same Washington D.C. address, a WeWork co-op building. LinkedIn work histories also show that all top executives at Shadow worked in the digital arm of the Clinton campaign in 2016.

Following Winter Carnival’s first point of contention this year, namely a caveman featured in the “Prehistoric Times” logo, the initial choice of the Queen Coronation ceremony Zack Metiva has been reversed over a supposedly uncouth Snapchat capture.

Metiva, who plays on the Pep Band drumline, is the first male to run for the title. After it was clear nobody else in the Pep Band wanted to run, Metiva took up Pep Band’s nomination. The Pep Band, notable for embracing themes of individuality and uniqueness dressed in the iconic striped bibs, sponsored Metiva in the endeavor.

Sunday, Blue Key Honor Society, the on-campus group that puts on the coronation, announced via email their rescinding of Metiva’s royalty. The email states that it was “brought to the attention of Blue Key” that Metiva “displayed inappropriate behavior following the Coronation.” The end of the email seemingly nods to the fact that Metiva was the first male Queen, nominated and selected, highlighting that “Winter Carnival Queen Coronation will remain an inclusive event, open to all students.”

The “inappropriate behavior” that Blue Key references in the email is pictured in a Snap that has been making the virtual rounds throughout campus. Metiva, of legal drinking age, can be seen wearing the 2020 Winter Carnival Queen sash, drinking a bottle of champagne. The background of the shot, showing a hanging Pep Band flag and other knick-knacks, indicates that it was taken within someone’s personal accommodation. The image features a caption challenging the status quo of Greek sisters winning the title and asserting Pep Band superiority by saying “Here’s to being better than Greek life,” complete with an indignant, huffed emoji and a crown.

Of important note are a sample of rules found within the Winter Carnival Handbook. Under the Winter Carnival Queen Contest section, one rule states that “No smoking or alcoholic beverages will be allowed at rehearsals or performances,” and that “Violations of this rule will result in immediate disqualification from the Queen Competition.”

Found in the handbook, too, is the rule in the Participation section that “No alcohol or intoxication is allowed at any Winter Carnival event. Disorderly conduct may result in disqualification.”

The final pertinent rule of the same section of note is as follows: “Un-sportsmanlike conduct of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in disqualification from Winter Carnival competition and events, pending Blue Key Executive Board action.”

Despite the fact that the picture seems not to take place at any official Winter Carnival event nor does it feature underage drinking, it might be interpreted “un-sportsmanlike” as detailed above, however it should be noted that this rule appears in the rulebook following a list of the sports events to take place at Carnival, and with this “un-sportsmanlike” language seems to make reference to those spectacles specifically.

In place of Zack Metiva, Riley Simpson has been crowned Queen for this 2020 Winter Carnival.

Following is the email sent out by Blue Key:

“It was brought to the attention of Blue Key Honor Society that the previously crowned 2020 Winter Carnival Queen displayed inappropriate behavior following the Coronation. This behavior does not represent the values of Winter Carnival, Blue Key, and Michigan Technological University. The Winter Carnival Queen embodies a well-rounded, confident, and talented individual who showcases the importance of scholarship, community, and character. In light of this, Riley Simpson has been crowned the 2020 Winter Carnival Queen. Blue Key would like to emphasize that the Winter Carnival Queen Coronation will remain an inclusive event, open to all students.”

Over New Year’s Eve, the Chinese government confirmed the first case of flu-like coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Since then, the World Health Organization has coined this specific member of the Corona family of viruses as “2019 n-CoV.” Since then the virus has exported a handful of cases to a number of countries including Japan, Thailand, Korea, and the United States.

At the time of writing, 4,500 cases of the disease have been reported, though the disease is said to be severe in only about 20% of patients. The death toll stands currently at 106, all of which occurred in China. In Beijing, the first death as a result of the disease had been confirmed. According to the WHO, the majority of those had underlying conditions that culminated with 2019 n-CoV. Five cases of the disease have been reported in the United States.

The World Health Organization convened Jan. 22, and while views of those present differed, members “agreed on the urgency of the situation,” according to a WHO release. The meeting concluded without classifying the outbreak as a public health emergency, though they moved to reconvene approximately 10 days after the fact to reassess. They estimated an R0 value somewhere in the range of 1.4 to 2.5, meaning that, on average, one infected patient is liable to transmit the disease to 1.4 to 2.5 other people.

On Jan. 28, Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, met with Chinese president Xi Jinping to discuss the situation. In the meeting, the doctor showed his appreciation for the Chinese government’s commitment to dealing with the disease. Some of the measures that that have already been taken include the closing of public transport in the city of Wuhan and the sharing of health data to the WHO. China has indicated that they don’t want to see a situation similar to that which they faced in a 2003 outbreak of SARS, killing 775 people internationally.

The disease springs up around the time of the Chinese New Year, which appears on the Gregorian calendar around late January or early February. The holiday marks an important time for many Chinese, and features, among other celebrations, the travelling of family members cross-country to a customary reunion dinner. Many businesses and services in the country slow or cease for this reason. Generally, citizens take seven days from work to observe the holiday, with three of those days being officially recognized by the country. China has since extended the holiday this year in response to the virus in order to prevent further proliferation. Many of the country’s neighbors also officially recognize the Chinese New Year, and the Chinese diaspora of these places, too, make the trek home to celebrate. Travel such as this, expectedly, is not conducive to subduing an outbreak.

The origin of the disease is yet unconfirmed, but, according to the WHO, the likely culprit is an “animal reservoir.” Coronavirus is zoonotic, meaning it can be commuted between humans and animals. For this reason, China has temporarily banned the trade of wild animals and advised citizens to avoid eating the meat of such animals as well. The WHO also has confirmed human-to-human transmission in the case of 2019 n-CoV.

The United States and other nations with diplomats and officials in the country are currently in process of evacuating China for the time being.

As the House’s December Articles of Impeachment reach the U.S. Senate after the holiday, Senators and presiding Chief Justice Roberts strap in for a trail on the matter.

The last time an impeachment matter was tried in American history was against former President Bill Clinton on the grounds of perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power claims. Ending in acquittal, that trial lasted nearly two months and the timeline of this one is surely on the minds of two Democratic election frontrunners. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are compelled to be in Washington per their Senate duties, while other nominees are free to campaign. Not to mention, other Senators, too, are looking to get back out there to campaign as incumbents, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

This time around, President Trump is accused by the House similarly for abuse of power, but also for “obstruction of congress.” The Articles Impeachment outline the House’s reasoning for both charges. They include mention of the President withholding aid money from the Ukrainian government in exchange for their announcing an investigation into political opponent Joe Biden, another election frontrunner, and for ordering government agencies to resist House subpoenas for the purposes of discovering the selfsame aid-withholding.

According to nine-page document, “In the history of the Republic, no President has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensively the ability of the House of Representatives to investigate ‘‘high Crimes and Misdemeanors.””

There exist many Senate procedures that complicate the process; complexity being a staple of The Senate. For example, the Senate began by debating a proposed a limited two-day timeline for opening arguments by Senator McConnell, a proposal that has since been withdrawn. Another being that, at any time, the Senate can move to deliberate privately. To the exclusion of TV cameras and all non-Senators, a mere majority is necessary. When it comes time to reach a verdict, a Constitutional two-thirds must vote in the affirmative to remove the president. In the case that all Senators vote, 67 must vote to convict.

Currently, Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate, meaning that the magic two-thirds consensus is unlikely to be reached, resulting in the President’s acquittal.

Former Vice President Biden, currently busy canvassing in Iowa, has since commented limitedly on his involvement in the case. He claimed that there would be “no legal basis” for a subpoena to reach his desk and followed-up the next day on Twitter where he walked back the comment. He stated that he “has always complied with a lawful order in my eight years as VP…” In another turn, also on Twitter, Biden clarified that he isn’t “going to pretend that there is any legal basis for Republican subpoenas for my testimony.” During the House’s initial inquiry into impeachment, he scathed the President for “shooting holes in the constitution.”

The President’s defense includes renowned Harvard Law emeritus professor Alan Dershowitz, the same counsel who appeared on the national stage with legal analysis of Clinton’s impeachment.

The trial is set to proceed under a similar ruleset to that of Clinton, meaning that arguments about witnesses and subpoenas are not to be up until opening arguments conclude. Such subpoenas and witnesses would newly come to exist, and potentially bring cabinet members and those close to the President before the Senate. Each side will take three days for opening arguments.