TRAVERSE CITY

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Of all the lead-poisoned bald eagles Skegemog Raptor Center has seen in the past year, the recent cases have been some of the worst. There are now 300,000 bald eagles living in the wild, up from 417 nesting pairs in 1963. An eight-year study published in 2022 found that nearly half of bald and golden eagles nationwide tested positive for chronic lead poisoning. In Michigan, where the bald eagle population sits between 3,500-4,000, lead poisoning is the species’ third leading cause of death; eight eagles die of accidental lead poisoning for every one eagle illegally killed, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. But of the 17 bald eagles the center’s volunteer staff tested for lead in 2022, 13 were shown to have low-level lead poisoning, Manley says.

You can enjoy a “Friday in the park” as the band Chicago will perform at the National Cherry Festival this summer in Traverse City.

The legendary rock band will perform at Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival when it takes to the Pepsi Bay Side Music State on July 7, executive director Kat Paye announced Monday. Chicago, the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades, joins country star Jordan Davis on the festival’s music lineup. “We can’t wait to spend our Friday Night in the park with Chicago and their iconic music,” Paye said in a statement. Their first album, Chicago Transit Authority, was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2014. In 2017, Robert Lamm and James Pankow became Songwriter Hall of Fame inductees.

Craft brewing is coming off of “a golden decade, where almost everyone has been able to open and almost no one’s closed.”“That’s the unusual thing,” he said. The idea was to expand their reach, said co-owner Rick Schmitt, but they found the distribution market far more crowded than it had been when planning for the expansion began. Mike Mohrhardt is still optimistic about northern Michigan’s thirst for craft beer. “Traverse City was a no-brainer with our summer tourism. It’s a great spot” he said, “and at the rate that Traverse City is growing, I think there’s plenty of room for new establishment to come in.”

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew touched down at the Mackinac Island airport this past weekend to assist after one person was seriously injured in a snowmobile crash on the island. Hitting the trees likely kept the snowmobile from continuing on into Lake Huron, said Mackinac Island Police Chief Doug Topolski. “We would like to thank the U.S. Coast Guard and Arnold Freight for their assistance, as well as Mackinac Island EMS and medical center staff,” Topolski said. I also want to highlight the compassion and professionalism of the paramedics on both Mackinac Island and at Traverse City. “When there is bad weather, commercial providers are unavailable or have lengthy delays, the Coast Guard is notified.

There’s a distillery tucked away in Northern Michigan that makes a one-of-a-kind spirit -- and it should be on your radar.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will study whether to toughen regulation of large livestock farms that release manure and other pollutants into waterways.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – The National Cherry Festival has unveiled its first 2023 concert. Kat Paye, executive director of the week-long festival in Traverse City, announced Monday that country star Jordan Davis will perform at the Pepsi Bay Side Music Stage on July 6. “We are thrilled to be starting off our concert announcement season with the amazing new country artist Jordan Davis,” Paye said. Currently a Billboard Award nominee, Davis first broke through with his 2018 Gold-certified debut album, “Home State,” which included three consecutive No. Most recently, Davis wrote and released his 8 song EP “Buy Dirt,” which is supporting his current tour.

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, MI – A Michigan woman who went missing on Tuesday was found dead in Grand Traverse County. Tristan Dostal, 36, of Traverse City was found in the woods in the Brown Bridge Quiet Area on Thursday. It’s the same area she went missing in earlier in the week. The Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office had been looking for Dostal and had asked for the public’s help in locating her. Deputies did not release a cause of death, but there are no safety concerns for the public, deputies said.

Delamar, a downtown Traverse City hotel situated right at the edge of Grand Traverse Bay, is now offering a Snow Days Pass to locals and visitors alike this winter. A Cozy Cabana just outside the Delamar outdoor pool in Traverse City. The hotel is also allowing locals and visitors to reserve one of its cozy outdoor cabanas. The Snow Days Pass and Cozy Cabana reservations run through March 31. Snow Days Pass Highlights:Available Sunday - Thursday through March 31, 2023Day passes are available to the general public and are valid from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN - When your lights aren’t working and you are having technical difficulties, you punch in the number of your trusty tech guide or repair person. But when it happens to a pair of remote lighthouses in northern Lake Michigan in the middle of winter, you call in the U.S. Coast Guard. A Coast Guard Aids to Navigation specialist from Sector Sault Ste Marie is hoisted onto White Shoal Lighthouse by an Air Station Traverse City crew. Technicians were hoisted to White Shoal Light in Northern Lake Michigan. The Coast Guard crew from Air Station Traverse City flies out to White Shoal Lighthouse, about 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge.

Traverse City resident Rick Buckhalter filed last month for leave to appeal his case to the state’s top court. “It involves the use of city parkland and water at the Union Street Dam Park and the Traverse City city charter puts in place special protection for city-owned lands that are cemeteries or parks,” said Jay Zelenock, attorney for Buckhalter. In the case of the Great Lakes and the Boardman (Ottaway) River, the invasive species at issue is the sea lamprey. Initial plans called for the research facility in the Boardman (Ottaway) River to be completely constructed by early this year. FishPass is a fisheries research project among the binational Great Lakes Fishery Commission, City of Traverse City, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Tribe, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Boardman River Dams Implementation Team.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - A new kind of low-key outdoor adventure is being planned for Northern Michigan this summer. Wheels on Rails, the first rail-biking business in the state, will open along an unused railroad line south of Traverse City in late May. They are designed to roll on existing railroad tracks with a little pedal power. The three miles of tracks Wheels on Rails will use is located near U.S. 31 in Grawn, which is south of Traverse City. Wheels on Rails, a new rail-biking experience, will open this summer near Traverse City.

Railbikes are pedal-power carts that are ridden on railroad tracks and have the same style as recumbent bikes in the way people sit on them and pedal.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Water-related research projects could begin this summer at the Discovery Center & Pier in Traverse City thanks to $1.6 million in federal funding, according to a news release. The funding is a “significant piece” of what’s needed to build a classroom, lab and docks for research vessels on the pier. Once complete, the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center is expected to establish the Grand Traverse region as a hub for applied freshwater innovation, offering research, education, commercialization, incubation and acceleration programs, the release said. The project is a collaboration between 20Fathoms, Discovery Center & Pier, Michigan Technological University, Northwestern Michigan College and Traverse Connect. The deep-water pier is home to Traverse Tall Ship Co., which offers day cruises in Grand Traverse Bay.

PENINSULA TOWNSHIP, MI – A bunch of races – a Festival of Races, if you will – that take place this summer on the breathtakingly beautiful Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City are now open for registration at discounted prices. The Meijer Festival of Races Presented by Cherry Bay Orchard is part of the Traverse City’s National Cherry Festival. All races except the half marathon begin at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City. The half marathon begins at Old Mission Peninsula School, however spectators will not be allowed to park there or on Island View Road. Race packets and onsite registration will be available at Traverse City Central High School, 1150 Milliken Drive in Traverse City.

LANSING, MI -- When rumors started circulating about a group of healthcare workers in Traverse City having won a $1 million Powerball, no one seemed to think it was true. Michaela Coffia is one of those workers who said she didn’t believe it when one of her co-workers texted her to say the group won the huge prize. Coffia said she joined the club in 2019 after returning to work in the emergency room where many of the club’s members work. That group includes Shane Olman, a former employee at the hospital whose fiancée still works in the ER. Olman said he still plays with the group and also didn’t believe it when he found out they won the prize.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - Tasty pours indoors with a side of art: an entertaining combination when it’s cold outside. Traverse City’s popular Right Brain Brewery this weekend opens a three-month art exhibit inside its brew pub featuring works by local artists. It’s being called The Right Brain Phantasmagoria Art Exhibition for the Weird & Wonderful. And stay tuned: Right Brain Brewery has its own big milestone coming up. Love Traverse City?

A group of 78 nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers in Michigan won a $1 million Powerball prize, meaning they will each receive about $12,800.

LANSING, MI -- A lottery club consisting of 78 healthcare workers has come forward to claim a $1 million Powerball prize won last year. Members of the The Heroes to Zeroooos Lottery Club gathered at MiddleCoast Brewing Company in Traverse City Thursday night for a press conference announcing the club’s win. The club is comprised of various nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers from the Traverse City area.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - Calling all winter adventure lovers: Ready for a fresh take on Traverse City? The new Snow, Bike & Brew guided tours take participants cycling through the city and out into nature, punctuated by relaxing stops for some of the city’s best wine and beer offerings. The Snow, Bike & Brew tours will happen every Saturday from Jan. 7 through Feb. 25. “Gear up and come enjoy some of the great beer and wine that downtown Traverse City has to offer,” tour organizers said. “Spend your Saturday mornings on a snowshoe, bike & brew outing, or afternoons on an all bike and brew adventure.

New jobs in the electric vehicle market are coming to Traverse City via the Lear Corporation. An expansion is in the works that will create an estimated 79 new jobs in Traverse City, city manager Marty Colburn said. Lear, a Michigan-based company that manufactures automotive seating and electrical systems, already has a presence in Traverse City. The Traverse City plant produces electrical terminals, bus bars and fuse boxes, according to a company statement provided to MLive. Across the state, Lear has 13 sites with a total of 3,800 employees.

TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. – A new comedy festival coming to Northern Michigan this season is giving people the chance to laugh away any hint of the winter blues. The Traverse City Comedy Fest, to be held in downtown Traverse City Feb. 2-4, will spotlight more than 50 comedians over three days. Organizers from the Downtown Traverse City Association (DTCA), which is hosting the event, said the festival aims to bring laughter and entertainment to the area during the off-season, as well as provide an economic boost to local businesses. “We’re excited to welcome downstate and out-of-state visitors to Traverse City outside of thevery busy summer months,” said Jean Derenzy, CEO of the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority. “In addition to getting in on tons of laughs, we know our guests will enjoy exploring their favorite Traverse City shops and restaurants without the big crowds.”Ticket information, further details and a full festival lineup can be found at tccomedyfest.com.

PORTAGE, MI – Coming off a 30-point effort against Traverse City St. Francis, Grand Haven senior Harrison Sorrelle drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key on the Buccaneers’ first possession in Wednesday’s game at Portage Central. The 6-foot-5 guard appeared ready to compile another impressive performance to bolster his average of 25 points per game, but Portage Central was determined to keep Sorrelle in check.

OLD MISSION PENINSULA, MI - One of the Traverse City area’s most well-known winter experiences has announced its event dates for the new season, so get ready to board The Brew Bus for one of the 2023 slate of Snowshoe, Wine & Brew adventures. These popular events are back for a string of Sunday fun days on Old Mission Peninsula, just north of Traverse City. “This winter, get out and experience the breathtaking natural beauty of Northern Michigan with the Old Mission Snowshoe, Wine & Brew, Michigan’s only organized wine and snowshoe outing,” event organizers said. Two wineries and one brew pub are the stops for this year's Snowshoe, Wine & Brew treks on Old Mission Peninsula. Get 10% off bottle purchases - and your purchases will be delivered to Jolly Pumpkin (no need to carry them).

GARFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI – A former department store near Traverse City is on track to become a go-kart racing center, The Ticker reports. Plans call for the former Sears department store at the Cherryland Center, 1212 W. South Airport Road in Garfield Township, to be transformed into a K1 Speed franchise, the report said. The project by new Sears building owner Ulysses Walls, a cardiologist from Alpena, is sure to get the heart pumping. With unanimous approval from the Garfield Township Planning Commission last week, the entire building can be used for indoor recreation, the report said. Project plans call for an arcade, a restaurant and bar, plus possible laser tag, mini golf and a trampoline park.

Are you looking for a fun winter Michigan getaway? Caroline Rizzo with Grand Traverse Resorts joined Tati Amare on “Live in the D” to discuss everything they have to offer.

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Traverse City went north on a training flight this week and caught some incredibly iconic Michigan views from the air. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw was working in Lake Michigan when their colleagues did a fly-over. Here’s what the Coast Guard said about the training flight via a message on its social media page. Photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. Love our U.S. Coast Guard crews?

For three years Ethan Hornacek has been shopping for a house in his hometown. Unfortunately for him, his hometown is Traverse City – one of the state’s most desired cities in one of the fastest growing counties. After being outbid 15 times, Hornacek, 33, started working overtime as lead finisher at Britten Woodworks. He estimates he now puts in 100 hours a week.

Four Native American tribes have agreed with Michigan and federal officials on a revised fishing policy for parts of three of the Great Lakes, officials said Monday.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – A suspect has been arrested after a dumpster fire spread to the storage area behind a nonprofit thrift shop in Traverse City, officials said. The fire started Thursday morning, Dec. 8, behind the Women’s Resource Center Thrift Shop, 3030 US-31 in Traverse City, Juliette Schultz, executive director of the organization said in a statement. During the cleanup process, the thrift shop remains open to customers but cannot accept donations, Schultz said. Donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the organization’s other location: 1331 W. South Airport Road in Traverse City. The WRC Thrift Shop provides more than 60% of annual revenue to the nonprofit, which has a mission to protect, shelter and empower people impacted by domestic and sexual violence.

“It’s a glowing celebration during December in Traverse City,” Traverse City Tourism staff said. #3 Downtown Christmas Tree: A beautiful tall Christmas tree in the center of town with lights in trees lining the sidewalks downtown Traverse City. #6 Fourteenth Street Light Display: A dynamic light display on this 14th street home. #9 Sylt Road Light Display, Lake Leelanau: A stunning light display just west of Lake Leelanau. #10 Art’s Tavern Light Display, Glen Arbor: An amazing light display lighting up Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – A proposed four-story Marriot hotel in Traverse City would include a rooftop bar overlooking Grand Traverse Bay and 99 rooms, officials said. The Marriot Tribute Hotel, 211 and 221 W. Grandview Parkway, is expected to open in 2024, Taylor Roncelli, asset manager for JS Capito Group, told MLive. Plans include a spa, rooftop bar and restaurant, a retail boutique and, and fitness center open to guests and the community, Roncelli said. The project was approved this week by the Traverse City Planning Commission. JS Capital Group, led by Jeff Schmitz, is the same developer that built the Hotel Indigo in 2017.

A planned parking lot overhaul at the shopping center was a chance for the large, Michigan-based retailer to re-tool how rainwater flows off the property. The project in Meijer’s Traverse City parking lot included five large underground infiltration structures and six bioretention cells, designed to temporarily store stormwater so it can seep into the ground. The Traverse City Meijer becomes the company’s eighth store to use green infrastructure to reduce environmental harm from its footprints. And we knew that we would be redoing that parking lot within the next several years. In addition to Traverse City, Meijer stores in Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Manistee, Swartz Creek, and Warren also have green infrastructure elements.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- Traverse City Police were needed to break up a fight Friday night between two 30-year-old men dressed as Christmas characters who were attending a work-related holiday party. According to UpNorthLive, one of the 30-year-old men -- who was dressed as the Grinch -- was arrested for allegedly assaulting the other man who was dressed as a reindeer. Police were called to the Hotel Indigo Friday night and discovered the man dressed as a reindeer defending himself from the Grinch as the Grinch was punching him. Police believe the incident was fueled by alcohol consumption and not the size of either man’s heart. READ MORE:Michigan priest accused of stealing $830,000 from 3 other priestsArgument leads to fatal shooting when suspect allegedly grabs gun from victim’s boyfriendYpsilanti police investigate stabbing

The Biden administration declared the northern long-eared bat endangered on Nov. 29 in a last-ditch effort to save a species driven to the brink of extinction by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – A Michigan man is facing multiple felony counts for allegedly sexually abusing children under 13 years old, police said. The investigation that led to these charges began in October when Michigan Children’s Protective Services contacted the MSP Cadillac Post to investigate an alleged sexual assault against a child, the release said. A report was turned over to the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor’s Office. An arrest warrant was authorized on Nov. 30 and carried out that day, police said. Pettinato is lodged in the Grand Traverse County Jail.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – There’s a new Michigan State Police post in Northern Michigan. Troopers announced Wednesday that the agency’s Traverse City post at 218 W. Fourteenth Street, will open on Jan. 9, 2023 as a full-service station serving Benzie, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse counties. “After completing a review of post service areas in the Seventh District and gathering input from community stakeholders, the decision was made to reestablish the Traverse City Post utilizing the Traverse City Detachment to best deliver MSP services in the region,” said Capt. The Traverse City post commander will be F/Lt. During his 22-year career, he has served at the former Kalkaska Post and Houghton Lake Post.

The Biden administration declared the northern long-eared bat endangered on Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to save a species driven to the brink of extinction by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease.

DETROIT, MI — Jackson Lumen Christi defeated Traverse City St. Francis 15-12 in the Division 7 MHSAA Football Finals at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 26. You can order prints of any of these football photos by clicking the “Buy photo” button in the caption of every photo. Subscribers click the “Get photo” link to download high-resolution images right to their device for free as part of their subscription. To subscribe, click this link. More from MLive:St. Francis defense stands strong in loss to Lumen ChristiLumen Christi shows second-half strength in state-title win

DETROIT -- Traverse City St. Francis early on kept making plays defensively to disrupt Lumen Christi in Saturday’s Division 7 state championship game. A week after Lumen Christi running back Derrick Walker gained 191 yards in a semifinal win over Napoleon, the Gladiators held him to 34 yards on 14 carries. Time after time for the first three quarters, the Gladiators had an answer defensively for everything Lumen Christi tried on offense.

JACKSON -- On the morning of September 10, the Lumen Christi football team woke up staring at a three-game losing streak and 0-3 record. A lot of that had to do with a hard schedule to open the season. The Titans’ nonconference schedule included one-possession losses to New Lothrop and Traverse City St. Francis, two teams who met each other in a Division 7 semifinal on Saturday. Then the Titans opened Interstate 8 play with eventual league champion, and a district champion in Division 4, Hastings.

FLINT – Traverse City St. Francis’ football team is apparently all it’s cracked up to be. 1-ranked Gladiators advanced to the Division 7 state championship game by routing another small school power, New Lothrop, in Saturday’s state semifinals.

ANN ARBOR, MI — After several years of talks about how to activate downtown’s Library Lane parking lot, Ann Arbor officials are revisiting past ideas. Ann Arbor's Library Lane parking lot site on Aug. 11, 2022. Ann Arbor's Library Lane parking lot site on Aug. 11, 2022. Ann Arbor's Library Lane parking lot site on Aug. 11, 2022. Ann Arbor's Library Lane parking lot site on Aug. 11, 2022.

The company’s founder says he wants to help out less fortunate families during the holidays

More ballots were cast for Democrats than Republicans in Benzie and Grand Traverse counties in both the Michigan governor and secretary of state races. Incumbent Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel beat GOP challenger Matt DePerno in Grand Traverse County, and they tied at 5,162 votes each in Benzie County. In 2020, former President Donald Trump beat Joe Biden in Grand Traverse County by 1,819 votes with 60,668 ballots cast. Coffia beat O’Malley in Grand Traverse County 19,208 to 18,126, and by a slimmer, 38-vote margin in Leelanau County (7,565-7,527). Voters solidly approved the measure in both Benzie and Grand Traverse counties, too.

Looking at past weather data, Thursday should be our last 70 degree day until next spring. Pretty much all of the southern half of Lower Michigan will hit at least 70 degrees Thursday. A high temperature of 70 degrees should be felt as far north as Traverse City and Alpena. Record high temperature forecasts for Thursday, November 10, 2022The record highs for Thursday are going to be just west of Michigan. At that point it’s probably too late to reach 70 degrees again.

This year’s Traverse City Beer Week will take place Nov. 11 through Nov. 18, and its mobile passport feature this year helps participants plan a self-guided tour of local craft breweries. More than 20 brew pubs, restaurants and other local businesses are offering Beer Week deals, savings and events as part of this week-long celebration. Using the Traverse City Beer Week mobile passport allows people to check in at participating breweries and businesses to earn a free T-shirt. “Traverse City continues to be mentioned as one of the top small town beer scenes in the country,” said Trevor Tkach, president of Traverse City Tourism. Head to Traverse City during Beer Week and time your trip so you can go to the Flapjack & Flannel Festival at Jacob’s Farm on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Traverse City Whiskey Co. is expanding in northern Michigan, resulting in the opening of 100 new jobs and a new headquarters location.

ELMWOOD TOWNSHIP, MI – Traverse City Whiskey Co. plans to overhaul the abandoned Cherry Growers Co-Op facility into its new headquarters, a $20 million investment that’s expected to create 100 jobs, officials announced. Michigan was chosen for the project over a site in Michigan City, Ind. With the new headquarters, TCWC will bring all its distilling operations home to the Traverse City area. They produced bourbon and cherry whiskey that have become top sellers statewide. At its current Traverse City facility, the company operates the Stillhouse tasting room, which is a popular destination for visitors and residents.

It definitely still makes sense to take one last fall color tour around Michigan this weekend. While the leaves have mostly fallen across the Upper Peninsula, there is still an area across northern Lower Michigan that is holding on to just-past-peak fall color. Remember- the warmer nighttime air along the Great Lakes’ shorelines delays the peak fall color at Michigan’s beach towns. There are still some fresh images of great fall color coming out of cities around Ann Arbor and Detroit, like the one below at Plymouth. The warm, calm weather of this coming week will probably let the fall color hang on in far southern Lower Michigan for this coming week.

Traverse City was a toasty 66 degrees at 6 a.m. today, officials said. The National Weather Service Gaylord office posted a “temperature check” to its Facebook page this morning, Oct. 25, which shows Northern Michigan was warmer than several places that we would expect to be balmy by comparison. While Traverse City was sitting at 66 degrees, it was 65 degrees in Charlevoix. At the same time, it was 62 degrees in Houston, 59 degrees in Los Angeles, 56 degrees in Phoenix and 50 degrees in Jacksonville, Fla. READ MORE:NOAA’s winter forecast targets Michigan for a sloppy, slick winter2 Michigan destinations on list of most beautiful small towns in AmericaPictured Rocks’ main stairway to Miners Beach taken out by big waves, storm erosion

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - First responders see their fair share of unusual occurrences while on the job. But members of the Traverse City Fire Department were in for a bit of a shock when someone decided to take the department’s ambulance for a joy ride. According to 9 & 10 News, crews from the Traverse City Fire Department responded to a medical call earlier this week near 10th Street and Union Avenue. According to the department, Grand Traverse 911 and the Traverse City Police Department worked to recover the emergency vehicle. “This incident is a prime example of how unpredictable our days at work can be,” said the department on social media.

He captured some breathtaking photos and video over Northern Michigan, all while leaning out of a U.S. Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter. But this was his first time up with the U.S. Coast Guard, and he found the trip challenging - and a big thrill. Making Leipprandt’s trip possible this week was a quartet from the Traverse City Coast Guard contingent: pilots Lt. Cmdr. A U.S. Coast Guard Jayhawk flies high over Traverse City, Power Island and Torch Lake areas. “There are so many pockets of color along Old Mission Peninsula and the whole Traverse City area.

OLD MISSION PENINSULA, MI - For thousands of visitors each year, Traverse City’s Old Mission Peninsula is a go-to destination. Enthusiasts know the Old Mission Peninsula wine trail is a tasting room corridor of stop-sip-savor. The tasting room at Mari Vineyards on Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse County on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Mari Vineyards is one of the wineries that make up the Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail. Chateau Chantal is one of the wineries that make up the Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail.

A court denied a Michigan woman’s request for a protection order against a man who later shackled her inside a sound-proof bunker and held her hostage for 13 hours, according to UpNorthLive.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - A man who allegedly kidnapped, and then raped and tortured a woman while holding her captive for 13 hours knew the victim from college and had been stalking her, authorities said. Christopher Thomas, of Traverse City, is charged with multiple crimes related to the recent incident that happened last week in Grand Traverse County, WPBN/WGTU reports. RELATED: Northern Michigan man allegedly held woman hostage in soundproof bunker, raped herThomas had allegedly been stalking the victim for more than a decade. There, he allegedly shacked her in place, raped and tortured her for 13 hours. Later, police found Thomas at an apartment in Traverse City where he was arrested.

A Michigan man is facing kidnapping, stalking, torture, and rape charges after he shackled a woman inside a sound-proof bunker he’d built and held her hostage for 13 hours, prosecutors said.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – A Traverse City man is accused of kidnapping a woman and holding her in a homemade soundproof bunker where he raped her repeatedly, officials said. Defendant Christopher Thomas allegedly stalked the victim for more than a decade, including putting a tracker on her vehicle prior to the alleged recent kidnapping, WBPN/WGTU reports. He allegedly subjected the victim to rape and torture while he held her captive for 13 hours, the report said. Thomas was arraigned in Grand Traverse County’s 86th District Court on charges of kidnapping, torture, four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree home invasion and aggravated stalking. His next court hearing is on Oct. 25.

A canoeing competition held on Lake Michigan turned deadly this weekend when a racer died after falling off his boat multiple times.

FRANKFORT, MI – A man died while participating in a kayaking race on Lake Michigan over the weekend. The subject, identified as Nick Walton, was wearing a life vest and wetsuit. Personnel from U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee recover the kayak used by Nick Walton in a race on Lake Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, near Frankfort. Walton fell out of the boat and was hoisted from the water by Coast Guard personnel. The Coast Guard was called when they saw him no longer mounting his boat.

Two women have been arrested for going to the Michigan State Police recruiting booth at the Cherry Festival in the middle of the night and stealing the department’s tent, officials said.

The co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party is accused of being blatantly homophobic in a tweet about openly-gay U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Sixty-seven years ago today, the first edition of “The Guinness Book of Records” was published.

Isle Royale National Park’s gray wolf population has reached 28, a dramatic comeback after the species nearly disappeared from the Lake Superior island chain, researchers said Wednesday.

A federal judge Thursday kept jurisdiction over a lawsuit seeking to close an oil pipeline crossing a section of the Great Lakes, rejecting Michigan’s effort to shift the case to state court.

A plan to activate a railroad corridor that runs from Southeast Michigan to Traverse City and Petoskey has received new funding to advance planning stages.

Developers were just given money to study what it would take to get a passenger rail line up and running. It would connect Detroit and Ann Arbor to Traverse City and Petoskey with stops along the routes seen in the video player above.

A plan to activate a railroad corridor that runs from Southeast Michigan to Traverse City and Petoskey has received new funding to advance planning stages.

The Great Lakes might be home to the world’s most abundant supply of freshwater whitefish, and to many, that treat tastes even better when it is smoked to give it even more flavor.

The Michigan football program embarked on a jam-packed tour of Michigan this summer.

A 23-year-old woman from Traverse City was arrested over the weekend for assaulting the father of her baby, according to Michigan State Police.

Five Michigan men were arrested when officials broke up a drug deal and found fentanyl in one vehicle and cash in the other, according to authorities.

Macy’s has partnered with WHP Global to bring the Toys”R”Us brand to every Macy’s store in America.

The United States Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, has officially changed his residency from Indiana to our mitten state, where he plans to vote this fall.

Two women went to the Michigan State Police recruiting booth at the Cherry Festival in the middle of the night and stole the department’s tent, officials said.

Here you’ll find a bucket list of places to visit around the state that are not your run-of-the-mill spots. You may have never heard of these places, some were new to me as well. Happy touristing!

Michigan lighthouses have been shining a light on the Great Lakes for centuries. With more than 3,200 miles of shoreline, lighthouses greatly impact the water community.

A Rochester man is accused of meeting a child at a motel in the Traverse City area and exchanging nude pictures over Snapchat, police said.

Memorial Day is a special day for many Americans whose loved ones have fought for our country.

Memorial Day is a special day for many Americans whose loved ones have fought for our country.

If you are looking for a way to remind your family what the holiday is really about, we gathered a list of veteran memorials you can visit throughout the state of Michigan.

Preliminary fact-finding by Federal Aviation Administration investigators indicates a flight instructor had 14 seconds to safely land a plane after its engine died during its final approach.

No injuries have been reported after a small plane crashed Tuesday evening in Traverse City.

The Republican-led Michigan Senate has approved a 5% increase in base funding for K-12 schools but pared back Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposals to recruit and retain teachers and didn't include her proposed $1 billion fund for school infrastructure projects.

A man was arrested last week after he tried to steal more than $700 worth of meat from a Traverse City store and attacked employees with a shovel, police said.

Rapper Nelly will perform at the 2022 National Cherry Festival in Traverse City this summer.

It is a shift in mindset to be an all-electric car owner. Simply forgetting to plug in your vehicle at the end of the day could pose a problem, especially if you don’t have a quick-charge option on your route.

Voters in Traverse City will decide whether the city gets a large new building.

Winter is changing across the Great Lakes region, and scientists want to know what that will mean.

A 72-year-old northern Michigan man has been charged with animal abuse and neglect after authorities said 164 dogs were found in and around his Traverse City-area home.

Federal prosecutors are trying to reinstate charges against a former Michigan lawmaker from the Traverse City area who was accused of trading votes for campaign money when he served in the House.

Authorities discovered more than 160 dogs at a rural property near Traverse City after arriving to enforce blight violations.

A Michigan man who was a freighter shipmate has died in an accident aboard a 1,000-foot freighter along northwest Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline.

A major health care provider in northern Michigan says it's putting an emphasis on COVID-19 care and reducing other services after a spike in the region.

Tourists flowed through Traverse City at a strong pace during vacation season 2021.

To some, staying in a haunted hotel or Airbnb is a bucket list experience, but when I found out my friends booked an Airbnb in a building that used to be a psychiatric hospital, all I could think was that some ghosts were going to visit me at night.

Electric vehicles heading to northern Michigan are invited to get some juice in Saginaw.

A prosecutor has filed criminal complaints against two northern Michigan men in connection with an attack on a newspaper reporter covering a meeting by a group opposing masks and vaccination mandates.

The message we are receiving here is simple: Seider is beyond playing in the prospects tournament. Nothing more, nothing less.