Good morning, Marquette.

Local firefighters hosted a Fill the Boot fundraiser on Thursday at Music on Third to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Marquette’s Office of Arts & Culture announced the winners of the 29th Annual Art Awards, selected by the community for their contributions to local arts including Michael Bradford and Niik Creative Co. The free ceremony will be held on Sunday, Nov.

8 at Ore Dock Brewing Company, 114 W Spring St.

InvestUP’s roundup details $57.5M in state funding for the Copperwood Project, promising over 300 construction jobs as improvements expand into roads, utilities, and broadband.

Regional leaders also launched a new coalition for responsible growth & KMI Space was selected by SpaceWERX to advance orbital logistics technology.

NMU Board of Trustees approved a balanced fiscal year 2026 to 2027 general fund budget on Friday, closing an $8 million deficit with a voluntary separation program and expenditure cuts—also approving operational budgets for Residence Life and auxiliary services to support student programs.

NMU held a homecoming parade Friday evening in downtown Marquette that featured about 60 groups including Golden Wildcats alumni riding a trolley, while the NMU football game kicks off today at 1 p.m. with tailgating beginning at 11 a.m. behind the Superior Dome.

NMU received state approval for its $23M College of Business building addition at the C.B.

Hedgcock Building + final steel contracts are set for this winter, with construction scheduled to begin in spring 2027 and occupancy planned for fall 2028.

NMU will host the Indigenous Perspectives Symposium on Friday, Sept.

25 at the Northern Center, featuring talks on traditional medicines and healing. Morning sessions will be held at several campus venues while afternoon sessions occur at the center (details and schedule are available before the event).

Conservation groups are urging Michigan locals to comment on the Forest Service plan to change the Roadless Rule that keeps 16,000 acres free from roads and logging, with feedback due by Oct.

6 amid debates over fire management and timber harvesting.

Cancer Care of Marquette County will host Stick It To Cancer, a hockey tournament to fight cancer, starting Friday, Sept.

25 at 5:30 p.m. with championship games on Sunday, Sept. 27 & everyone is welcome to join the event.

Marquette County Medical Care Facility held a Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Friday afternoon in Ishpeming to raise funds through local donations as community members contributed flower spinners to honor personal connections with Alzheimer’s.

Fundraising will continue until December (over $300 was collected with nearly 50 spinners displayed).

NMU’s Wildcats recorded numerous personal bests at the rainy Roy Griak Invite in Fort Snelling, Minn on Friday as runners like Ella DeBruyn + Ashley Choponis improved their times; the team finished 10th of 17 and will next compete at the Lucian Rosa Invite on Saturday, Oct.

10 in Kenosha.

The NMU men’s soccer team beat fifth-ranked Saginaw Valley State 2-1 on Friday at an away match after Ian Weimer scored an 88th-minute winner, boosting the Wildcats’ confidence.

They now look ahead to a tough game on Sunday plus hope to carry the momentum forward.