Good morning, Marquette.

Due to calmer fire activity on the Ridge Fire from high humidity and lower temperatures, the Michigan DNR lifted the evacuation order on County Road 510, allowing residents to return home, while urging North Basin Drive residents to clear dry brush (30-100 feet) and prepare for a possible change in conditions.

The Fresh Coast Film Festival returns to Marquette this week for its 10th year and will show over 80 films at more than a dozen venues.

The festival will kick off on Thursday, Oct. 15 with a free screening at Mattson Lower Harbor Park + showcase Great Lakes films.

Peter Madcat Ruth's C.A.R.Ma.

Quartet, featuring Grammy Award-winning musicians including local percussionist John Churchville, will perform at Kaufman Auditorium on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:00 p.m. The band will offer an eclectic mix of blues, folk, jazz, and world music.

Yesterday, NMU students, faculty and administrators gathered to mark the sixth annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day by listening to five guest speakers and taking photos before walking to Whitman Woods.

They shared a sacred fire and inter-tribal drum songs + honored local tribal traditions.

The Economic Club of Marquette County will host its next 2026-2027 dinner meeting Monday, Oct.

19 at the Holiday Inn in Marquette. The event starts with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a talk by Matt Gougeon at 7:30 p.m.

NMU Board approved a five-year facilities master plan to guide its new Arts District & ratified a labor agreement with Local UAW 2178 on Monday; the agreement offers a 2 percent wage increase & updated leave policies while the board accepted audited financial statements for fiscal year 2025-26.

On Monday, Oct. 12, HOTplate Pottery & Clayworks held Kids Day Off Camp in downtown Marquette where kids crafted skeleton-themed wind chimes for Halloween, allowing parents to run errands and sparking creative expression.

Peter White Public Library hosted a Halloween craft event where families turned lantern jars into jack-o’-lanterns, celebrating the season creatively.

The library will also host a pom-pom monster workshop for kids this Saturday (Oct. 17) to encourage family fun and library visits when school is out.

Wildfires in Marquette and Baraga counties continue as officials warn residents along North Basin Drive to evacuate.

Fire crews and aircraft work on the 256-acre Ridge Fire and the 309-acre Craig Lake Fire near Craig Lake State Park, with an evacuation center at Negaunee Township Hall on M-35.

Governor Whitmer declared a state of energy emergency that allows farm and logging vehicles to use dyed diesel on public roads, citing high diesel prices and supply disruptions in Iran.

The order takes effect immediately (until Dec. 31) to protect Michigan’s agriculture and forestry work.

The American Red Cross is managing an evacuation shelter at Negaunee Township Hall near the ridge fire on North Basin Drive to support residents if evacuations become necessary; officials remind people to bring important documents (like IDs and insurance copies) if they must leave quickly.

Yesterday, LeAnn Makela at Active Physical Therapy in Marquette explained that sudden spinning may signal vestibular loss or vertigo during Mark & Walt in the Morning, and she urged anyone affected to seek prompt evaluation with a doctor’s referral.