The results in a new poll of 400 likely Democratic primary voters released in mid-July shows Derek Bailey, candidate for the 101st State Representative District, leading his opponent, Alan O’Shea of Manistee, by eight points as the August 7 primary approaches.

That pie you ate at Cherry Republic last week wasn’t the fruit of a local tart cherry farmer’s labor — not this year, at least. The Glen Arbor retail company’s quick-thinking president Bob Sutherland imported those pie cherries from Poland after extreme weather this spring all but wiped out northern Michigan’s tart cherry crop.

Phase One of the Heritage Trail, a paved, 10-foot-wide multi-use trail, which runs from the Dune Climb to Glen Arbor, is the first leg of what supporters envision will one day be a 27-mile trail from the Leelanau-Benzie County Line running north to Good Harbor Bay. Though it has been operational for over a month, the Heritage Trail’s official grand opening is scheduled for June 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has approved a bid by On the Narrows Marina to expand on Big Glen Lake, despite local opposition and concern by the Glen Lake Association (GLA). MDEQ officer Robyn Schmidt confirmed to the Glen Arbor Sun that the draft permit she sent on May 16 to the McCahill family — which owns the marina — was countersigned and returned to the department on June 6. With the exception of moving their mooring buoys closer to shore, On the Narrows is now free to continue its expansion.

The accolades and attention continue to bless Leelanau County — and our summer season is still over seven weeks away. A University of Wisconsin study published today named ours as the third healthiest county in the United States — behind Los Alamos County, N.M., and Colorado’s Douglas County. That means we’re the fittest Americans east of the Mississippi River!

Northern Michiganders, and residents of Leelanau and Benzie counties in particular, faced the worst snowstorm in decades this past weekend. Old Man Winter threw one of his last tantrums of the season Friday night, and by 8 p.m. much of the area had lost electricity. Here are a few perspectives from your northern Michigan neighbors on how they weathered the great winter storm of 2012.

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 1,280,932 visitors in 2010 spent $120,482,000 in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) and nearby communities. That spending supported 2,070 jobs in the local area.

The National Park Service at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) announced the completion of the Port Oneida Historic Landscape Management Plan/Environmental Assessment with the signing of the “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) on January 17.

Traverse City filmmaker Aaron Dennis and Glen Arbor Sun editor Jacob Wheeler traveled to the Holy Land in early February to document the Run Across Palestine, which was organized by northern Michigand-based On The Ground. The runners logged over 100 miles over five days across the West Bank to raise awareness about the struggles facing […]

The Glen Arbor Township Board held a special meeting today to respond to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regarding an application for a marina expansion on Big Glen Lake. On the Narrows Marina owner Conor McCahill seeks to add an additional 39 boat slips on a new dock, bringing the total to 46, as well as increase the moorings to 16.