News

New Wave community features two more Habitat homeowners

In June 2024, Habitat for Humanity dedicated the first two New Waves homes on land on M-72, west of Traverse City. In just two years the organization has built 13 homes and welcomed 11 new homeowner families. On June 3, Habitat dedicated the last two homes and welcomed two more families into the New Waves Community. When Jaclyn volunteered with Habitat in Illinois, she didn’t know that some day her family would need Habitat’s hand-up. Her whole life has been about helping others. After years working in mental health fields, she was the one in need of a little support.

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Tenants lose everything after Glen Arbor apartment house catches fire

Early in the morning on Monday, June 1, an apartment house caught fire in downtown Glen Arbor. Mara Miller and the Semple family, the two tenants impacted by the fire, are staying with family and friends in the area for the meantime. Miller manages the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company’s cafe; the Semples are longtime Glen Arbor residents. Both Miller and the Semple family have active GoFundMe campaigns online to help rebuild after the loss.

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Meeting Young Journalists Where They Are

Editors of the Glen Arbor Sun and The Betsie Current announce a joint project to begin working with aspiring young journalists and influencers during the summer and fall of 2026. “Meeting Young Journalists Where They Are” is an innovative way to collaborate with high school- and college-aged Northern Michiganders, who will be paid to produce compelling and topical local news in their rural communities through online video platforms. Currently, editors are looking for interested young people in Leelanau and Benzie counties to join this project, which is funded by Press Forward Northern Michigan, hosted by the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.

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Grand Traverse Band hosts Company K Memorial Highway dedication

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The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians will host a Company K Memorial Highway Dedication on Wednesday, May 27, at 1 pm at the Leelanau Sands Casino Showroom in Peshawbestown. The event will bring together community members, Tribal leaders, veterans, elected officials, and regional partners to honor the Anishinaabe soldiers of Company K of the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters for their service and sacrifice during the Civil War.

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Youth for Christ appeals to Zoning Board, reopens ministry. Leland citizens call on officials to play long game

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As expected, Apollos Properties and “Bear Man” Jim Van Steenhouse last month appealed to the Township’s Zoning Board of Appeals their special use permit application to hold Youth for Christ’s controversial Lighthouse ministry in a building they own that overlooks Fishtown in the heart of Leland’s business district. VanSteenhouse’s attorney Robert Parker informed lawyer Thomas Grier, with the Running Wise Law Firm, on April 28 that “while the matter is on appeal before the [ZBA], Youth for Christ intends to resume its activities at the property. Meanwhile, at the April 15 Planning Commission meeting, Leland citizens called on township officials to overcome fears of future litigation from VanSteenhouse and Youth for Christ. “If you feel you are currently considering approval to avoid a legal battle, then I urge you to move forward with another option: a legislative moratorium,” said Leland resident Lauren Connor. She and other citizens who spoke during the public comment period referenced several recent examples of villages and townships elsewhere in Leelanau County enacting moratoriums to stop developments from outside players that locals opposed. Those examples include dollar stores proposed in Empire and Maple City, an RV park in Leelanau Township, and a campground expansion along Lake Leelanau.

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Made in Michigan Series returns to Bay Theatre

With Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, summer is coming to The Bay—starting with a special Made in Michigan screening series of northern Michigan love story “An Autumn Summer,” a series of pop-up concerts and comedy shows, the return of weekly $1 family movies, and expanded summer hours. The fun kicks off May 22-28 with a weeklong Made in Michigan screening series of “An Autumn Summer,” a coming-of-age love story set in a northern Michigan lakeside town.

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Samaritans’ Closet comes to Empire

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Everything old is new again, as Samaritans’ Closet proves at its store in Lake Leelanau. Which is why it is now opening one in Empire. “It is a successful business model. Everyone loves it,” says Mary Stanton, executive director of Leelanau Christian Neighbors. The faith-based non-profit owns and runs Samaritans’ Closet, which stocks and sells items that are old, vintage, pre-loved, used—pick one. Actually, pick two, or three, or as many as you care to. Whether clothing and housewares, furniture and furnishings, art—anything someone wants to part with and that someone else may want can be found at the store. Now the longtime Lake Leelanau store is being joined by a second across the county. The new location is due to host its grand opening May 22 from 2 to 5 p.m. at 11840 S. Lacore Rd. It will then run on the same schedule as the Lake Leelanau store: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10-3 p.m. on Saturdays.

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Remembering longtime Johnnie Salami’s Riverfront Pizza owner Tim Nichols

RIP Tim Nichols, the longtime owner of Glen Arbor’s popular Riverfront Pizza, who passed away on May 6 at age 75. A memorial service will be held for Tim on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 2-4 pm at the Glen Lake Fire Hall.

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Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes expands bear tracks accessibility program

The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is expanding its renowned Bear Tracks accessibility program with the help of Elk Rapids-based Great Lakes RV Solar Solutions. New solar panels from Great Lakes are now attached to the Friends’ track chair trailer, allowing access to additional trails through the use of solar power. By cutting the cord, the track chairs can now be used on the Park’s popular Alligator Hill trail, expanding access for all to the beauty of the Lakeshore. “Accessibility is an important part of the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes mission,” said Laura Ann Johnson, executive director of the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes.

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Glen Arbor Sun named local news media publication of the year, wins 18 awards from Michigan Press Association’s 2025 Better Newspaper Contest

The Glen Arbor Sun was named local news media publication of the year and won 18 awards in 11 different categories from the Michigan Press Association’s 2025 Better Newspaper Contest for stories published between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025. The awards were unveiled on Thursday, April 23, at MPA conference at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.

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