Photos (l-r): Cherry Republic owner Bob Sutherland (photo by Taro Yamasaki); Jamaican workers employed by Anderson’s Market in 2017 (photo by Norm Wheeler); Leelanau Fruit manager Ben LaCross (photo by Madeleine Vedel) By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor Farmers and retailers in Leelanau County who rely on seasonal migrant and guest workers are sweating through the […]
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in response to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Unites States Public Health Service, and Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
We reached out to Mari Raphael, a registered nurse at the Grand Traverse Band Family Health Clinic and a tribal member, to hear how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting life for the tribe. The Leelanau Sands Casino is closed, and the tribe will begin furloughing workers next month. Nevertheless, the indispensable Family Health Clinic remains open.
Maple City lacks a grocery store, so Kelly Kieft and Scott Mills stepped forward to organize a pop-up food bank in front of Pegtown Station during the coronavirus pandemic. They encourage the public to drop off donations of ready-made food items, like soup, in a large bin near the wood shed located at the end of the driveway at the couple’s house at 8510 S. Maple St., in Maple City.
Jim and Ann Muennich launched Food Relief last month together with members of Suttons Bay Congregational church. Local restaurants are paid menu-prices for repacked lunches, which are then distributed to individuals and families. The goal is both to help people in need and to provide a revenue stream for local restaurants. Initial meals were purchased from Suttons Bay restaurants V.I. Grill, Streetside Grille, and 45th Parallel Cafe and distributed during Spring Break to school-age children. Food Relief has since transitioned to focus on providing meals for seniors. Donate online at sbcongregational.org.
“The governor doesn’t wear a badge. The governor doesn’t carry a gun. It’s just an [executive] order,” says Leelanau sheriff By Jacob Wheeler Sun editor Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich and his fellow sheriffs in Benzie, Manistee and Mason Counties today released a press release stating they would defy Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order […]
Through Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City and Leland Community United Methodist Church, Michelle White and a team of local volunteers cook meals, gather donations and deliver the meals to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Being able to continue to care for members of our community in such a tumultuous and challenging time is a real privilege,” says doctor Cyrus Ghaemi.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent Scott Tucker is considering temporarily closing popular trails to the public, including Empire Bluffs and Pyramid Point, to limit large crowds from gathering on warm spring days during the coronavirus pandemic.
Social distancing in northwest Michigan during the coronavirus pandemic appears to be working, Lisa Peacock, health officer with the Benzie Leelanau District Health Department and the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, told community health partners and journalists during a conference call on Wednesday, April 1.