Glen Arbor Sun

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Glen Arbor Sun, Interlochen Public Radio, Leelanau Enterprise host Cherry Pie debates

The Glen Arbor Town Hall hosted the 2026 Cherry Pie Debates on Oct. 5, featuring four candidates vying for seats in the Michigan legislature: incumbent state Rep. Betsy Coffia (D), challenger Edwin Dean (R); incumbent state Sen. John Damoose (R) and challenger Kate Gallup (D). The national midterm election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Topics discussed included: affordability and housing, balancing state and local power, climate change adaptation, Line 5, data centers and AI, the statute of limitations, immigration enforcement, and rural health care. Visit Interlochen Public Radio to listen to recordings of the debate—broken down by subject matter.

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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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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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Glen Lake Library plans Spring Break events

The Glen Lake Community Library in Empire will host a series of special events for area students during the week of Spring Break, from March 31 to April 4. Click here to view the library’s planned activities.

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Bear Man’s lawyer questions Fishtown’s tax-exempt status, escalating Youth for Christ battle in Leland

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Business owners, local parents, and the Fishtown Preservation Society oppose Apollos Properties’ and Youth for Christ’s contentious bid for a special land use permit to create a youth ministry in a building they own in the heart of Leland’s business district. Now Youth for Christ is striking back and elevating the legal stakes of this battle playing out in a small Leelanau County town but with potential implications far beyond Northern Michigan. On March 10, Timothy White, an attorney with the Parker Harvey law firm, sent a letter on behalf of their client, Apollos owner Jim VanSteenhouse, to the Leland Township assessor and board of review. That letter questioned the charitable tax-exempt status of the Fishtown Preservation Society in the town’s historic district of fish shanties. The district includes VanSteenhouse’s property at at 110 North Lake St. where Youth for Christ wants a ministry.

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Chasing Snow: Northern Michigan ski resorts adapt to a warmer world

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It’s been a soggy couple of years for skiers and snowboarders. So, what keeps us coming back? From crockpot warming stations to cutting-edge snow-making technology, Northern Michigan ski resorts pull out all the stops to keep winter lovers happy—and stay one step ahead of Mother Nature. Resorts need about 72 hours of temperatures that stay below 28 degrees to lay a base and open terrain for skiing. “The ski industry in Michigan happens because of snowmaking. There’s no other way to say it,” said Ben Doornbos, general manager at Nub’s Nob near Harbor Springs. “Our product is the snow.”

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Youth for Christ in Leland, Twin Flames raid, Trump’s government cuts, Art’s Tavern sells—Glen Arbor Sun’s most read stories of 2025

A controversial youth missionary group recruits inside Leland school and rattles the community; Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel orders a raid of the Twin Flames Universe cult’s home near Suttons Bay; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore leadership and staff face cuts and uncertainty under Trump and DOGE’s wrecking ball; Barb and Paul Olson acquire Glen Arbor’s iconic Art’s Tavern, and tribal fisherwoman Cindi John survives a mass stabbing at Walmart in Traverse City. Those were the most-read online stories of 2025 in the Glen Arbor Sun. Here’s a list of our top 10, by online views.

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A quest for learning: Green Door Folk School’s roots

Kristina Schnepf left the corporate world in 2019 in pursuit of a simpler, more fulfilling life by becoming a business consultant and operating their family business—the Traverse City franchise location of Peace, Love, & Little Donuts. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Schnepfs moved to Interlochen full time, replacing the small cottage they had originally bought in 2012. It was here that Kristina’s quest for learning sparked the creation of the new Green Door Folk School, located in Cedar.

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Read our 2025 editions

Click here to read digital versions of our 2025 editions of the Glen Arbor Sun. We’ll publish monthly during the shoulders seasons and every other week between May and Labor Day.

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Leelanau Indivisible, League of Women Voters host virtual event featuring impact of local journalism

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In the age of 24 hour news and hyped headlines, local journalism tackles stories that directly impact our day-to-day lives. Join Leelanau Indivisible and the League of Women Voters of Leelanau County on Saturday, April 8, at 10 a.m. for a virtual conversation via Zoom to learn how local media is relevant now more than ever.

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