Speer: Jail issue not going away any time soon
Mention the word "millage" these days and elected officials will either duck for cover or run the other way. With gas prices in excess of $4 a gallon and groceries costing an arm and a leg, there isn't much left in any of our wallets anymore at the end of the week. That being reality, government officials understand that the chance of getting millage approved these days is somewhere in the neighborhood between "slim" and "none." Thus, don't look for Alpena County commissioners anytime soon to embrace any serious thoughts of a millage related to the sheriff's department and the desperate need for a new county jail. Yet if ever there was a compelling story to be made, the county jail would probably be it. Two week ago Sheriff Steven Kieliszewski updated commissioners about an unusually high number of "high risk" and potentially violent inmates being housed at the facility.
» Full StoryEditorial: Civic center or Memorial Hall, let us know
Alpena Municipal Council earlier this week delayed until August any decision on how to proceed with a civic and convention center for the community.
» Full StorySpeer: Memorial Hall’s future could be interesting
A special meeting of Alpena Municipl Council Monday will begin discussions as to the future of a civic and banquet hall within the city — and what role city government should play in it.
» Full StoryEditorial: Here’s hoping for a better budget process
What a difference a year can make.
Last year at this time the thoughts of a 2008 state budget were but a twinkle in lawmakers’ eyes. This year, depending on talks Friday, state lawmakers and Gov.
Editorial: Keep your paws off Great Lakes water
This week Michigan joined with other Great Lakes states in delivering a message to others that Great Lakes water is a precious resource not to be tampered with.
» Full StorySpeer: Sanctuary is a beacon shining on Alpena
Synergy: (def.) The interaction, or cooperation, of two or more organizations, substances or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
» Full Story


