Grand Traverse County , Michigan

Grand Traverse Commissioners Receive Latest Update on County Homelessness Response

A draft plan to consolidate Traverse City's scattered shelters onto one campus, possibly the Goodwill Inn on Keystone Road, anchors the task force's dozen-plus recommendations.

Dr. Elena Rodriguez2m read

Traverse City Pastors Urge Congress for Immigration Reform, Respectful Pathways

Rev. Julie Delezenne and Rev. Linda Stephan traveled to Washington, D.C., in late February 2025 to press members and staff of Congress for changes in U.S. immigration policy affecting northern Michigan families.

James Thompson2m read

Healthcare

Munson Stroke Club March 11 Features Kelly Stites on Assisted Moving Services

Munson’s Grand Traverse Bay Area Stroke Club will meet March 11 at 2:30 p.m. at 701 Westminster Rd., featuring Kelly Stites on assisted moving services for stroke survivors.

Traverse City Man Gets 6 to 15 Years in Fatal DUI Crash

Kenneth Marotzke, 71, was sentenced to 6 to 15 years for killing Ohio volunteer lighthouse keeper Ronald Bellman in a drunk driving crash on M-22.

Lisa Park2m read

Traverse City to Host Inaugural Donut and Beer Festival in 2026

Turtle Creek Stadium will host 200+ donut varieties and craft beer this June — the nation's traveling Donut & Beer Festival's first-ever stop in Northern Michigan.

Traverse City Figure Skating Club Celebrates 50 Years with Around the World on Ice

More than 130 skaters ages 3 to 18 took the ice at Centre Ice Arena last weekend as the Traverse City Figure Skating Club marked its 50th anniversary.

Education

Onekama Upsets Undefeated Traverse City Christian 46-40, Faces Wyoming Tri Unity Christian

Onekama stunned previously unbeaten Traverse City Christian 46-40 at McBain, advancing to face Wyoming Tri Unity Christian in the Division 4 quarterfinals on March 10 in Big Rapids.

Lisa Park2m read

Education

Kingsley girls dominate Traverse City St. Francis 64-39, extend season-long streak

Kingsley High School routed Traverse City St. Francis 64-39 on March 4, extending a season-long hot streak in a game MaxPreps described as dominant.

Sarah Chen1m read

Free Shakespeare Bard Crawl Debuts at Grand Traverse Commons in March

A free "Bard Crawl" brings Shakespeare to Left Foot Charley, Earthen Ales, and three other Grand Traverse Commons venues this Sunday, March 15.

Housing Task Force Seeks $1 Million to Combat Homelessness in Traverse City

The Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness is asking Traverse City for $1 million to back a new task force targeting long-term housing solutions.

Business

Contractor Dies After CO2 System Discharges on Docked Ludington Tugboat

Mark Allen, husband of Traverse City Deputy City Manager Deb Allen, died after a CO2 fire suppression system discharged during maintenance on a docked Ludington tugboat.

Sarah Chen1m read

Business

Traverse City's ViewTech Borescopes to Showcase Inspection Tech at VERTICON 2026

Traverse City's ViewTech Borescopes is on the floor at VERTICON 2026 in Atlanta this week, showing aviation crews how to inspect jet engines without taking them apart.

Traverse City Teen Charged in Parking Services Employee's Death Found Competent

A judge found 17-year-old Eugene (Dale) Thompson competent to stand trial in the November killing of Traverse City parking worker Lawrence Boyd IV.

Marcus Williams3m read

Grand Traverse County Road Commission unveils $17.5M 2026 list, Franke Road prioritized

Grand Traverse County Road Commission unveiled a $17.5M 2026 program and flagged Franke Road, Silver Lake Road to U.S. 31, because of heavy Meijer delivery trucks and TCAPS Montessori school traffic.

Joint Zoning Commission Moves Forward with Cherry Capital Airport Overlay Amid Scrutiny

Joint zoning officials advanced a draft overlay covering an approximately 10-mile Airport Hazard Area around Cherry Capital Airport after a Feb. 26 presentation at Northwestern Michigan College.

Marcus Williams3m read

Business

Northern Michigan Defense Conference March 5–6 to convene at Hagerty Center

Federal attendees paid $25 while full registration cost $175 at the Northern Michigan Defense Conference, held March 5–6 in Traverse City as organizers linked local firms to defense contracts.

Sarah Chen3m read

Grand Traverse Bay YMCA launches $13M campaign to fund West campus expansion

Grand Traverse Bay YMCA launched a roughly $13 million public capital campaign to fund Phase 2 at its West campus on Silver Lake Road, aiming for a planned May groundbreaking.

Lisa Park2m read

Kenneth Marotzke gets at least six years for deadly M-22 crash

Traverse City man Kenneth Marotzke, 71, was sentenced to at least six years after a Sept. 10, 2025 M-22 crash killed volunteer lighthouse keeper Ronald Bellman.

Crooked Tree Arts Center Showcases Thousands of K-12 Student Works This Spring

Thousands of K-12 artworks now cover the Carnegie and Cornwell galleries floor-to-ceiling at Crooked Tree Arts Center through April 11.

Marcus Williams1m read

Traverse City Weighs $80,000 Study to Tackle Wastewater Plant Odors

Traverse City commissioners heard a pitch Monday for an $80,000 study to track "rotten egg-type" odors from the Hannah Avenue wastewater plant.

Marcus Williams1m read

Grand Traverse Band Hosts Sugar Bush Camp to Revive Maple-Sugaring Traditions

The Grand Traverse Band opens its Sugar Bush Camp in Suttons Bay this weekend, teaching ancestral Anishinaabe maple-sugaring techniques with birch bark baskets and sumac-stem taps.

MDOT Hosts March 24 Open House for $32.5M US-31 Rebuild Near Interlochen

Tree crews hit US-31 near Interlochen on March 23 as MDOT prepares for a $32.5M rebuild affecting 7.8 miles crossing Grand Traverse and Benzie counties.

James Thompson1m read

Grand Traverse County Leads Effort to Preserve Native American Travel Route

Local artist Scott Buckmaster and community members are repairing 33 markers along the Old Indian Trail so drivers can follow a route from Lake Mitchell to West Grand Traverse Bay.

Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office Annual Awards Honors Deputies, Corrections Staff

Dustin Stickler was named Law Enforcement Division Employee of the Year at a March 5 ceremony in Traverse City that highlighted lifesaving responses and notable investigations.

Marcus Williams3m read

Grand Traverse County unanimously approves Plante Moran RealPoint countywide facilities study

Grand Traverse County commissioners unanimously approved work with Plante Moran RealPoint to run a countywide facilities-location study tied to a $190,000 contract; Traverse City will pay a portion.

James Thompson2m read

Traverse City to Vote on Land Transfer for 40-50 Unit Workforce Housing

Traverse City commissioners met to consider transferring a 0.05-acre triangular parcel and other land to assemble about 0.8–1 acre at 314 E. Eighth St. for a 40-50 unit workforce housing project.

James Thompson3m read

Grand Traverse County Jail Slowly Shifting on Foundation, Movement Noted June 2025

Engineers say the Traverse City county jail has been slowly shifting since June 2025, with new cracks, jammed doors and underground voids while officials keep continuous monitoring in place.

James Thompson2m read

Education

Interlochen Students to Perform Alongside Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2026 Tour

Interlochen students share the Orchestra Hall stage with the Detroit Symphony tonight, performing a Wynton Marsalis cello concerto commissioned by the Grand Traverse County arts school.