Iron County Reporter Shoppers Guide, March 31, 2026, Now Available

A documented scheme circulating across Michigan sends fake text messages impersonating MDOT and demanding payment for tolls or traffic tickets. MDOT operates no toll roads anywhere in the state; any text demanding such payment is fraudulent. The Michigan Attorney General's office tracks the scam and accepts complaints. Do not follow any link in an unsolicited MDOT payment text, and do not call back numbers provided in those messages.

The warning lands at exactly the moment Iron County residents are most likely to encounter aggressive spring pitches. Anyone showing up unannounced to offer driveway sealing, roof inspection, or yard cleanup warrants extra scrutiny: the thaw season reliably brings door-to-door contractor solicitations, some legitimate and some not. Verify any contractor through the Iron County Reporter's classifieds or a verifiable local address before signing anything or paying upfront.

On the logistics side, MDOT lifted spring weight restrictions as of 6 a.m. Monday, March 30, for lower Michigan's state trunklines, but frost restrictions remained fully in effect on all M-, I-, and US-designated routes throughout the Upper Peninsula, including Iron County. Timber haulers, septic contractors, and equipment operators running spring campaigns should confirm current restriction status before scheduling loads on county roads; the Iron County Road Commission maintains updates at ironcountyroads.com.

The March 31 Shoppers Guide covers classifieds, employment listings, legal notices, and community announcements for the Iron River and Crystal Falls service area. Legal and public notice items, including property notices and public meeting ads, carry statutory deadlines, so residents who depend on those postings should check this week's edition without delay. The guide is available as a downloadable PDF on the Iron County Reporter website, and businesses can reach the advertising department through the contact links on that same page.