Here are 10 stories from the past week that had a big impact on Northern Michigan. Click the link in the headline below to read the full story.
Alpena County woman charged with stealing thousands from her former boyfriend’s parents
An Alpena-area woman has been charged with stealing a debit card from the parents of a man she dated and racking up more than $20,000 on it. The couple was in Florida earlier this year when the husband started getting notifications about insufficient funds in his account. He told troopers he didn’t normally use that card in Florida, so he hadn’t realize it was missing. The charges were also on Cash App, which he said he didn’t use. Through their investigation, troopers believe 44-year-old Alicia Lee Hanson from Spruce had stolen the card when she dated their son briefly back in December.
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Mishler’s Drive-In closing after 57 years
Mishler’s Drive-In is a staple in Evart, and for more than five decades it has been going strong. A couple purchased it in 1966, when it was an A&W, eventually making it their own. Thirty-three years ago, their son, Steve Mishler, took it over. After a strong run, Mishler and his wife are ready for a new chapter. “We’ve decided it’s time we went through family members, and we’ve gone through other sources, and, you know, we just couldn’t find anybody that really wanted to take it over,” said Mishler.
Gaylord man wins $105,000 playing Michigan Lottery game
An Otsego County man topped off the luckiest day of his life by winning a $105,000 Fantasy 5 jackpot from the Michigan Lottery. Greg Osantowski, of Gaylord, matched the winning Fantasy 5 numbers on Aug. 8 – 03-10-28-35-39 – to win the big prize. He bought his winning ticket at Upper Lakes Tire, 1260 West Main Street in Gaylord.
The Mecosta Sheriff’s Office has identified and arrested one of the three shooting suspects involved in the off-campus shooting near Ferris state University. The sheriff’s office identified the alleged shooter as Malik Taylor, from Norton Shows, and formally charged on numerous counts.
Three people injured after minivan, side-by-side collide on I-75 in Chippewa County
A two car accident in Chippewa County sent several people to the hospital Wednesday afternoon. The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office said a minivan and a side-by-side collided on southbound I-75 near Rudyard around 4:15 p.m. The elderly driver of the side-by-side, along with three people from the minivan, were taken to MyMichigan Medical Center Sault for their injuries.
Mecosta man faces life in prison, accused of sending and receiving child pornography
Michigan State Police say a Mecosta man faces life in prison for allegedly downloading and uploading child pornography to the internet. Troopers say Robert Michael Phillips was arrested following an investigation where evidence was seized from his home. Phillips faces up to life in prison for the criminal sexual conduct - 1st degree, 25 years in prison for aggravated child sexually abusive activity, 20 years in prison for child sexually abusive activity, 7 years in prison for aggravated distribution of child sexually abusive material, 10 years in prison for aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, and 20 years in prison for using a computer to commit a crime.
Drag racers caught speeding down US-31, 1 arrested for unregistered gun
Michigan State Police caught two cars drag racing and arrested one driver for an unregistered gun over the weekend. Troopers say they spotted the two cars drag racing south on US-31 around 11 p.m. on Saturday. When troopers turned on their lights, they say the cars slowed down but didn’t stop. The Mustang and BMW turned onto Silver Pines Road.
13th annual Paranormal Convention brings big stars, Bigfoot hunters and more to the U.P.
This was the 13th year of the Upper Peninsula Paranormal Convention, and it continued to be a big draw. The three-day event in Sault Ste. Marie featured dozens of vendors, several speakers and presentations, with stars like Jack Osbourne, Amy Bruni and Adam Berry from Kindred Spirits, world-renowned psychic Chip Coffey and the Ghost Brothers cast.
Michigan State Police said Thursday that a trooper identified a known fugitive and was able to arrest her. On Aug. 30 at 2:19 p.m., a trooper from the Michigan State Police Traverse City Post said he observed a known fugitive, a 40-year-old Traverse City woman, in the front passenger seat of a pickup truck heading south on West Silver Lake Road from the Silver Shores Trailer Park.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said that a Florida man has been sentenced to almost six years in prison for receipt of child pornography in connection with a nationwide sextortion scheme. According to Totten, Brandon Le, 22, used Snapchat to target at least 270 girls, including a 13-year-old living in the western district of Michigan. This continued over a span of four months in 2019.
