tough jobs

The orange barrels, the barricades and the famous road closed signs — you see them everywhere but what you don’t see, is all the work going on from the ground down. If you’ve passed through Traverse City in the last few months, you know Eighth Street — one of the city’s busiest roads — has been shut down for the…

Whitney Amann and videographer Josh Monroe are heading to Mackinac Island for a special four-part series of Tough Jobs. First up, Whitney is joining the crew at Arnold Freight Company. You go to the Island to eat, drink, bike, relax and explore but just like you take a ferry to the island — so does everything you eat, see and…

It may seem like all fun and games — being up close to animals, big and small, you can only see being a fence or glass but a zookeeper can be an intense and challenge job They feed, train, take care of and clean up after everything that swings, waddles, crawls, leaps and hops. Whitney Amann got to be on…

Whether it’s a family vacation, weekend getaway or maybe just a night away, we’ve all stayed at a hotel or resort. But when it’s time to check out and head home, how do you leave the room? Whitney Amann and photojournalist Catie Emery went to the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa for this Tough Job in Northern Michigan to show…

For Tough Jobs in Northern Michigan, we typically show you the messiest and more unique jobs but this time, we’re highlighting one of the most important jobs. Whitney Amann and photojournalist Catie Emery spent the day with Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, to try out just a small part of what firefighters go through in the fire academy. From gearing…

Fall is one of the busiest times of the year for many farmers and that also means it’s a busy time of year for those who help those farmers get their products to you. For this Tough Jobs in Northern Michigan, Whitney Amann and photojournalist Catie Emery went to Yoder Boxes in Cedar. Their family business didn’t happen overnight. From…

It’s been a couple months since we’ve brought you a Tough Job in Northern Michigan. But we are bringing it back just in time for you to get your lawn, garden or farm ready for the warmer temperatures. Whitney Amann and photojournalist Catie Emery headed to Morgan Composting in Sears and went inside their worm barn, to see how they…

This time of year, many people travel to Northern Michigan to ski and snowboard, but what makes the ski resorts here the best? For this Tough Job in Northern Michigan, Whitney Amann and photojournalist Catie Emery head to Treetops Resort and show you how it all starts with the people you probably don’t see. The snow makers and snow groomers…

The holiday season is always a busy time of the year, especially at the North Pole. Santa Claus has been making many stops across Northern Michigan to all the good girls and boys but for one stop in Big Rapids, Mrs. Claus had to stay back to make sure everything was ready for Santa’s big night next week… So they…

Opening Day of firearm deer season is an unofficial holiday in Northern Michigan – that inspired this Tough Job in Northern Michigan. We are processing a deer from start to finish: skinning it, cleaning it and then turning it into what you eat. Some choose to do it themselves, others will leave it up to the experts. Ebels General Store…