Northern Express

Great Lakes Humane Society has been getting artistic when it comes to promoting dog adoptions. To help shelter pets find their forever families, local artist and GLHS volunteer Carrie Betlyn-Eder has been creating papier-mâché replicas of adoptable pups 🐶

Seeing Double with Great Lakes Humane Society According to the Shelter Animals Count (a program of the ASPCA), total pet adoptions in the U.S. reached 4.2 million animals in 2025, a 0.7 percent increa…

Kimberly Kambrow and Rebecca Tippett started KIRE Realty Group "Real Estate Worth Celebrating" in November 2022 and haven’t looked back. Their aim is to make real estate accessible for anyone, especially for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Meet the “Rainbow Realtors” It’s never too late to discover (and pursue) your passions, just take it from Kimberly Kambrow and Rebecca Tippett, who started KIRE Realty in Novem…

OPINION: "Pride is more than a party. Pride is a protest. Pride is a political statement. Pride is a proclamation that we are here, and we will not be erased. We will fight for our rights and the safety of our communities. We will stand in our dignity, our truth, and our joy. We will dance, we will sparkle, and we will imagine our way to a more liberated future for all." (Chelsea Bentley, Up North Pride)

Pride Is More Than a Party “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. It was the…

For 21 years, local galleries in Atrim County have banded together twice a year to create an Art Beat, happening again Saturday, June 6. Stops include Mullaly's 128 Gallery in downtown Elk Rapids, Blue Heron Gallery on Ames Street, and Twisted Fish Gallery & Sculpture Gardens on US-31.

Art Beat Returns One of our favorite “first signs of summer” is the annual Art Beat in Elk Rapids. For 21 years, local galleries have banded together twice a y…

"We’re in a very tumultuous time, and none of us have a real firm grasp of what’s going to come next," says Adrienne Brown-Reasner, executive director of Up North Pride. "So just check on your friends, check on your family, and just be there in whatever way that means to you. And again, if it’s having a rainbow flag on your front porch, even if it’s just for June, or if it’s, making a donation and volunteering for an Up North Pride event—whatever your capacity is to do it. Just don’t be afraid to do it."

The Ups and Downs for Up North Pride: "The only way we’re going to get through things is together" Around this time each year, we check the ACLU’s “Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures” dashboard. As of late May 2…

Head to Grass River Natural Area ’s FenFest, June 4-7 in Bellaire, and learn to identify sedges, kayak along Grass River, go for a bird or wild orchid walk, stop by the Native Plant Sale, and much more!

Grass River Natural Area's FenFest Let’s show some appreciation for the wetlands of northern Michigan at Grass River Natural Area’s FenFest, June 4-7 in Bellaire. Learn to ident…

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council knows that warmer days are coming, so they’re putting on their Summer Celebration on Saturday, June 6, at the Watershed Discovery Center from 12-2pm. All ages are welcome for hands-on activities, educational science, and beachy crafts.

A Splash of Summer Fun The waters of Lake Michigan are still a bit too chilly for swimming, though they’re perfect for dipping your toes in and then scampering back as you…

As June arrives, Pride Month arrives alongside it with a rush of color and community. Check out this year’s round-up of Pride events happening across NoMi 🏳️‍🌈

Celebrating Pride Month in Northern Michigan As June arrives, Pride Month arrives alongside it with a rush of color and community. Check out this year’s round-up of Pride events happening acros…

Lavender isn’t blooming just yet, but you can get the first scent of summer with candles from June Apothicarie in Boyne City.

The Smells of Summer Lavender isn’t blooming just yet, but you can get the first scent of summer with candles from June Apothicaire in Boyne City. The company got its st…

“Unlike many indoor or stationary activities, bicycles connect children directly to their communities,” says Jill Wilson, director of Norte Youth Cycling. “Riding to a local park, the library, a friend’s house, or an ice cream shop creates a sense of independence, direction, and belonging that cannot be replicated indoors. Riders begin to understand and experience their communities in a whole new way.”

Read on to see what's new with Norte this summer and beyond.

Norte Magic Cycles Through NoMi Biking Program In its 12 years of existence, Norte Youth Cycling has steadily pedaled towards its mission of championing bikes and community. Like a bike wheel itself, …