Alpena

This is Nib's brief for Alpena, today, October twenty-first. It is 41 degrees and partly cloudy now. Wednesday brings patchy fog, then sun, with a high of 65 degrees and a 3 percent chance of rain. Thursday is partly sunny, with a high of 56 degrees and a low of 39. It is a calm day in the news: storm recovery money, funding for coasts and schools, and two local community items.

Storm recovery led the civic news. The Alpena News reports the Alpena Municipal Council authorized signing a $51,394 state disaster assistance agreement. The money will reimburse the city for eligible costs from the severe March 2026 winter storm, and it comes from Michigan's Disaster and Emergency Contingency Fund.

Two more funding items followed. State Rep. Cam Cavitt celebrated grants from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy for coastal resiliency projects, the paper reports. They include support for Alpena's zoning ordinance update and work in Presque Isle and Alcona counties. At the Alpena Public Schools board workshop, Superintendent Dave Rabbideau discussed 31AA safety and mental health funds and 22(l) transportation funds. Concerns were raised about a possible loss of due process rights if the district accepts the safety funding.

Closer to the community, Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union announced a $75,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan. It will support a new residential subdivision in Rogers City, including infrastructure extensions. Matching funds are expected to turn it into over $300,000 for a projected $1.5 million project. And the Halloween House of Alpena returns for its 24th year with over 100 carved pumpkins. It is free, on Halloween night only, from 5 p.m. until midnight on Ferncliff Drive. Mild days, steady work.