From Capitol Hill to Co-op Storm Recovery: John Kran’s First Weeks at MECA
When John Kran stepped into his new role as president and CEO of the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA), he expected the usual whirlwind...
A Soleful Mission
Travis Snyder Takes Steps to Highlight Veterans’ Mental Health
When Travis Snyder returned from his tour in Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine, he was both...
Snowy Owls Return to Michigan
By Yvette Pecha
Every winter, “snowbirds” who live in the colder northern parts of North America leave their three-season residences behind in a bid to...
Sweet Surprises
By Paige Hutter, Great Lakes Energy Cooperative member.
It’s 7 a.m. and I sit up in bed, dreading the bitter cold waiting outside. I rub...
Best Of Michigan: Craft Beer
Our beautiful state boasts some of the best beer in the nation. You can’t throw a rock in Michigan without hitting a great brewery...
Hope On The Slopes
In the winter of 1982, a tenacious kindergartner watching skiers cruise down the slopes of Boyne Mountain grew infatuated with the sport. Chrissy Evans...
Sunken Treasure
It was on a volunteer trip to Jamaica that Jennifer Dowker saw her first glass-bottom boat. Aside from being captivated by floating above sea...
Rural Michigan Pickleball
By Christopher Mulder, Great Lakes Energy Cooperative Member
My mom was a trendsetter when she picked up and started to share her newfound pickleball game...
Before The Bridge
Michigan author Luman Slade has published four books for young readers. One of his books, “There’s a Bear in the Raspberry Patch,” is a...
A Cub, A Dream, A Legacy: The Story of Dean Oswald’s Bear Ranch
By Allie Brawley | Photos by Abby MoranThis article was originally published in Cloverland Connections, September/October 2025.
When Dean Oswald was 6 years old, he and his...
















