Traverse City Ticker

07/03/2025

She’s a National Merit Scholar, serves as a student representative on the Kingsley school board, holds a cumulative 4.0 GPA, and is ranked first in her class at Kingsley High School. By the end of the summer, though, rising senior Anna Bauer will have her most impressive credential yet: a Private Pilot’s License (PPL).

She’s a National Merit Scholar, serves as a student representative on the Kingsley school board, holds a cumulative 4.0 GPA, and is ranked first in her class at Kingsley High School. By the end of the summer, though, rising senior Anna Bauer will have her most impressive credential yet: a Private ...

07/02/2025

The 2025-26 National Cherry Festival Cherry Queen will be coronated on July 4, which prompted us to wonder what’s become of some of the more than 90 past Queens.

The 2025-26 National Cherry Festival (NCF) Cherry Queen will be coronated on July 4, which prompted The Ticker to wonder what’s become of the more than 90 past Queens. The Queen serves as an ambassador for the festival, the cherry industry, and the Traverse City area. She represents the festival.....

07/01/2025

FYI

🚧 Potter Road is now OPEN - freshly paved and ready for traffic. Big thanks to the crews who made it happen and the community for your patience and support! 💛

07/01/2025

One of Traverse City’s natural landmarks will soon be gone. A very large cottonwood tree that sits at the mouth of the Boardman River is now mostly dead and will be cut down sometime in the near future, city officials say.

One of Traverse City’s natural landmarks will soon be gone. A very large cottonwood tree that sits at the mouth of the Boardman River is now mostly dead and will be cut down sometime in the near future, city officials say. Crews already removed a large section of the tree last year, and despite ho...

06/30/2025

An organization that has touched thousands of lives – and saved many of them – hits a major milestone this year.

An organization that has touched thousands of lives – and saved many of them – hits a major milestone this year. Traverse City-based Addiction Treatment Services is celebrating 50 years in 2025. While this organization is not the only one to provide treatment for substance use disorders in the G...

06/30/2025

FYI

It is that time of year and the calls are starting again. So as a reminder the Michigan Fireworks Law is as follows...

06/29/2025

The Rooster, which opens July 12, fills a void in the local golf world by allowing players of all levels the ability to hit some quality short-game shots without the time commitment required to tackle a full course.

In a way, Don Stefanko got to live out a dream. Stefanko is an avid golfer who went to Michigan State University for landscape architecture (with a focus on golf course design) and then later to the University of Georgia for a turfgrass certification. Exactly none of this, however, was being put to....

06/28/2025

FYI

Water sampling conducted on Friday, June 28, 2025, was performed to resample the three remaining Grand Traverse County beaches that had previously exceeded safe swimming standards due to elevated E. coli levels.

Results indicate that two beaches - TC Volleyball Court Beach and West End Beach - have returned to LEVEL 1 status, meaning water quality is within acceptable limits for full-body contact.

However, Sunset Park continues to exceed the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) standards for water quality. Out of an abundance of caution, Sunset Park will remain under a LEVEL 3 advisory, recommending no body contact through the weekend. The beach will be resampled on Monday, June 30, with updated results available on Tuesday, July 1.

Please see the document below for the complete set of results.

Important Health Reminder:
E. coli levels often rise following heavy rain and high wind events. The Watershed Center advises beachgoers to avoid swimming near storm drains, especially during and shortly after rain. Stormwater can carry E. coli and other harmful pathogens from animal waste into nearby water bodies. Risk decreases over time as sunlight naturally breaks down bacteria in open water.

06/28/2025

Seven million people visit the Traverse City region annually, many strolling past 1889 Milliken Place unaware how important it was in creating the downtown shopping and dining hub that attracts them here.

Seven million people visit the Traverse City region annually, many strolling past 1889 Milliken Place unaware how important it was in creating the downtown shopping and dining hub that attracts them here. The building and its sweeping display windows face the bay on the corner of East Front and Cass...

06/27/2025

FYI

06/27/2025

Temperatures in Traverse City hit 94 degrees on Sunday, breaking a record that stood for nearly six decades. Historic temperatures weren’t the only things this heatwave broke, either. From bars and restaurants to plant nurseries to the Governmental Center, issues with overtaxed cooling systems caused closures all across the region. So is northern Michigan getting hotter, and can we handle the heat?

Temperatures in Traverse City hit 94 degrees on Sunday, breaking a record that stood for nearly six decades. Historic temperatures weren’t the only things this heatwave broke, either. From bars and restaurants to plant nurseries to the Traverse City Governmental Center, issues with overtaxed cooli...