The Ice Update
We were on the ice beat this week: Ice cover on Lake Superior topped 90 percent, and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore mainland sea caves continue to draw thousands to northern Wisconsin every weekend.
+ The town of Bell, whose plowing of the ice caves' access road this winter has allowed those thousands to easily visit, is asking for help footing the unexpectedly large bill.
+ Volunteers are also needed to assist National Park Service rangers at the caves on weekends this month. Contact Chris Smith at 715-779-3397 ext. 201 or chris_e_smith@nps.gov.
+ The latest lake level numbers are in. Lake Superior remains only an inch below long-term average.
Results: Apostle Islands Sled Dog Races
The Ashland Daily Press has the winners of last weekend’s Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race. Hannah Stonehouse Hudson photographed the start, which she says “gave me some of my favorite ‘happy dog’ photos of all time.”
+ A Michigan Technological University professor received a $429,406 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. With it, Shiyan Hu “aims to design new chips that will put computing into the fast lane. The CAREER Award is the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars.”
+ Paul Sundberg’s Photos of the Week feature a great gray owl on the hunt.
+ Near-perfect conditions greet ice climbers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, says Zach Jay in the Mining Journal.
+ Duluth cyclists make gains on a 100-mile mountain bike trail across the city, reports MPR’s Dan Kraker.
+ “While rivals on the court, Division II schools Michigan Technological University and Northern Michigan University have banded together this year to make one local girl's wish come true,” reports the Daily Mining Gazette’s Meagan Stilp.