Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Northern Michigan

2 hours, 38 minutes ago  Sara Bageris' third grade class of 30 students at Central Grade School in Traverse City were busy Tuesday coordinating and kicking off a school-wide penny drive for the tornado victims in Oklahoma.

2 hours, 52 minutes ago  UPDATED WITH VIDEO: The biggest damage in the area came from the Walloon Lake area with power lines reported down, and 40 trees uprooted at the Walloon Lake Country Club due to ferocious winds estimated at 70 mph.

Today at 4:28 PM  The National Weather Service says that the tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., topped the scale as an EF5.

Today at 11:41 AM  7&4's Classroom Salute returned to Cheboygan and Bishop Baraga Catholic School with a visit to Mrs. Mousseau's 3rd grade class.

Today at 7:50 AM  The Traverse City Wine and Art Festival is coming up next month.

Yesterday at 9:05 PM  Updated with new photos (Caution, graphic images), new video added; death toll now at 51.

Yesterday at 7:40 PM  Thomas Antobelli was sentenced to serve 3-15 years behind bars, but Shafer's family says that is "unacceptable."

Yesterday at 7:21 PM  The school year is winding down, but contract negotiatons between Traverse City Area Public School Administrators and teachers are heating up.

Yesterday at 6:25 PM  UPDATE: The Charlevoix city council voted Monday night 4-2 in favor of removing the fireplace.

Yesterday at 5:40 PM  Updated with video. Two Cadillac houses are destroyed and two others damaged after a house fire spread through a neighborhood near Lake Mitchell.

Yesterday at 10:27 AM  In an effort to “go green” and boost business, a local farmer is investing in a state of the art subsurface irrigation system.