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

Tuesday, April 30, 2013  UPDATED WITH VIDEO: The real estate market is heating up here in northern Michigan and local realtors are predicting a successful summer ahead.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013  Federal cuts have hit the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, slashing the park's annual budget by more than $230,000 dollars.

Monday, March 18, 2013  UPDATED WITH POLL: The sequestration, a series of automatic, across-the-board spending cuts on the federal level, has forced the National Lakeshore to reduce it's annual budget by five-percent.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013  A natural winter phenomenon on the shores of Lake Michigan is grabbing the attention of people here in northern Michigan and across the entire country.

Thursday, January 31, 2013  Representative Ray Franz has introduced legislation that would manufacture Sleeping Bear license plates that would raise funds for the preservation society.

Thursday, January 10, 2013  The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail will be receiving a $30,000 thanks to the more than 120 donors who gave to the Traverse City Track Club challenge.

Monday, December 31, 2012  The Senate unanimously passed legislation that would preserve more than 32,000 of Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Thursday, October 18, 2012  Volunteers and biologists say they've found about 300 dead or dying loons over the past few days at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Friday, September 07, 2012  Beaches and waterways from Petoskey to Manistee will be combed for trash by dozens of volunteers.

Monday, August 06, 2012  An Ohio man is dead after he disappeared in rough water in Benzie County.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012  The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail will be extended thanks to a $1.6 million federal grant.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012  The Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear organization announces a new program in partnership with the National Park Foundation which allows supporters and fans to claim their very own virtual inches of the famous National Lakeshore.

Wednesday, June 06, 2012  As a part of the national initiative to get people outside, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be waiving fees to enter the park on Saturday.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012  A Leelanau County woman was pulled over for speeding last week, but she was surprised to learn it was not a state trooper or sheriff's deputy that stopped her. It was a park ranger. She wrote our newsroom asking how much authority park rangers have. 7&4 news went looking for the answers….

Wednesday, May 02, 2012  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is gearing up to clean up.