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On Oct. 25, 1929, Albert B. Fall was found guilty of accepting bribes from oil companies in what became known as the Teapot Dome Scandal. These bribes, totaling at $404,000 (about $5.79 million today), ensured that these oil companies would have exclusive rights to drill on federal land. This shocked the nation; they had never experienced this amount of corruption and greed. Ultimately, it drove...
The City of Hancock has published its new Residential Property Ordinance following a city council meeting Wednesday. The effect of the law won’t take place immediately, but it is set to be implemented in the coming months. The meeting left a few remaining issues, so actual enactment has accordingly been deferred. Over the past three months, the ordinance has been up for debate in the council,...
Perhaps one of Michigan’s most famous laws, the Beverage Container Deposit Law in its superlative 10¢ return, was suspended earlier this year among myriad other COVID-19 restrictions. But, Thursday, the Michigan Department of Treasury officially reestablished the law in its entirety. Since June, bottle return locations have been reintroduced in two distinct phases. The first phase required stores...
On Oct. 18, 1867, The United States bought Alaska from Russia for less than two cents per acre. The full purchase was $7.2 billion for all 586,412 square miles that made up Alaska. Russia didn’t want Alaska; it was undeveloped, unpopulated, difficult to attend to, and in the middle of nowhere. At the time, many Americans thought that this purchase was useless. Alaska was eventually recognized...
If you’re a Michigan Tech student, then chances are you know a mechanical engineering student. Maybe it’s a close friend, your neighbor, or a classmate, either way, we all know one. Mechanical Engineering is the most common major at Michigan Tech, according to a report by the university from 2019. Oddly enough, many students may not be aware that there is a student organization dedicated to mechanical engineering students here at Tech! According to ASME at MTU’s president, Valerie Lynch, the...
The Upper Peninsula is home to so much rich history, and with it, plenty of legends and tall tales. From maritime anecdotes to wilderness stories, there’s no shortage of strangeness in the UP’s historical accounts. Just in time for Halloween, Here are five of the best unexplained and spooky UP stories. These are just some of my personal favorites, as there are so many more tales around the peninsula! The Paulding Light - Paulding Perhaps the most infamous of Upper Peninsula...
Tattoos have been around forever. It’s difficult to say exactly where this ancient art began, as it seems that many cultures seemed to have independently developed the practice. Many ancient civilizations used it as a form of identification as well as self-expression, and it has long been linked to many indigenous cultures. It is an important part of many people’s heritage. During colonization, the art of tattooing was banned in many native cultures. This practice of stripping away such an...
For years I have always associated myself and have been associated with the skaters wherever I go. I can ride a skateboard fine and I would even call myself moderately talented on the longboard given the sheer amount of times I have biffed it on one growing up. Even though I have spent plenty of time throughout my life on or around skateboards, the only place I can even attempt a kickflip is the video game Tony Hawk's™ Pro Skater™ 1 and 2. Although the ever elusive kickflip is something that...
Halloween costumes for midwestern children are ruined once again. While the start of winter is not officially until the 21st of December, like jaywalking, this rule is seemingly overlooked by everyone, especially the weather. The late-October preview version of Winter is here, along with occasional snow, weather in the thirties, and Spider-Man trick-or-treating in a down jacket. It’s almost a midwestern right of passage to have your costume ruined by some necessary article of clothing to prevent...
As 2018 draws to a close, we use this opportunity to bring you a soleful holiday musing: How could we engineer the perfect winter sock? Think about your favorite pair of winter socks. Are they wool, cotton or synthetic? Ankle or knee-high? What color are they? Perhaps you’ve never really given it much thought, but the perfect pair of winter socks has been one of humanity’s great aspirations since people figured out that warm toes are generally preferable to cold ones. And as any knitter...
With exams and class scheduling, now is certainly a spooky time. In the spirit of the season, here are four STEM activities just in time for Halloween. Vomiting Pumpkin Activity When Halloween is over, you’ll need something for those jack-o'-lanterns you carved. Before throwing it away, try this Halloween take on the classic “baking soda volcano” science fair project. Materials needed: One carved Pumpkin 2 cups vinegar ½ cup baking soda Food coloring (optional) Procedure: In...