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Oliver Buchannon
Joe Staton

Founder & Editor of The Mitten

Special Election Results, Human Skull at Goodwill, and Voter ID Clears Hurdle

Feb 4, 2026

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8 min read

Special Election Results, Human Skull at Goodwill, and Voter ID Clears Hurdle

Democrat Chedrick Greene and Republican Jason Tunney won the state’s 35th Senate District’s primary last night, with the pair now set to face off on May 5th

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Best Winter Trails, Romulus ICE Facility, and Eddie Bauer Closing

Feb 3, 2026

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7 min read

Best Winter Trails, Romulus ICE Facility, and Eddie Bauer Closing

A new lis ranked fourteen trails in Northern Michigan that you’ll want to check out before this winter’s conclusion.

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Foreign-Owned Land Grows, January Snowfall Totals, and Sitting Detroit Judge Charged

Feb 2, 2026

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8 min read

Foreign-Owned Land Grows, January Snowfall Totals, and Sitting Detroit Judge Charged

New data showed Michigan to have sold an additional 71,000 acres to foreign investors, making it the state with the 6th-most land owned by foreign entities

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
$1,600 Property Tax Seizure, Bitter Cold Winds, and Kane Makes History

Jan 30, 2026

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8 min read

$1,600 Property Tax Seizure, Bitter Cold Winds, and Kane Makes History

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case involving an Isabella County couple who lost their home over a $1,600 property tax dispute

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Ice Bridge Opens, Immigrants Facing Deportation, and 100-Year Ice Cream Contest

Jan 29, 2026

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7 min read

Ice Bridge Opens, Immigrants Facing Deportation, and 100-Year Ice Cream Contest

For a limited time, the international ice bridge connecting part of Drummond Island in the U.S. to St. Joseph Island in Canada is now open

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
$353 Million I-94 Revamp, High School NIL Approved, and Black Bear Escape

Jan 28, 2026

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7 min read

$353 Million I-94 Revamp, High School NIL Approved, and Black Bear Escape

The Michigan Department of Transportation is set to break ground on a 13-mile, $353 million restoration of I-94 between Dearborn and Romulus.

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Detroit News Acquired, Oldest Fire Station, and House of Ludington Demolished

Jan 27, 2026

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8 min read

Detroit News Acquired, Oldest Fire Station, and House of Ludington Demolished

The Detroit News was acquired by USA Today, Inc., the co-owner of the Detroit Free Press, the company announced on Monday

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Top-Ranked Wineries, Record-Breaking Cold, and ICE Shooting Response

Jan 26, 2026

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8 min read

Top-Ranked Wineries, Record-Breaking Cold, and ICE Shooting Response

Multiple Northern Michigan Wineries were named winners in nationally-acclaimed San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Arctic Blast Arrives, Presidents Visit Michigan, and DOJ Sues Over Eggs

Jan 23, 2026

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7 min read

Arctic Blast Arrives, Presidents Visit Michigan, and DOJ Sues Over Eggs

A blast of Arctic air is set to hit the entire state of Michigan this weekend, with wind chills reaching as low as 48 degrees below zero

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Traverse Airport Expansion, Detroiter Makes Super Bowl, and Dangerous Cold Temps

Jan 22, 2026

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8 min read

Traverse Airport Expansion, Detroiter Makes Super Bowl, and Dangerous Cold Temps

Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) is set to add a new $120 million terminal after a record 935,816 passengers visited the airport last year, a 19 percent increase over the previous record of 787,114

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
87-Year-Old Elk Hunter, Michigan Beach Ranked, and More Kids Swearing

Jan 21, 2026

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8 min read

87-Year-Old Elk Hunter, Michigan Beach Ranked, and More Kids Swearing

An 87-year-old man was among Michigan hunters that claimed 153 elk this hunting season

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Ice Balls Sent Flying, Northern Lights Shine, and Pistons Achieve Milestone

Jan 20, 2026

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8 min read

Ice Balls Sent Flying, Northern Lights Shine, and Pistons Achieve Milestone

Michiganders captured remarkable footage of some of Mother Nature’s most violent behavior around the state

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
The Mitten Hits 1,000 Readers, Whiteout Conditions Expected, and Fastest Growing Home Prices,

Jan 19, 2026

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8 min read

The Mitten Hits 1,000 Readers, Whiteout Conditions Expected, and Fastest Growing Home Prices,

After launching just three months ago, we are proud and humble to have surpassed 1,000 loyal and engaged readers of our weekday newsletter! 😀

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Frozen Sand Sculptures, Dangerous Roundabouts Ranked, and Arctic Air Coming

Jan 16, 2026

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8 min read

Frozen Sand Sculptures, Dangerous Roundabouts Ranked, and Arctic Air Coming

Miniature sand sculptures were captured on video following freezing winds on the shores of Lake Michigan

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Trump Heckler Gets Paid, $400 Million Coffee Expansion, and Cell Phone Ban Passed

Jan 15, 2026

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8 min read

Trump Heckler Gets Paid, $400 Million Coffee Expansion, and Cell Phone Ban Passed

The employee who was suspended from Ford for shouting at President Trump on Tuesday received hundreds of thousands in donations online after GoFundMe pages were created

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Trump Flips Off Worker, Ford Partners with Carhartt, and 72-Hour Robot Built

Jan 14, 2026

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7 min read

Trump Flips Off Worker, Ford Partners with Carhartt, and 72-Hour Robot Built

President Trump was seen flipping off a Ford worker who exclaimed, “Pedophile protector!” during the president’s tour of the facility on Tuesday

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
“Rock the Country” Festival, Furniture Retailer Closing, and Puppy Bowl Participants

Jan 13, 2026

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7 min read

“Rock the Country” Festival, Furniture Retailer Closing, and Puppy Bowl Participants

The "Rock the Country" Music Festival is coming to Hastings with Kid Rock and Jason Aldean headlining the event celebrating America's 250th birthday next August

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
ICE Arrests Soar, Federov's Retirement Tonight, and Ice Fishing Spots

Jan 12, 2026

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8 min read

ICE Arrests Soar, Federov's Retirement Tonight, and Ice Fishing Spots

New data released by the Department of Homeland Security pushed Michigan’s arrest numbers past a 100% increase over the previous year, with the state surpassing 2,300 arrests in 2025

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Great Lakes Law Signed, Showtime Hits 500, and GM Loses Billions

Jan 9, 2026

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7 min read

Great Lakes Law Signed, Showtime Hits 500, and GM Loses Billions

President Trump signed the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act into law on Thursday, which designates funding to control the population of sea lamprey in the lakes

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Controversial Investor Revealed, Banned License Plate Phrases, and Historic Crime Drop

Jan 8, 2026

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7 min read

Controversial Investor Revealed, Banned License Plate Phrases, and Historic Crime Drop

A letter penned to the Lowell Charter Township board received attention Wednesday after Microsoft was revealed to be the investor behind the controversial data center proposal in the township

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Tiny Owl Rescued, Flu Cases Surging, and New Jobs Report

Jan 7, 2026

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7 min read

Tiny Owl Rescued, Flu Cases Surging, and New Jobs Report

Video captured the heartwarming moment a Saint Charles police officer rescued a tiny injured owl on a bridge

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Engagement Ring Rescue, Large Retailer Closing Stores, and Lifelike Confections

Jan 6, 2026

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8 min read

Engagement Ring Rescue, Large Retailer Closing Stores, and Lifelike Confections

A Rochester Hills couple recovered their engagement ring that fell off the Boyne Moutnain Skybridge during their big moment, and it was all caught on video

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Michigan Reacts to Maduro Capture, Winter Weather Continues, and Most Sinful Cities

Jan 5, 2026

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8 min read

Michigan Reacts to Maduro Capture, Winter Weather Continues, and Most Sinful Cities

Multiple Michigan elected officials and members of the Venezuelan community reacted to President Trump’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Announcement on The Mitten

Nov 19, 2025

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1 min read

Announcement on The Mitten

This is Joe, the founder and editor of our newsletter. I wanted to reach out to you all and let you know that The Mitten will not be sent per usual today or tomorrow as I am currently needed to tend to a serious family matter

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
Most Dangerous Intersections, State Official Goes Viral, and Up North Hockey Palooza

Nov 18, 2025

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9 min read

Most Dangerous Intersections, State Official Goes Viral, and Up North Hockey Palooza

A new study from Michigan Auto Law ranked the state’s most dangerous intersections based on car accident data from 2024

Joe Staton
Joe Staton
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