A New Great Lakes Ice-Breaker ?

There’s a breakthrough in getting money for replacing the ship
responsible for keeping shipping lanes on the Great Lakes clear of ice.
A Wisconsin member of Congress says that after six decades of service,
they need to retire the coast guard ice-breaker “Mackinaw.” The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson has more:

Coast Guard Feels the Heat

A Wisconsin member of Congress is warning the Coast Guard to pay more
attention to Great Lake’s needs. U-S Representative Dave Obey says he
is fed up with what he calls foot-dragging to replace the World War Two
vintage ice breaker, Mackinaw. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike
Simonson reports:

Screening Out Exotics

Efforts to find new technology to stop the spread of exotic speciesentering the Great Lakes continue, even as some worry that a virus-basedthreat could make its way here. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s MikeSimonson has more:

Modern Day Pirates Raid Shipwrecks

If you think pirates are a thing of the past, think again. It’s estimated there are more than six-thousand shipwrecks in the Great Lakes…and modern day pirates are preying on them. They strip the ships of anchors, portholes and other underwater souvenirs, and sell them at a huge profit. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson has more:

Shipping Strike Averted

The Great Lakes Sailors Union has decided not to strike against two steel-hauling fleets this year. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports, a strike could have been disastrous for an otherwise strong shipping season:

Striking Crews May Halt Great Lakes Shipping

Great Lakes Shippers are facing a strike, in a classic transportation dispute over cutting crews. Union sailors authorized a strike against two of the six fleets on the Great Lakes, after the companies proposed cutting back crews on supercarriers. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports: