MORENCI — A long-vacant building in downtown Morenci is about to get a new lease on life.
A grant from the state of Michigan’s Revitalization and Placemaking program has been awarded to help rehabilitate and renovate the former hardware store at 148 W. Main St.
MORENCI — A humble blacksmith shop in the 1920s provided the roots for a family-run business that has been part of Morenci’s fabric for some 45 years now.
That blacksmith shop’s offshoot opened the door in the 1970s to WR Production Welding, which was owned by Wendell Glaser and operated by James Roth. When that company went bankrupt in 1979, some of its customers asked Roth and his late wife, Rita, if they would open their own related business.
MORENCI — Out of 916 total water accounts with the city of Morenci, 177 are at least six months past due and 56 are at least 12 months past due. Addressing that problem rose to the top of the city council’s priority list for 2026 during a planning session on Dec. 16.
MORENCI — Voters elected Gail Cleghorn to the Morenci City Council and returned incumbents Kori Christle and Kandi Speiser to their seats in the Nov. 4 election.
There were five candidates for three seats. The returns reported by the Lenawee County Clerk’s office were:
Mayor Tracy Schell, was unopposed for re-election and received 283 votes, with eight write-ins.
With 329 ballots cast, turnout in the city of Morenci was just over 17%.
Vote totals are unofficial until reviewed by the Lenawee County Board of Canvassers.
ADRIAN — Community Action Agency is conducting a Community Needs Assessment to learn about the needs of everyone who uses, or might need to use, their services. The agency is seeking to learn if, and how, people’s needs may be changing, what barriers may exist to accessing services, and how they could be improved.
MORENCI — Municipal elections for the city of Morenci will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Mayor Tracy Schell is unopposed for re-election. Two incumbents are seeking re-election to the city council, and three additional candidates are vying for a chance to serve. There are three seats up for election this year.
The candidates are Kori Christle, Gail Cleghorn, Brad Lonis, Gary Pfund, and Kandice Speiser. Christle and Speiser are the incumbents.
MORENCI — Morenci City Hall will be open for voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4. Residents may register to vote at City Hall during regular office hours, including on Election Day.
Additionally, City Hall will be open on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to noon for voter registration and absentee ballot submissions.
MORENCI — Stair District Library is now accepting donations during regular library hours for its upcoming used book sale. Donations will be accepted through the back door of the annex; notify library staff first.
MORENCI — If you noticed somebody walking down your street one day in September and taking careful note of all the trees, that was Steve Lane.
Lane, an urban forestry consultant, has been engaged by the city of Morenci to work on a 20-year plan for managing all of the trees on public property on the city. The grant-funded project aims to help the city be proactive, rather than reactive, about managing its tree population, and it includes a comprehensive inventory of all the trees on public land in Morenci — about 1,350 in total.
MORENCI — The Morenci City Council voted on Sept. 15 to approve the hiring of Nathan Adams as the city’s next police chief.
Michael Cresswell is retiring from that position and will move into the part-time role of deputy chief at the end of the year.