Before arriving at NMU for his Oct. 4 appearance, animal expert Jack Hanna spoke with North Wind reporter Jamie Reed on wildlife, real life and what to expect next Thursday when he and his animal friends visit Vandament Arena. NW: First of all, where are you in your career right now? Jack Hanna: I'm 60 years old, so I've been doing this since 1969, almost 40 years.

(5 out of 5 stars) When I found out that Kanye West and 50 Cent would be releasing albums on the same day, my heart pitter-pattered with anticipation. I don't usually have gangster rap CDs blasting through my car speakers, but I have no problem "getting down" with 50 Cent or better yet, my homeboy, Kanye.

Music from the island of Jamaica is usually more at home on balmy tropical beaches than the chilly Upper Peninsula. But local band Ignorant Mob brings exotic island flavor straight to the stages of Marquette. Ignorant Mob's sound is a bit different from the usual local music heard around the Marquette area.

It's an all too common question asked almost everyday: What would you do with one million dollars? For WNMU-TV, this fantasy became a reality, and they're using the money to go digital. WNMU, a public broadcasting facility licensed by the board of trustees of NMU, received a grant of $1,004,083 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

This Saturday, the swinging sound of authentic blues will ring throughout downtown Marquette and the strong smells of Cajun cuisine will hang heavily in the air. And while the Marquette community is filling their bellies with alligator, crawfish and catfish and dancing to the tunes of local blues bands, money will be raised for people affected with cancer in the local area.

The school bell rings, and Rachel, clad in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans after a tiresome day of nursing classes, patiently waits outside the building. After Kelsie, Carlie and Charles -- ages 14, 12 and 11 respectively -- pile into her small car with their book-heavy backpacks, her afternoon routine of escorting the kids to hockey practices, basketball games, voice lessons and tutoring is about to begin.