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Happy weekend, Tri Cities!
In today’s happening-today edition: Quality Inn demolition finished, Kathleen Madigan, and Joshua Bell + events worth checking out today & tomorrow.
Today’s sponsor (Money.com) built a free comparison tool that helped me cut my car insurance premiums in half. It took about 3 minutes, and honestly… I wish I’d done it sooner. If you haven’t shopped around in a while, you can easily check the best rates here.
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📰 In the news
Development prospects take shape: Demolition of Kochville Township’s former Quality Inn is finished, clearing a three-acre site. The township bought it for $1.6 million and will complete site work before listing to attract investors — see what’s planned next.
Songs of Scotland, Ireland, Wales: Bay City’s Listen To Love series welcomes Celtic harpist and storyteller Carol Kappus tomorrow, March 8, at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, followed by musical storytelling, free admission with reservations required — get all the details.
Behind the strong evaluation: Bay City’s McLaren Home Health earned a 4.25 out of 5 rating from U.S. News for quality and satisfaction, based on CMS measures and surveys, Medicare-certified since 1984 — learn how it was rated.
Gold & silver are hot: Coming off gold’s best year since 1979, the momentum is carrying well into 2026 with silver remaining one of the most talked-about assets. Curious why they’re back in focus? American Hartford Gold has a free guide that explains what’s happening and how people are approaching it today. It’s free – and definitely worth a read.
Someone Googled you this week: Whether you’re dating again, selling something locally, or just meeting new neighbors… people are going to look you up. Like it or not, the internet has a way of surfacing past mistakes and outdated information that no longer reflects who you are. Thankfully, there’s a really easy way for you (or someone you care about) to clean up all that up – learn more here.
Highlights this week:
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🚗 Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance?
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I learned that the hard way. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, I saw the charges come in every month and never thought twice about them. Turns out I was paying well above the national average ($175/mo) for a single car… for years.
This free comparison tool lets you check rates from multiple insurers in just a few minutes. It costs nothing to look, and it could save you hundreds this year.
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🫶 We got your back
Big, bright mood booster: If gray Saginaw skies need a lift, the Shine Bright Saginaw Mural Project turns the old riverfront silos into a kaleidoscope, perfect for a stroll, a selfie, or a quiet reminder this city loves color. Towering panels pop in any weather, catching light, laughter, and hometown pride.
Time to cast on: Bay City’s A Piece of Ewe stocks the good stuff: squishy skeins from Noro and Blue Sky, beginner-friendly kits, and classes that make sweater finishing feel doable. A welcoming crew, approachable instruction, and shelves of color mean a new project might just find you.
Raise a local pint: Craving a break from the usual? WhichCraft Taproom keeps Michigan-made pours rotating, with an easygoing vibe and a cooler full of local bottles and cans for your fridge. Perfect for a midweek catch-up or a low-key weekend hang without the fuss.
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.
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📆 Around town today & tomorrow
Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →
All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
🧶 Granny Crafts Day @ Freeland United Methodist Church | Saturday (3/7) at 8:30 AM – Trade doomscrolling for doilies at Freeland UMC. Bring your own project, then try mini skills like embroidery, weaving, candle making, tin stamping, and watercolor. Supplies are included, plus a pasta bar and dessert, all for $50, high school and up, space limited.
👗 Pop Up Prom Boutique @ Olde James Town Hall (Saginaw) | Saturday (3/7) at 9:00 AM – Think of it as prom, but with adult-level bargain hunting. This pop-up boutique has like-new gowns in every style and size, dressing rooms, and Cathy on site for alterations or appointments. Bring your teen, sip coffee, and snag a dream dress at a dream price.
🏠 Frankenmuth Home Show @ Harvey Kern Pavilion | Saturday (3/7) at 9:00 AM – The Frankenmuth Home Show is serving up real, show-only deals on windows, sunrooms, bathroom conversion kits, and siding, and Vinyl Sash is the booth to hit. Come ask your questions, collect ideas, then celebrate responsible adulthood with a pretzel, a chicken dinner, and fewer drafts.
🍗 Chicken Dinner and Raffle Night @ Monitor Township Fire Department (Bay City) | Saturday (3/7) at 6:00 PM – Rosie’s Pies is fueling all-you-can-eat chicken, plus raffles galore, including door prizes and a 50/50. Ticket covers dinner, drinks, and entries, you don’t have to stick around to win, and snag tickets at Fruitland Market, C & R Hardware, Riverview Party Store, and Summit Printing.
😂 Kathleen Madigan @ State Theatre (Bay City) | Saturday (3/7) at 7:00 PM – Kathleen Madigan brings her razor-sharp stand-up to KeyBank State Theatre, and yes, your laugh lines will earn overtime. Smart, relatable, a little salty, and very Midwest, she’s the comic you quote the next day over coffee, not regret after cheap shots.
🦕 Dinosaur Walk Through Experience @ Midland Mall | Sunday (3/8) at 10:00 AM – Dinosaurs are stomping into the mall with a jungle walk-through of life-sized dinos, holograms, and animatronics. Over the top in the best way, great for kids, and inner eight-year-olds, behind the food court to the right of Malltopia, plus a dino store and photo op.
🌳 Nature Play! @ Chippewa Nature Center (Midland) | Sunday (3/8) at 2:00 PM – Nature Play is letting kids get muddy, and you a hammock break, at The Woods Nature Play Area near Arbury Trail. Expect mud pies, fort building, little rivers, and nature art, all free and all ages, with caregivers staying. Volunteers welcome to host.
Live music & entertainment:
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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🔥 Worth a peek
We’re always on the hunt for useful resources, deals, services, and products we think you’ll love. Here’s what caught our eye this week.
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📻 Tri Cities report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 67°F – Low: 36°F – Precip: 86%
Patchy fog and showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 67, with temperatures falling to around 60 in the afternoon. Southwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Later: Scattered rain showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
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Tomorrow – High: 56°F – Low: 44°F – Precip: 2%
Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Later: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
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