WGFM

WGFN (98.1 FM) is a radio station in Northern Michigan that airs a classic rock format under the branding of "The Bear", and is currently owned by Black Diamond Broadcast Holdings, LLC. WGFN is based out of Glen Arbor, Michigan, airing at 98.1 FM to the Traverse City market. WGFN has been the flagship station of the Bear network of classic rock stations that have aired in Northern Michigan since the early 2000s, which peaked with 4 regional stations from 2002-2009 and 2010-2012. The only other surviving Bear station in the region is 95.3 WWSS, which airs the same programming and playlist as WGFN, but features differing station identifications and commercial content for its market. The Bear aired the popular syndicated morning radio program The Bob & Tom Show until September 2017, and currently airs Detroit Tigers baseball games and Detroit Lions football games. The current lineup includes Smitty in morning drive, "California Girl" Nicole Pence in mid-days, and Jay Roberts on afternoon drive. Until 2009, WGFN was joined by 97.9 WIHC in Newberry, 105.1 WGFM in Cheboygan, and 107.1 WCKC in Cadillac in Northern Star Broadcasting's then-Classic Rock: The Bear network. WGFM became a partial simulcast of Glen Arbor mainstream rock station WJZJ in September 2009, and continues to broadcast the format under the Rock 105 branding. In February 2010, WIHC was taken dark by Northern Star in the wake of their sale of most Upper Peninsula radio stations to Sovereign Communications, before being sold to new owners and relaunched as the religious simulcast Strong Tower Radio in 2012. Fellow Upper Peninsula stations WUPK & WIMK (which shared the Classic Rock: The Bear branding but were otherwise not linked) were also sold to Sovereign Communications in 2010. Northern Star replenished the four station Bear network in 2010 by converting two then-country stations into Bear affiliates, replacing WGFM with 94.5 WLJZ (later WOEZ) in Mackinaw City, and adding 93.9 WAVC in Mio to the network, but both stations were transferred to Michigan Broadcasters in separate deals in 2012 & 2013 to become Your Patriot Voice talk radio stations, with WCHY (formerly WQEZ) changing formats in 2013 to effectively replace WLJZ in the Mackinaw City region. WCKC in Cadillac was ultimately sold to Up North Media in 2016 and re-imaged as 107.1 The Drive during Northern Star Broadcasting's sale of their remaining radio stations, though it retains a classic rock format. On March 12, 2018, Black Diamond Broadcasting traded WCHY for Darby Advertising's WWSS (95.3 FM), which currently airs the classic rock format.

Empire Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 764 at the 2020 census. On the shores of Lake Michigan, Empire Township contains a substantial amount of land within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Jacktown, sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Osborn" (another small settlement along the same railroad a few miles west of Jacktown) was a small village in Empire Township, Leelanau County, Michigan, United States located off Oviatt/County Line Road near Empire in the early 1900s. Benzie County lies on the other side of Oviatt Road. Like many small "company towns", Jacktown sprang up along a railroad, known as the Empire and Southeastern Railroad, a logging railroad turned passenger railroad that connected Empire Junction with Manistee and Northeastern Railroad south in Benzie County. Today, it is no more than a clearing in the woods. All that is left of Jacktown is the old abandoned railroad grade and a few basements and foundations of houses and other buildings. One of several local legends speculates the town depopulated after local water wells abruptly dried up one summer, however, Jacktown most likely died when Empire and Southeast Railroad went out of existence in the 1920s. Many of the local elderly in the area still remember Jacktown and/or stories of it, however, most information been lost with time. The Bland Cemetery is located near the clearing where Jacktown used to be, with many former residents buried there. Jacktown is a chapter subject in the book Ghost Towns of Michigan written by local historian Lawrence (Larry) Wakefield of Traverse City.

Empire Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) long range radar site located 0.7 miles (1.1 km) south-southeast of Empire, Michigan, in Empire Township. It was closed in 1978 by the Air Force, and turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Today the site is part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS), designated by NORAD as Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) Ground Equipment Facility.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Located within Benzie and Leelanau counties, the park extends along a 35-mile (56 km) stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South Manitou islands, preserving a total of 71,199 acres (111 sq mi; 288 km2). The park is known for its outstanding natural features, including dune formations, forests, beaches, and ancient glacial phenomena. The lakeshore also contains many cultural features, including the 1871 South Manitou Island Lighthouse, three former stations of the Coast Guard (formerly the Life-Saving Service), and an extensive rural historic farm district. The park is administered by the National Park Service, and was established on October 21, 1970. In 2011, the area won the title of "The Most Beautiful Place in America" from Good Morning America. In 2014, a section of the park was named the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness by the United States Congress.

The Empire School is a school building located at 10017 West Front Street in Empire, Michigan.

Empire is a village on Lake Michigan in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Located in southwestern Leelanau County, its population was 362 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Empire Township, and is famous for its proximity to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Empire is home to the lakeshore's headquarters, the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center.

Glen Lake is a lake located in Northern Michigan. Located in the southwestern Leelanau Peninsula, the lake is directly adjacent to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and is, at its closest, about 0.94 miles (1.51 km) from Lake Michigan. The lake consists of two large bodies of water connected by a narrow channel, which is traversed by a causeway carrying the famous highway M-22. The body of water on the west of this causeway, which is far shallower and more elongated, is known as Little Glen Lake, and the body of water east of the causeway, which is nearly perfectly round and deeper, is known as Big Glen Lake. The total area of Glen Lake is 6,286 acres (25 km2), with a maximum depth 130 feet (40 m). The lake empties into Lake Michigan via the shallow Crystal River which winds through Glen Arbor.

South Bar Lake is located near Empire, Michigan. It is approximately 69 acres (28 ha) in size and has a maximum depth of 13 feet (4.0 m). It is used for recreational purposes, and there is a public swimming beach on the west side of the lake in a village park. The lake contains various fish including bluntnose minnow, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, Johnny darter, and Iowa darter.

Glen Arbor Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 757 at the 2020 census. However, the population of the town expands rapidly during the summer months as a result of it being a summer colony. The community of Glen Arbor, which is considered a census-designated place for statistical purposes, is located in the township. South Manitou Island is politically part of the township.

Glen Arbor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Glen Arbor Township, Leelanau County, Michigan, United States. A small tourist town, Glen Arbor lies on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Glen Lake. It is adjacent to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Its population was 261 as of the 2020 census, up from 229 at the 2010 census. The community is located along M-22 and the Lake Michigan shore. Glen Arbor has a post office with ZIP code 49636.

Glen Lake Community School (GLCS) is a public, coeducational K–12 school in Kasson Township, Leelanau County, Michigan. Located between Burdickville and Maple City, Glen Lake Community School serves most of southwest and central Leelanau County, and lies near the eponymous Glen Lake. Most of the school district is in Leelanau County. Places in the district include Cedar, Empire, Glen Arbor, and Maple City. Townships in the district include Empire, Glen Arbor, Kasson, and parts of Centerville, Cleveland, and Solon. The district also includes a portion of Platte Township, Benzie County.