Iosco County is a county in the northeastern portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 27,339. The county seat is Tawas City.
Iosco is a Native American word meaning "water of light." In 1840, the county was set off as Kanotin County, and renamed Iosco in 1843. The county was then organized in 1857.[1]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,891 square miles, of which, 549 square miles (1,422 km²) of it is land and 1,342 square miles (3,475 km²) of it (70.96%) is water. The county is bound to the north by Alcona County, to the west by Ogemaw County and to the southwest by Arenac County. To the east of Iosco County is Lake Huron, to the southeast is Saginaw Bay, including Tawas Bay. Oscoda County lies to the northwest of Iosco County, but only shares a border at a point of intersection.
Much of the county is protected land as part of the Huron National Forest. Other areas of protected land include the Turtle Marsh Wildlife Area[2] and the Au Sable State Forest. The county also has many lakes. The largest of which are part of the Au Sable River and created by damming of the river. One such dam, the Foote Dam, is located downriver from the reservoir known as the Foote Dam Pond. Other natural lakes, however, include Sand Lake, Indian Lake, Van Etten Lake, Tawas Lake and Long Lake.
Government
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
Iosco County officials (elected 2002)
- Prosecuting Attorney: Gary W. Rapp
- Sheriff: Michael Fischer
- County Clerk: Michael A. Welsch
- County Treasurer: Elite P. Shellenbarger
- Register of Deeds: Bonita M. Coyle
- Drain Commissioner: Gary Adams
Iosco County commissioners (elected 2002)
- District 1: Clyde L. Soucie
- District 2: Jeff Mathews
- District 3: Bob Cudney
- District 4: John Moehring
- District 5: Patricia Schmidt
(current as of July 2006)
Education
Iosco County contains four public school districts: Hale Area Schools, Oscoda Area Schools, Tawas Area Schools, and Whittemore-Prescott Area Schools.
There are also 3 private elementary schools in the county: Emanuel Lutheran School in Tawas City, Holy Family School in East Tawas, and Shady Grove School in Whittemore.
Alpena Community College offers college-level courses at its campus on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda and local public school facilities.
Cities, villages, and townships
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Unincorporated
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Townships
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Newspapers and communications
- The Iosco County News-Herald is the newspaper of record for Iosco County.[3]
- The Oscoda Press is a weekly newspaper serving northern Iosco County and southern Alcona County[4]