Michigan’s majestic national park had to shutter its visitor’s center and curb popular snowshoe hikes. But a hardy group of park angels is hauling trash, cleaning toilets and helping maintain the park during the shutdown.
Jacob Wheeler
Jacob Wheeler lives in Leelanau County. He edits and publishes the Glen Arbor Sun and Betsie Current newspapers.
Posted inQuality of Life
Cancer diagnosis brings clarity to one Trump voter
In Harbor Springs, Cynthia Shafer battles illness and political assumptions
Posted inQuality of Life
Meet Michigan's divided
Can 11 passionate Michigan residents and families reach across the political and cultural chasms that too often divide our state?
Posted inBusiness Watch
In Cheboygan, waiting for entrepreneurs to take a chance
The city’s downtown stores are shuttering. While some hope for a shift to a tourism-based economy, a port project is betting on new industry
Posted inChildren & Families
Are prostitutes lawbreakers or trafficking victims?
A human trafficking court in Washtenaw County is dispensing with assembly line prosecution of prostitutes. Instead, the court identifies whether women have been coerced into the sex trade, and offers them services to begin a new life.
Posted inChildren & Families
What government owes Flint’s poisoned immigrant community
Latino immigrants, including some in the U.S. illegally, were among the last to know about lead in Flint’s water. What is the state’s duty to help hard-to-find residents?
Posted inMichigan Government
One year later, undocumented immigrant children quietly settling in Michigan
The anti-immigration protests last summer in Vassar have given way to the more mundane process of placing nearly 200 unaccompanied minors with relatives or foster families. Michigan remains one of the nation’s most welcoming states.
Posted inMichigan Government
Hispanic immigrants playing more critical role in Michigan’s farm economy
As residents flee rural areas in Michigan and across the country, Hispanic workers are becoming an even greater force in agricultural production. Nearly 3-in-10 Michigan farms are now owned by non-U.S. citizens.
Posted inMichigan Government
New rules for fracking disclosure in Michigan
Proposed rules require more testing around drilling sites and disclosure of the chemicals used by energy companies. Environmentalists call the rules a step forward, but not nearly enough to protect Michigan waters and public health.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Tension on Au Sable and Manistee rivers
A conservation group squares off against Encana over frack drilling near a Michigan fly fishing haven.