After the crush of coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths that spurred a statewide stay-at-home order, Michigan has seen case counts fall as testing has ramped up and shown positive results.
Mike Wilkinson
Mike has been a reporter for Bridge Michigan since 2013 and focuses on data-assisted reporting, often finding stories by analyzing maps and data sets and has created Bridge's dashboards on COVID-19, the state's economy and Michigan's elections. He held similar positions at The Detroit News and The Blade of Toledo. A native of Michigan, Mike grew up in Macomb County, graduated from the University of Michigan and started his reporting career in New Baltimore before his career took him to Illinois, Tennessee and Ohio. You can reach him at mwilkinson@bridgemi.com
Posted inTalent & Education
COVID-19 at your Michigan school? Odds are, nobody is required to tell you.
The governor’s office and state health officials have yet to identify schools with active coronavirus outbreaks. And under current state policy, there is no requirement of a public announcement.
Posted inTalent & Education
Data show most Michigan schools safe to reopen, but plans all over map
Coronavirus standards set by the CDC, WHO and Harvard point to most Michigan counties being safe for class. But a lack of specific state benchmarks means individual districts are left to wing it on their own.
Posted inMichigan Government
Audit slams Michigan oversight of remote learning as districts embrace it
A new audit faults Michigan for failing to ensure the effectiveness of schools’ online-only learning plans. It’s gained some significance because numerous districts are opting for remote learning-only amid the pandemic.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Coronavirus surges among Michigan teens as school nears. Blame partying
With school openings approaching, infections are increasing among those 19 and younger in Michigan, which experts attribute to the hubris of youth and lack of social distancing.
Posted inMichigan Government
Map: Trump counties less likely to vote absentee in Michigan primary
Heavily Republican counties were less likely to embrace mail-in voting than their Democratic counterparts. Counties with more coronavirus cases also were more likely to cast absentee ballots.
Posted inMichigan Government
Absentee ballots favor Democrats in Michigan, causing worry among GOP
In an election with record numbers of absentee votes, Democrats were far likelier to remotely cast ballots than Republicans, who say they need to change or face trouble come November.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Edenville Dam owners file for bankruptcy, blaming regulators for floods
Facing a host of lawsuits, companies that operated the dams that failed during historic flooding seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, using the filing to list a litany of grievances against federal regulators and neighbors.
Posted inMichigan Government
President Trump worries about voter fraud. Here’s the reality in Michigan.
As Trump questions mail-in voting, records show Michigan has 225,000 more registered voters than voting-age residents. That is no proof of fraud, which experts say is rare, but some clerks say Michigan’s rolls need to be cleaned to increase confidence in elections.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan coronavirus cases rise. Here’s why we are not Texas or Florida.
Case increases in Michigan bear watching but the state is not yet experiencing the explosion seen in the South and West. Here are the metrics public health experts follow to mark the virus’ arc in Michigan.
