For a decade, safety regulators demanded improvements to a 95-year-old dam that failed this week. The repairs never came, and Michigan regulators deemed the dam in “fair condition.” One critic calls it a “catastrophic failure both of the dam and of our government at all levels.”
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 inMichigan Environment Watch
Mid-Michigan dam that failed was cited for years for safety violations
The Edenville dam that catastrophically failed and prompted thousands of evacuations was cited repeatedly by federal authorities, who allege its owners had a “long history of noncompliance.”
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan changing how it classifies coronavirus deaths. Expect tally to grow.
Two months into the pandemic, Michigan will begin tallying ‘probable’ COVID-19 deaths rather than just those confirmed with a test. Already more than 5,000 have died statewide, and the changes could increase tally 10 percent.
Posted inMichigan Government
When will Gov. Whitmer reopen Michigan? It’s complicated. And a bit vague.
Unlike some other states, Michigan isn’t using precise metrics to determine when to reopen the state from the coronavirus lockdown. Whitmer and epidemiologists say that’s necessary, but Republicans and some business leaders say the lack of transparency is infuriating
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Coronavirus came to Michigan earlier than thought, records show
Records detailing when coronavirus victims first felt symptoms show that coronavirus came sooner to Michigan than originally believed, and the decline in the state has lasted longer.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan governor, GOP leader inflate the rhetoric in coronavirus fight
With more than 4,500 Michiganders dead and nearly 48,000 confirmed cases, COVID-19 has already captured residents’ attention. But officials have inflated or mischaracterized facts in the battle to publicly frame debate.
Posted inMichigan Government
Few coronavirus cases, lots of land. Should northern Michigan reopen?
Northern Michigan has more than half of the state’s land mass and 2 percent of its coronavirus cases. As Gov. Whitmer says she’ll take geography into account to reopen the economy, Bridge examines regional differences in cases, hospital capacity, testing and unemployment.
Posted inA Truth Squad companion
As coronavirus ravages nursing homes, Michigan records spotty at best
Michigan last week released records on coronavirus at nursing homes, but the records are incomplete and contain glaring omissions, a Bridge review has found.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Coronavirus cases rising again in Michigan. That may not be bad news.
For much of April, coronavirus cases dropped consistently in Michigan. They are jumping upward again in the past few days as cases spread outstate. But experts also attribute the rise to more testing.
Posted inMichigan Government
Patients at 1 in 3 Michigan nursing homes have coronavirus, records show
For the first time, Michigan regulators released records about the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes. It’s as bad as many thought: more than 2,100 cases at 141 homes. (With database to search for homes)
