Jamestown Township’s library will be forced to close if residents again reject a millage over fears that stocking LGBTQ books is tantamount to the ‘indoctrination’ of children.
Ron French
Ron reports on a variety of subjects across the state. Ron came to Bridge in 2011 from The Detroit News, where he was a project reporter. Born and raised in Indiana, Ron graduated from Purdue University. He reported for newspapers across Indiana before moving to Michigan in 1995. Ron lives in Okemos, and like the true Michigander he’s become, he now has a family cabin Up North. You can reach him at rfrench@bridgemi.com or 517-214-3636.
Posted inMichigan Government
Donations pour in after Michigan town defunded library over LGBTQ books
More than $50,000 has been contributed so far through a pair of GoFundMe campaigns. Nearly 1,000 donors from as far away as Australia have pitched in to keep the Jamestown Township library open.
Posted inMichigan Government
Upset over LGBTQ books, a Michigan town defunds its library in tax vote
Voters in Jamestown Township, near Grand Rapids, rejected a renewal of an operations millage for the community’s public library Tuesday, leaving the library’s future in doubt. Those leading the effort said the library was indoctrinating children.
Posted inQuality of Life
How polo is changing the soul of an Up North Michigan village
Culture clashes don’t get much bigger than when wealthy polo players from around the U.S. converge on a tiny, one-stop-sign village in Emmet County.
Posted inMichigan Government
Most threats made after Oxford were hoaxes. How should they be punished?
At least 133 students in six Michigan counties were charged after allegedly threatening schools in the month following the rampage at Oxford High School. Most were middle-schoolers. It’s not clear any will receive time behind bars.
Posted inTalent & Education
A supergroup was to reform Michigan schools, then the schools dropped out
A coalition of business, school, philanthropy and labor groups came together in 2019 to try and solve decades of mediocrity in Michigan public education. But major school groups, including the department of education, have bailed, leaving the effort in question.
Posted inTalent & Education
High Court rejects ban on religious school aid. How it impacts Michigan.
The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday that states can’t give taxpayer funds to some private schools while excluding religious schools. Legal experts say it won’t immediately impact Michigan, but opens the door to broader school choice.
Posted inTalent & Education
Hillsdale to consider banning Harry Potter as library wars hit Michigan
The southern Michigan city’s library is considering a proposal to ban books about the boy wizard, the latest in a series of controversies statewide over racy graphic novels and books about LGBTQ and civil rights that have made library board meetings a lot less sleepy lately.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan teen looks to college, but after pandemic she questions her drive
After spending much of high school learning remotely in bedrooms, the high school class of 2022 displayed more mental health challenges and less classroom focus, school leaders say. Will pandemic drift follow them to college?
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan abortion law: What you should know if SCOTUS overturns Roe
Abortion remains legal for now in Michigan, but access to abortion services is uncertain if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. We answer your questions about what such a decision would mean for Michigan.