Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated fully vaccinated U.S. visitors could cross the border starting in mid-August if Canada’s “positive path” on vaccinations continues. Michigan residents with cottages in Canada are hopeful but wary.
Ted Roelofs
Ted Roelofs of Kentwood, has written extensively on healthcare as well as prison and juvenile justice reform. Roelofs spent nearly three decades at the Grand Rapids Press where he covered politics, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rural poverty and mental illness among the homeless. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Reach Ted at ted.roelofs@gmail.com
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan teens' anxiety increased during COVID. Resources to help did not.
Experts already recognize that treating severe mental illness among young people is a problem in the state. But kids showing signs of pandemic-related isolation, depression and other conditions also struggle to find help.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Northern Michigan pushback to clean needle programs for drug users
Some officials in Kalkaska and Grand Traverse counties have denied funding for needle exchange programs, arguing they encourage drug use. Such fears have been refuted by decades of research showing exchanges reduce HIV and other health problems and encourage more people to seek treatment.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Canadian border restrictions frustrate Michigan businesses and travelers
Border businesses and the state’s tourism industry suffer as COVID limits prevent Canadian visitors for another month at least. And state residents with the travel bug or property in Canada also can’t cross. One official said it could be Thanksgiving before the border opens.
Posted inQuality of Life
As Michigan ages, one woman has made it her mission to train family caregivers
More than 1 million state residents care for their relatives, but most are never trained. After losing two parents, a Farmington Hills woman has begun boot camps to teach others.
Posted inQuality of Life
Overstressed and unpaid, 1.3M in Michigan care for relatives amid aging crisis
The total economic value of uncompensated elder care could be as high as $14.5 billion. And it’s getting worse. “We are in big trouble,” one says.
Posted inTalent & Education
Western Michigan University reveals record $550 million anonymous gift
The largest single donation in U.S. history to a public university will be used to support WMU’s medical school, need-based student financial aid and the WMU Bronco athletic program.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Northern Michigan resort town confronts shortage of year-round housing
In Charlevoix, summer homes for wealthy visitors and the need for year-round housing will clash again this summer. Some housing advocates are trying new strategies to get around the problem that’s affecting the regional workforce.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan ‘transparency’ bills actually keep lawmaker finances from public
Heralded as bipartisan legislation that ensures state officials are held accountable for financial conflicts, the bills keep most officials’ sources of income a secret from the public, unlike in many states. Critics denounce the reform effort as “a farce” that maintains the status quo.
Posted inMichigan Government
Some police traffic stops end violently. Is there a better way?
Black drivers are pulled over for traffic stops at greater rates than whites and, as we’ve seen in Minnesota and elsewhere, these incidents have sometimes ended in tragedy. Can we reduce violence by getting police out of the business of issuing minor violations?