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.
Employers outside of health care settings now can choose whether to keep mask requirements, social distancing measures and plastic barriers to protect workers.
I have never seen so many fellow educators talk about retiring as soon as they can. This trend will only continue to worsen without attracting more young people and diversifying our profession.
The state’s redistricting panel has said it will not have enough time to complete the maps. But some justices expressed want to let the process play out.
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.
The state’s 15 public universities have become accustomed to doing more with less, but after 20 years of budget cuts and tuition increases, this pattern is pricing out talented and deserving Michigan students.
