The US Army Corps of Engineers approved construction of Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac despite expected adverse effects on endangered species and archaeological sites. The project remains tied up in court, with opponents promising new lawsuits.
Northern Michigan
Posted inMichigan Government
Facing money woes, Michigan villages mull extreme solutions: ceasing to exist
Michigan has 252 villages. Some are older than the state and want to disband. Experts say that should set off alarms in Lansing.
Posted inMichigan Government
Rural Michigan in crisis: Too many governments that too few want to lead
Many of Michigan’s nearly 1,500 townships and villages are run by part-time retirees in their 80s who are begging for help. The system is frayed and, without reform, communities could falter. Lansing isn’t coming to rescue.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan Supreme Court vacates key Line 5 permit
The court ruled 6-1 that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s review of a key permit for the petroleum pipeline tunnel was overly narrow, failing to consider whether the tunnel will harm public trust resources.
Posted inOutdoors Life
Bridge readers list Au Sable among Michigan’s best rivers. Who else won?
Bridge Michigan asked you to tell us which rivers are the best in the state. The results are in and one river dominated, but a handful of others also rose to the top.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Sisters aim to repair studio of iconic Michigan printmaker Gwen Frostic
Michigan artist Gwen Frostic’s studio has been on the market for a few years. Sisters Amy and Sarah Blessing bought the northern Michigan tourist attraction to continue the artist’s legacy.
Posted inTalent & Education
Report: Interlochen sex abuse spans 70 years, extends past Jeffrey Epstein
The 97-page report detailed 70 instances of abuse by 47 faculty and staff members.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Consumers Energy may drain part of Manistee River to investigate dam damage
Recent spring floods damaged the tailrace downstream of the Hodenpyl Dam. Other nonfunctioning equipment at the dam has made inspections difficult.
Posted inMichigan Government
Whitmer pushes pension plan to relieve prison staff shortage, despite her veto
Corrections officers and their advocates now hope lawmakers can reintroduce bills to allow officers to join the Michigan State Police pension plan, which advocates say would help with staff recruitment and retention in Michigan prisons.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
State issues Line 5 permits despite conceding its ‘significant impacts’
State agencies said the pipeline tunnel construction would affect Native American burial sites, wetlands and threatened and endangered species but concluded the benefits of the tunnel outweigh the damages. The project remains tied up in court.