For Aspirus Ironwood Hospital, in a sparsely populated former mining region in remote Michigan, merger points to a brighter future.
Rural Michigan
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Rural hospitals in Michigan face a dilemma: Merge or not?
Rising fiscal challenges force independent Michigan hospitals to seek alliances. They can save the hospitals, but some critics ask at what cost.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Good news for Michigan cherry industry. Bad news for Turkey.
A U.S. Commerce Department ruling is likely to result in large duties imposed on Turkish dried cherries, which Michigan growers accuse of being illegally dumped on the U.S. market.
Posted inMichigan Government
What’s behind the population boom in rural Michigan jails?
A state task force could convene on why rural jails hold a greater share of inmates, with more awaiting trial.
Posted inBusiness Watch
A summer of despair for Michigan’s cherry growers
For decades, the peninsulas of Old Mission and Leelanau have produced ideal conditions for tart cherries. But harsh weather, pesky bugs and Turkish imports are prompting farmers to reconsider their futures.
Posted inTalent & Education
An Up North charter is 44 percent subs. You can’t tell difference, supt. says
At the fast-growing Charlton Heston Academy in St. Helen, nearly half of classrooms were staffed by uncertified, long-term substitutes last year. Superintendent says it’s not ideal, but charter can’t attract certified teachers.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
New plans for Michigan psychiatric facility raise more concerns about care
Mental health advocates say a decision to keep a Caro psychiatric hospital open doesn’t improve Michigan’s mental health system.
Posted inChildren & Families
Rural children more than twice as likely to be homeless in Michigan
There aren’t enough early childhood education programs in the state to deal with the troubling rate of childhood homelessness, according to a new study. That could have lifelong ramifications.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Rural Michigan needs doctors. Paying their debts may be an answer
Lawmakers eye expansion of program that pays student debt of medical professionals who practice in underserved areas, as the Michigan doctor shortage intensifies.
Posted inQuality of Life
Payday blues: Rural Michigan and the quick-cash debt hole
With interest rates that can top 400 percent a year, payday lenders sprout in small-town Michigan. Bipartisan legislation in Lansing would rein in lending practices, but there’s no guarantee it will get a hearing.