Popularity of outdoor activities hasn’t abated since the pandemic. State officials say sites such as Grand Haven, Ludington and Young state parks generally sell out.
Upper Peninsula
Posted inTalent & Education
At U.P. school, many students felt fine, but 1-in-6 tested COVID positive
The more school officials tested, the more COVID cases they found among mostly asymptomatic students at Norwood Elementary in the western Upper Peninsula, underscoring the challenges schools face keeping kids in class amid omicron.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Much of Michigan is rural. What will it take for small towns to thrive?
The areas are struggling economically because of population losses and other issues. State officials hope a new office of rural development will stem the decline.
Posted inMichigan Government
Jesus Hitler, an ‘adrenaline junkie’ and the plot to train Michigan neo-Nazis
How two troubled young men tried to start a separatist compound — and what it says about the white-power movement in Michigan.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Study: Fish can recover from mercury pollution faster than thought
The results, published this week in the journal Nature, showed that mercury levels in plankton and fish fell more quickly than expected once new sources of mercury were cut off.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
$1B windfall fuels toxic cleanup of Great Lakes, but uphill battle looms
Cleaning sites like the Detroit River and Saginaw Bay is a priority for spending new funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Advocates say the money is a good start but much more is needed.
Posted inMichigan Government
Critics say prisons give rural Michigan towns unfair edge in redistricting
Advocates call it ‘prison gerrymandering’ and say urban cities are denied truly fair representation because inmates are counted as residents of their prisons. Others say it’s not so simple.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Walleye love perch too much. So Michigan is expanding walleye fishing.
The Natural Resources Commission will open the Saginaw River to walleye fishing during spawning season, beginning in 2023. The state hopes expanded walleye fishing will lift populations of yellow perch in Saginaw Bay.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Enbridge seeks to move Line 5 suit to federal court in bid to prevent shutdown
When Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped a federal lawsuit over the fate of Line 5 and reactivated a mothballed state-level suit, she had hoped for better odds before a state judge. Enbridge wants to undermine that strategy.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Ignore the buzz, here’s why Enbridge Line 5 won’t likely close anytime soon
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Line 5 closed a year ago, citing safety concerns. The Biden administration is now involved. But chances of an imminent shutdown appear slim. We lay out some of the hurdles.