Michigan may require high school seniors to file FAFSA financial aid form
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) A college degree offers a better shot at a steady job and earning more money. But high sticker prices can deter students from even applying to schools, particularly students whose families may be unfamiliar with the college application process or not understand how financial aid works. State Sen. Darrin Camilleri […]
Michigan regulators seek penalties for repeat utility outages
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Michigan regulators are moving to force the state’s biggest electricity suppliers — Consumers Energy and DTE Energy — to improve reliability by penalizing them for repeat outages. The Michigan Public Service Commission this week announced it will impose unspecified penalties on companies whose customers lose power four or more times each year, […]
Storms, tornadoes linked to 5 deaths and widespread power outages
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Heavy storms and at least four confirmed tornadoes are linked to five deaths as they uprooted trees, flooded roads and triggered power outages across Michigan on Thursday. On Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer offered state assistance to Wayne and Monroe counties. Whitmer issued an emergency declaration and agreed with requests from […]
Appeals court nixes Michigan PFAS water limits in ruling for 3M
by Lester Graham & Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) A Michigan Court of Appeals panel has struck down state restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in drinking water, but left the regulatory rules in place as the state pursues an appeal. In a split decision Tuesday, the three-judge panel concluded the state failed to follow proper […]
Bill requires prisons to give voting registration info to exiting inmates
by Oralandar Brand-Williams, Votebeat (for Bridge Michigan) It’s been nearly a decade since Vince King cast his first vote, and that act of filling out a ballot still resonates with him. “Imagine what it’s like for a person who has never done it,” King recalls. “It made me feel free and part of the process.” […]
RSV vaccine available for older Michiganders, but many don’t know of it
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) A long-awaited vaccine for older adults now protects against the potentially deadly respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV — but nearly half of people in this age group did not know it’s available. And a significant number of the most vulnerable in this group said they aren’t interested in the vaccine […]
Childcare is a critical job, with a critical worker shortage in Michigan
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) La Tonya Glover needs to hire a childcare worker. The families who bring their young children to her Bright Beginnings Child Care in Detroit are counting on her. But Glover, who has operated a licensed childcare business in her home since 2010, has run into a problem tougher to negotiate […]
Michigan lawmakers use word games to skirt law, spend billions on pet projects
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) When Michigan lawmakers approved a $50.7 billion budget bill in 2021, then-House Speaker Jason Wentworth made sure it included money for his hometown, the tiny village of Farwell. Deep in the spending package was a $3.5 million grant “to support a fishing pond that is over 25 acres and located in […]
New COVID variant confirmed in Michigan. What to know about BA.2.86
by Robin Erb & Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) One of fewer than a dozen cases of a potentially worrisome new COVID variant has been detected in Michigan following the discovery of cases in Denmark, Israel and the United Kingdom. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday it was tracking the variant, BA.2.86, after the […]
Michigan Democrats eye stricter gun restrictions for domestic abusers
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — A week before her death, Amber Jo Thomas sensed it coming. On July 27, the 40-year-old Adrian resident filed a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, Barry Garza, who she said abused and stalked her during and after a nine-year relationship. “He has physically harmed me so many […]
