Omicron variant arrives in Michigan. What you need to know
By Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Michigan has become at least the 24th state with the omicron variant of the coronavirus, after it was detected in a fully vaccinated Kent County resident, state officials reported Thursday. The adult had a confirmed COVID-19 case on Dec. 3 but the genomic sequencing of the virus was confirmed Thursday. […]
Bloody drawings, a cry for help, and Oxford’s choice before school shooting
By Kelly House, Ron French (Bridge Michigan) In the eyes of Oxford Community Schools, it was a judgment call. Fifteen-year-old Ethan Crumbley had been scrolling online for ammunition at school, drew a disturbing picture of a gun, a bullet and someone bleeding, and wrote that his “thoughts won’t stop, help me,” and “the world is […]
Michigan House panel approves changes to state child abuse and neglect list
By Ted Roelofs (Bridge Michigan) A Michigan House committee unanimously approved legislation Tuesday intended to make it more difficult for innocent people to be added to a state registry of adults deemed a serious risk to children. The Central Registry, maintained by the Children’s Protective Services program within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, […]
Holiday Gifts: Paying it forward
I received a call last week from a long time Manchester resident who had moved away several years ago and recently returned to town, after living in southern California during the interim. “Some things are the same here and some are so different,” she commented. “It’s been a huge culture change … moving away from […]
Seventh and eighth-grade hoops struggle, but continue to battle on
Stats and scores provided by Varsity coach Zach Neal Last week’s games proved a challenge for the seventh and eighth-grade basketball teams. On Monday, the junior high teams traveled to Addison and brought home a 32-9 win for the seventh grade and a loss with a 10-point spread for the eighth graders. For the seventh […]
Ballet Chelsea presents its 24th annual production of The Nutcracker
Ballet Chelsea will bring the magic of the holiday season to life with The Nutcracker, December 11 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and December 12 at 2 pm. This annual production will be held at the George E. Potter Center in Jackson. The performance will feature dazzling scenery, beautiful costume designs, and the colorful characters you adore. […]
Prosecutor: Oxford suspect shouldn’t have been allowed back in class
by Ron French, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) Hours before he allegedly opened fire on his Oxford High School classmates on Tuesday, Ethan Crumbley was summoned to a school meeting along with his parents. According to authorities, a teacher had spotted a school assignment that morning on the 15-year-old’s desk that included a drawing of a […]
Michigan’s water systems in line for $3.3 billion. Much more is needed.
by Sergio Martínez Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) LANSING— The Michigan Senate this week unanimously passed a $3.3 billion supplemental spending bill that lawmakers say would help address the state’s crumbling water infrastructure. The spending bill allocates $1 billion for the replacement of lead services lines in Michigan. It also provides $400 million to upgrade drinking water. […]
Michigan redistricting panel opts for secrecy, won’t release voting memos
by Sergio Martínez Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan’s redistricting panel voted Thursday to keep secret two memos that helped members justify the reduction of majority-minority legislative districts. Members of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission kept the records secret over numerous objections, including those from residents in Flint who are upset they are losing […]
School board votes to increase substitute teachers’ pay
At the November 15 meeting of the Manchester Community Schools’ Board of Education, one of the discussion items on the agenda was an increase in “guest teacher” pay increases, in order to attract and retain more substitute teachers to the district. School board president Ryan Novess explained, “The increase of substitute teacher pay was initiated […]
