Leaf pickup ongoing along village streets
The Village of Manchester Department of Public Works (DPW) is doing leaf pickup on village streets throughout November. Leaves must be raked to the curb or roadside; not in the street, and leaf piles should not contain any sticks or brush, which could damage equipment or even injure workers. Watering the pile will help keep […]
No deal: Senate GOP rejects possible budget compromise
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — County sheriffs, small schools, local governments, and other groups grappling with state funding cuts will have to wait several more days — or possibly weeks — for Michigan leaders to try and resolve an ongoing budget dispute. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, on Thursday rejected a potential budget […]
Attorney General Dana Nessel takes hard line in juvenile inmate rape cases
By Ted Roelofs (Bridge) For more than five years, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette was a brick wall defending the state against allegations that prison officials failed to protect juvenile inmates as young as 14 from being raped and assaulted when they were housed with adult prisoners. Schuette fought the 2013 juvenile inmate lawsuit up and down […]
Measures aim to end ‘surprise billing’ for Michigan medical patients
By Robin Erb (Bridge) In the tense hours at a Grand Rapids emergency room last year — as Lisa Grinzinger struggled to form words and a medical team scrambled to rule out a possible stroke — finances were far from top-of-mind. “I never even thought about it,” said her husband Mike Grinzinger, a retired chief […]
Emanuel church bell replaced in steeple
Who knew that bells had names? Well, they do. They’re engraved on the front of the bell, along with the manufacturer’s name and the date they were cast. Emanuel United Church of Christ on West Main Street, actually has two bells–one of which is named “Concordia” and its smaller companion, “Virginia.” Concordia, originally installed in […]
Commercial open house a success
After months of speculation about how the community could work to fill several empty downtown buildings, Manchester is making its move in a big way. A sense of excitement and optimism was evident at the Two Black Sheep restaurant on Friday morning, and it continued throughout the day as several local realtors and building owners […]
Manchester native completes 48 of 50 marathons
When you’re 10 years out of high school and looking for something new to do, you come up with some crazy ideas. Or maybe, if you were Mark Harris, you would even call it “stupid.” “It had been nearly 10 years since I was in an organized sport,” he explains. I had just turned 28 […]
A Sunday afternoon destination: MAHS museum and gift shop
While summer weekends are often reserved for fun outdoor activities, a Sunday afternoon in the fall and winter can seem long and dreary. That might be a good time to visit the Manchester area Historical Society Museum and gift shop on Main Street. Or, the blacksmith shop just a few doors down. The well-curated collection […]
When residents say ‘no’ to aerial mosquito spraying
By Michael Schulson/Undark (for Bridge) On a Friday afternoon in late September, Kalamazoo County Health Officer Jim Rutherford announced that aircraft would mist much of the county with an insecticidal spray. Intended to kill mosquitoes, the emergency plan quickly turned into a public relations battle. Hundreds of calls and emails — and even some threats […]
Michigan lawmakers want to expand tax break before it’s created a single job
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Debate is intensifying over plans to expand a $200 million tax incentive program for big businesses that proponents say has helped Michigan land planned investments, but not yet created a single job. The state has so far committed $168.3 million in future tax captures to five firms under the […]
