Snow days, cold days: How Michigan schools decide it’s time to cancel classes
by Isabel Lohman As Michigan braces for another cold snap, superintendents across the state may have to make the call that some parents dread but students await: Is it too cold or too snowy to hold classes? An arctic blast headed our way started Saturday night. It is sending wind chills well below zero in […]
Planet parade 2025 and other celestial delights to keep your eyes on the sky
by Janelle D. James (BridgeMichigan) Are you ready for the big parade, Michigan? Not just the one on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. This one’s taking place right above us. Six planets are visible in the sky this month, some with the naked eye, in a so-called planet parade. If that’s not enough to keep astronomy […]
Michigan looks to future with R&D tax credits, startup ‘innovation fund’
by Lauren Gibbons (BridgeMichigan) Michigan will be the latest state to offer businesses research and development credits and an “innovation fund” for entrepreneurs and startups under bills signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Monday. The new laws, which earned bipartisan support in the Legislature, are the state’s latest attempt to incentivize current and prospective employers to […]
City passes moratorium on golf carts
by Sara Swanson In September of 2022 the City (at that time still a Village) legalized the driving of golf carts. A year later the council reviewed the ordinance and left it unchanged despite concerns. However, at its regular meeting on January 6, the Manchester City Council voted to place a moratorium on the City […]
DDA to host open seminar at this week’s meeting
by Marsha Chartrand Are you looking to start a small business in Manchester? Want to take your existing business to the next level? The Downtown Development Association will host an event featuring speakers from Ann Arbor Spark and Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County on Wednesday, January 15, from 9 to 11am, at the City […]
Are you interested in serving on City Council?
by Marsha Chartrand At its January 6 meeting, City Council regretfully accepted the resignation of 22-year member Pat DuRussel. DuRussel cited personal commitments as the reason for his resignation and offered his willingness to return to Council if his position remained unfilled. However, the City Charter outlines the practice for immediately filling a vacancy on […]
Become a Master Rain Gardener right here in Manchester — or online!
by Marsha Chartrand Did you know that a rain garden was started this fall in Kirk Park, near downtown Manchester? Are you interested in becoming a Master Rain Gardener? We reported last month that an in-person rain garden class was being scheduled for Manchester. Now an online option has been added as well as a […]
Michigan tax revenue up, but economic unknowns loom
by Lauren Gibbons (BridgeMichigan) Michigan is entering the new year with a projected budget surplus — but looming trade policy changes under President-elect Donald Trump, high costs of living and fluctuating inflation rates could be a drag on the state’s economic future, forecasters said Friday. The state is expected to bring in $33.18 billion […]
Amid outcry, solar farm owner says it no longer wants Michigan forest to expand
by Kelly House (BridgeMichigan) A proposal to lease 420 acres of state land near Gaylord for a solar energy development is on shaky ground after attracting criticism from lawmakers, including calls for “mass firings” of state employees involved in the plan. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will issue a public notice Tuesday of its intent […]
Sick with norovirus? Do all of Michigan a favor: Stay home
by Robin Erb (BridgeMichigan) Norovirus continues to threaten Michiganders in the new year — with case counts among the highest in five years and no indication that they might fall soon. The highly contagious stomach bug isn’t easy to kill. Hand sanitizer is a poor weapon against it. It lingers on surfaces for days. And […]
