Letter to the editor: Township responds to letter regarding fire-protection contract with City
September 20, 2024 As Supervisor of Manchester Township, I am disappointed with the hostile and disparaging tone of your September 17, 2024, letter [see letter embedded in Letter to the Editor: Township ignores City request for fire protection contract] that Mayor Vailliencourt publicly read at the September Township Board meeting. You accuse the Township of […]
Letter to the Editor: Township ignores City request for fire protection contract
September 20, 2024 On November 7, 2023, the residents of the Village of Manchester exercised their right, per the laws of the State of Michigan, and voted to become a city. Michigan State Law requires a division of assets between the Township and a newly created city. State Statute MCL 117.14 clearly defines the formula […]
Michigan’s mental health crisis extends beyond students: Teachers struggle, too
by Katie Finkbeiner for Capital News Service (via Bridge Michigan) LANSING – “When I was a teacher, I felt like I connected so much with the kids who were struggling, I felt like I took that home with me,” said Becky Halamka, a Negaunee Public Schools counselor and founder of Superior Educator Wellness Services. Before […]
As Michigan moves toward $15 minimum wage, workers rally to keep tip system
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) Michigan will move forward with plans to raise its minimum wage to nearly $15 an hour by 2028 but should delay a full phase out of the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers until 2030 under an amended order released Wednesday by the state Supreme Court. Responding to a request for […]
Tough job, fewer applicants: Michigan struggles to hire police, survey finds
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Police agencies throughout Michigan are struggling to hire qualified officers, a new study finds, exacerbating an officer shortage that has hit forces nationwide. A University of Michigan study released Tuesday found that 72% report difficult hiring and another 48% said they had problems keeping officers of the 1,800 Michigan cities, townships and counties surveyed. […]
It’s a community affair with Midwest Energy & Communications (MEC) Day of Action
by Marsha Chartrand It’s a great thing when a group of unrelated (or loosely related) entities gathers together for a volunteer effort. Many companies in recent years have turned to a “day of action” where employees are granted time off work to perform acts of volunteerism; whether those of their own choosing or something pre-selected […]
Manchester Varsity Football blows out Homer in week #3, 44–0
by Marsha Chartrand The Flying Dutchmen traveled to Homer for its third game of the 2024 season last Friday and brought home a big one for the “W” column, ready to meet their opponents from Napoleon for homecoming this weekend, September 20. The Dutch carved out a 44-point shut-out in three periods, scoring three TDs […]
In Michigan, 1 in 3 students miss 18+ days of school a year, data shows
by Isabel Lohman & Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Nearly 1 in 3 K-12 students in Michigan missed 10% or more school days this past academic year, a tiny decrease from last year but still considerably higher than before the pandemic. The troublesome trend comes as state test scores show students have still not fully recovered from […]
Michigan gas prices may drop as refineries switch to winter-grade fuel
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Michiganders could see a dip in gas prices ahead of the fall as oil refineries make the switch to “winter-grade fuel.” As fall approaches and drivers are spending less time on the road as they did during the summer, demand for gasoline tends to decrease. That along with oil […]
In mid-Michigan, economic worries persist. So does disgust of politics
by Simon D. Schuster (Bridge Michigan) FLINT — At 78, Daniel Spaniola still mans the counter at Paul’s Pipe Shop, the business his father started 96 years ago. The walls of the tobacconist are lined with display cases for pipes and are mostly empty these days. “I’ve burned up most of my savings, but we’re struggling,” […]
