Sara Swanson

Senior Newsletter THE TRUMPETER – January 2022

The January 2022 edition of Manchester’s Newsletter for Seniors, THE TRUMPETER, is now available. Download it here: 3. Jan 2022 pg 1-3 (2) Download the calendar here: 4.Jan Calander 2022 new

 Sara Swanson

Much of Michigan is rural. What will it take for small towns to thrive?

by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Gary McDowell recalls his small hometown of Rudyard as a vibrant community in Michigan’s Chippewa County. The town’s population has held steady over the years, even as residents left surrounding areas and the Upper Peninsula, whose population fell over the last decade by about 10,000 to 300,000. Still, the damage […]

 Sara Swanson

Michigan businesses fear crippling staff shortages as omicron spreads

by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Clay Verkaik came into work Monday morning knowing that 10 of his workers at Preferred Produce in Detroit would be out sick, just like they were at the end of last week. But as the hours ticked by, more called in ill. By the time he left work at 4 […]

 Sara Swanson

Battle brewing among Michigan Democrats over new political maps

by Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) LANSING—While some Michigan Democrats are celebrating new political maps that give them a real chance to flip both state legislative chambers, other members of the party — particularly Black members — have said those ‘rejoicing’ are putting politics over the interests of marginalized communities. “I don't think that they see […]

 Sara Swanson

Obituary: Beverly Jean Poet

January 6, 2022, Beverly Jean Poet, 79, of Manchester, passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Chelsea surrounded by her children. She was born January 28, 1942, to Eldon and Cleo (Brown) Condit in Ann Arbor, MI. In 1960 she graduated from Saline High School. In 1963 she graduated from Mercy School of Nursing […]

 Sara Swanson

Obituary: Janice Johnson

Janice Johnson, 85 of Manchester passed away January 8, 2022 at Henry Ford Allegiance Hospice Home in Jackson. There will be a celebration of life in the spring. She was born on October, 16, 1936, in Jackson, Michigan to Aloysius and Charlotte (Blackman) Patton. Janice married the love of her life, Herbert Johnson, on October […]

 Sara Swanson

Photo: Wintery scene along Schleweis Road

 Sara Swanson

Republican or Democratic? What the newly redistricted maps mean for the Manchester area

Last week, just after Christmas, the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission approved new legislative and US Congressional Districts. These new districts are the end result of a process that began in 2018 when statewide voters voted to hand the process of drawing districts over to a non-partisan citizens group instead of the current political party […]

 Sara Swanson

Omicron is here. If you test positive, when can you go back to work?

The highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 is present both in the State of Michigan and Washtenaw County and both are currently experiencing record numbers of new positive cases. The Washtenaw County Health Department states the everyone should be using layering prevention strategies including wearing a well-fitting mask with multiple layers in indoor public spaces, […]

 Sara Swanson

School violence is rising. Michigan’s OK2SAY tipline can help

by Tracie Mauriello, Chalkbeat Detroit (Bridge Michigan) A Michigan student threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend at school. Another posted on social media that he planned to vandalize cars at the prom and would shoot any “snitches.” Police intervened in both cases before harm was done, thanks to the state’s confidential OK2SAY tipline, which logged 3,742 […]