What flu season? Michigan influenza barely registers during COVID
by Robin Erb (Bridge) COVID-19 has brought immeasurable misery to Michigan, but it also has carried an upside: its safety precautions have nearly zeroed out the flu and appeared to lessen some other respiratory illnesses, too. Last week, the peak of a normal flu season, the state’s surveillance network of labs confirmed just four new […]
Whitmer: Nearly all Michigan schools to open amid COVID. Ann Arbor, too.
by Ron French (Bridge) Facing intense public pressure, Ann Arbor Public Schools reversed course Wednesday and set a timeline for students to return to some face-to-face instruction for the remainder of this COVID-plagued school year. Ann Arbor’s school board vote Wednesday leaves just a handful of traditional public school districts among 537 in the state […]
Michigan dams need ‘immediate attention’ to prevent next failure
by Kelly House (Bridge) Michigan’s aging dams require “comprehensive and immediate attention” to avoid future tragedies like last summer’s Midland-area dam failures, a state task force has determined. In a list of 86 recommendations released Thursday, the task force identified a host of regulatory, legal and funding fixes designed to fix aging dams and boost […]
Race, abortion dominate debate on Michigan $2-billion COVID response plan
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING – Michigan’s Republican-led Senate on Thursday approved a nearly $2 billion plan that would fund COVID-19 vaccine distribution, testing, hazard pay and schools but withhold more than $3 billion in additional relief funding provided to the state by the federal government. The GOP proposal — opposed by all Senate Democrats […]
Intense storms from climate change harming Michigan streams and rivers
by Lester Graham (Bridge Michigan) It’s freezing outside and Larry Scheer is in neoprene chest waders kicking up sediment in Boyden Creek near Ann Arbor. He’s using a fine mesh net to capture the detritus he’s stirred up. When he has enough in his net, he makes his way to the shore where Jenni Yim […]
Still not enough vaccines for teachers in Washtenaw; should in-person teachers get priority?
Last Thursday, the Washtenaw Superintendents’ Association issued a statement calling for additional vaccine supplies for educators in Washtenaw County. This was prompted by the results of the Michigan Education Association COVID-19 Vaccine Survey released Feb. 9, 2021. The report that of all the counties in the state, Washtenaw has the lowest percentage of K-12 educators […]
Manchester has first week with no new COVID-19 cases since October
The Manchester area (zip code 48158) had its first week since mid-October with no new reported cases of COVID-19. The Washtenaw County Health Department confirmed that our last positive cases were reported on February 9th, 2021. Washtenaw as a county, experienced a first wave early last spring when COVID-19 first reached Michigan. Manchester didn’t experience […]
Obituary: Thomas “Tom” Burch
Thomas Merrick Burch, 80, passed away peacefully, Saturday, February 20, 2021. Tom’s family and friends will gather Tuesday, February 23, 2021 from 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm, with a Rosary to be at 7:00 pm and Wednesday, February 24, 2021 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church,( 210 W. Main […]
Water could make the Great Lakes a climate refuge. Are we prepared?
by Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue (Bridge Michigan) TRAVERSE CITY—Intrigued by warming winters, researchers from the University of Michigan set out in 1989 to formally measure changes in the geographical distribution of plants and animals in the dense pine and hardwood forests of northern Michigan. Their laboratory, the university’s 10,000-acre Biological Station east of Petoskey, […]
Invasive mussels now control key Great Lakes nutrients, threatening fish
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) The stunning beauty of Lake Michigan’s crystal clear water draws comparisons to the French Riviera. But to Dustin Van Orman, it’s a hideous sight. Van Orman, whose family owns Mackinaw City’s Big Stone Bay Fishery, knows that the clearer the water gets, the scarcer whitefish and chubs become. It’s a […]
