At nearly 12K deaths, COVID to be No. 3 cause of death in Michigan in 2020
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) By month’s end, the death toll from COVID-19 will approach 12,000 in Michigan, making it the No. 3 cause of death this year behind heart disease and cancer. It’s a staggering number, especially since the coronavirus wasn’t attributed to any deaths in the state before March 16. The novel coronavirus moved […]
Michigan locks up children for truancy, defiance, other noncriminal acts
by Jodi S. Cohen and Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica (Bridge) In Michigan, judges have sent children to locked detention centers for refusing to take medication or failing to attend online class. For testing positive for using marijuana. For repeatedly disobeying their parents. Even as other states move toward reforms focused on keeping nonviolent juvenile offenders in […]
‘Nobody’s coming.’ How COVID is changing everyday life in Bay City.
by Ron French, Paula Gardner, Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) BAY CITY — The cars began arriving at 6:45 pm, driving slowly down Center Avenue and parking along the edge of Wenonah Park in downtown Bay City. The Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the day after Thanksgiving is an annual event for families in this traditionally blue-collar […]
What COVID relief deals in Lansing, Washington mean for Michigan families
by Paula Gardner, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) With only days remaining until unemployment benefits would end for hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents, new state and federal legislation just needs to be finalized to send more money to jobless workers. Michigan’s Legislature on Monday approved a $465 million spending bill for coronavirus relief; it now moves […]
Did Michigan health orders slow COVID? Probably. But how much is debatable.
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) When Michigan’s health director, Robert Gordon, last week announced continued restrictions on some businesses and the relaxation of them on others, he touted continuing decline in case numbers statewide. Comparing COVID-19 numbers, he pointed out that Ohio’s case counts were substantially higher than those in Michigan, despite being almost identical in […]
Community Resource Center receives new milk cooler from dairy farmers
submitted by United Dairy Industry of Michigan The Manchester Community Resource Center (CRC) has been awarded a dairy cooler as part of a United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) grant program. The program provides local food pantries with a refrigeration unit to help store milk and dairy foods at proper temperatures and build capacity to […]
Bridgewater Township’s Randy Klager named WCCD’s 2020 Conservation Farmer of the Year
Each year the Washtenaw County Conservation District honors a conservation farmer of the year, tree conservationist of the year, and a small or beginning conservationist farmer of the year. This year the District is recognizing Walter Keppler of Lima Township as the 2020 Tree Conservationist of the Year awardee, Jon Cox of Baseline Farm in […]
Federal broadband funding for significant portion of the county’s rural areas
submitted by Washtenaw County’s Broadband Task Force At its meeting Friday morning, Washtenaw County’s Broadband Task Force, a group convened by the County Board of Commissioners to achieve countywide broadband equity by 2022, shared the news of major federal broadband funding for rural Washtenaw County. Chair of the Task Force and Sharon Township resident Barb […]
Washtenaw County Health Department starts COVID-19 vaccination
submitted by Washtenaw County Health Department Washtenaw County Health Department has started vaccinating staff. Health Department staff who will be giving vaccinations to others and staffing upcoming vaccine clinics received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine today. They are the first to be vaccinated. “I’m so excited to be vaccinated, and I don’t have […]
Photos: Student artwork – a hallway of snowy trees at Riverside School
photos submitted Lesley Dearhammer
