Michigan troopers vow reforms after study finds racial disparities in stops
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) The Michigan State Police’s director vowed immediate reforms Wednesday after a report found that troopers were more likely to stop, search, and arrest African-American drivers than whites. State Police Director Col. Joseph Gasper said all troopers will have body cameras by the end of the year, and the agency will […]
Michigan to end most contact tracing as COVID overwhelms effort
by Robin Erb(Bridge Michigan) Broad community contract tracing for COVID in Michigan is coming to an end in most cases — a dramatic signal of the overwhelming spread of omicron and the diminishing returns of an effort launched nearly two years ago across the state. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which began […]
Record-breaking case numbers: ER’s full, hospital staff out sick
While most of the state is still in the early stages of feeling the effects of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, it has been spreading through Metro-Detroit and surrounding counties, including Washtenaw, for weeks. It is true that overall it is a milder strain and fewer people infected will require hospitalization, but it is a […]
County implementing changes to alert system
In summer 2020, Washtenaw County switched from using the Nixle Program get alerts out to county residents, to the Everbridge emergency notification system. Washtenaw County can use Everbridge to alert residents to everything ranging from severe weather, hazardous materials incidents, floods, and other emergencies, to more routine announcements, such as road closures and other public […]
Nonprofit Roundtable postponed until May
Given the current COVID variants and winter weather, the Community Resource Center has decided to postpone the Nonprofit Roundtable scheduled for January 18th. They have rescheduled it for the third Tuesday in May and are hoping to be able to hold it in person at that time. What is the non-profit roundtable? It is a […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
