Michigan villages have a fix for shortage of officials. Townships can’t use it
by Ron French, Bridge Michigan Since Allie Nemecek began working for the Village of Central Lake, she’s managed the 950-resident community’s finances and found grant money for a disability-accessible kayak launch and a community pavilion. She answers the phone and keeps up with the paperwork for grants from her Post-It strewn desk office at the […]
Dozens of deer found dead in Saginaw area, disease suspected
by Laura Herberg, Bridge Michigan Ryan Mills of Burton stumbled upon an “eerie” sight early Sunday morning in the Saginaw area. While fishing along the Cass River in a kind of swampy area, he saw a deer lying dead in the water with no visible gunshot wounds. He went up the river around 20 yards […]
Who will be exempt from Medicaid work rules in Michigan? What to know
by Robin Erb, Bridge Michigan In just three months, a sweeping Medicaid overhaul starts for hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan, including new work requirements for some. But with federal guidance still being released as late as this month, state officials and patient advocates are scrambling to build systems that beginning in January will […]
Who are the Michigan State Board of Education candidates? What to know.
by Isabel Lohman, Bridge Michigan At the bottom of your Nov. 3 ballot is a decision about who will help lead education policy in the state for the next eight years. Michigan voters will choose two people for the State Board of Education. The outcome could determine whether Democrats continue dominating a board that’s in […]
Survey: Michigan local leaders sour on data centers, want more regulations
by Ron French, Bridge Michigan Less than 1 in 5 Michigan local government officials believe large-scale data centers are worth their costs, and a majority want tighter statewide regulations, according to a survey released Tuesday. Most skeptical are leaders in rural Michigan, where the centers are typically built, according to the survey by the University […]
Freedom Township holds safety event
submitted by Carol Westfall On Saturday, September 19, supervisor Larry Lindemann and the Freedom Township board hosted a safety event at the town hall that featured a group of public safety experts, including the Manchester Fire Department, Michigan Public Service Commission, MISS DIG, and Washtenaw County’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Health Department, and Water […]
Manchester’s suicide rate drops; still highest in county
by Sara Swanson The Washtenaw County Health Department (WCHD) has released its annual Suicide Report detailing local suicide data trends through 2025. Once again the county’s overall rate has decreased, reaching its lowest rate since 2018. Manchester’s suicide rate has also dropped, although it remains the highest suicide rate in the county and is the […]
WAVE door-to-door fares increasing; seniors still free
by Sara Swanson WAVE will be continuing to provide door-to-door service for Manchester-area residents to anywhere in the county and back, Monday through Friday, 6am through 9pm, but fares will be increasing beginning October 1. Full-price door to door within western Washtenaw is increasing from $1 to $6 and from western Washtenaw to the rest […]
MCSF holding in-person school board candidate forum
by Sara Swanson Voters living in the Manchester School District have 10 candidates running for four seats on the ballot in the school board election this November. In order to help everyone make an informed decision, the Manchester Community School Foundation is hosting a candidate forum. Because of the large number of candidates, they have […]
Bridgewater, County, and U.S. Rep. Dingell meet with Mercury to try to get broadband project moving again
by Sara Swanson We reported in January that Bridgewater Township is the last township in the county that is still waiting on broadband under the County’s plan to provide a broadband option to every household. This is because Mercury Broadband LLC, the company contracted to do this, stopped work in Bridgewater in 2024. After more […]
