Studies raise warnings about Michigan child care access, cost
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s child care system is in crisis, with families struggling to pay for services and workers fleeing the field because of low wages. That’s the conclusion of a flurry of recent reports examining a long-term problem that is hobbling the state’s workforce and straining family budgets. And while the state […]
Donald Trump restores student visas after revoking 70-plus in Michigan
by Ron French & The Associated Press Photo credit (Bridge Michigan) At least 70 international students at Michigan colleges and universities marked for possible deportation appeared to get a reprieve Friday, when federal officials announced plans to reverse termination of their legal status. A government lawyer for the Trump administration explained the policy shift Friday […]
School offers peek at ‘science of reading.’ Can it boost scores in Michigan?
by Isabel Lohmann (Bridge Michigan) In a first grade classroom in Stockbridge, 18 students sit on a rug while they say out loud the sounds different letter combinations make. They shout together the sounds of “sm-,” “-xt,” “-lk,” “-nch,” as teacher Brittany Floyd stands in front of a colorful whiteboard, rehearsing with them. Soon, they’ll […]
Native plant sales are popping up around Michigan. Find one near you
by Laura Herberg (Bridge Magazine) It’s the time of year in Michigan when spring blossoms are blooming, the daffodils and tulips are out, and native plant sales are popping up! Native species — plants from the area that have evolved with the local ecosystem — have a lot of benefits. They can provide a place […]
Attention MSU fans: Huge Sparty for sale. One catch: Must have 30-foot wall
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) What’s the market like for a well-crafted metal Spartan warrior in profile? The Michigan State University Surplus Store will find out on May 9 after 15-day auctions for three Big Screen versions, taken right off of outdated football stadium scoreboards. “Very large scoreboards,” store operations manager Chris Hewitt emphasized to Bridge Michigan. Students, graduates […]
Study: Washing machines send ‘toxic stew’ of microfibers into Great Lakes
by Victoria Witke, Capital News Service (Bridge Michigan) LANSING – While an undergraduate student at Valparaiso University in Indiana, Eddie Kostelnik and his peers researched a small pollutant causing big problems for the Great Lakes. The culprit: microfibers. Microfibers are plastic strings much thinner than human hair that get into waterways primarily from washing fabrics […]
Crush of retirees a crisis in Michigan. State unprepared to meet their needs
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) For months, Howard Gregor survived on pizza and TV dinners occasionally dropped off by a neighbor, trapped in a second-floor apartment that had become a cell. So hungry at times, the 82-year-old could do little more than pray for a knock at his door. Gregor’s barrier to the outside world […]
How to plan for aging in Michigan or take care of others: What to know
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) As the first of its members blow out 60 birthday candles this year, Generation X can lean into its defining characteristics — resourcefulness and independence — to remain active and financially stable for years to come. The key: Plan before a crisis. And for the generation that cut its teeth […]
Vernal pools hold hundreds of creatures. But how many exist in Michigan?
by Laura Herberg (Bridge Michigan) On a chilly spring day, Adrianna Allen, a naturalist at Seven Ponds Nature Center in Dryden, led a small group of curious residents through a wooded area. Chorus frogs, which she said “kinda sound like a finger running down a comb,” chirped nearby as Allen and her crew approached what […]
DOGE cuts hit Michigan youth programs, reading initiative
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) It didn’t take long for President Donald Trump’s sweeping federal funding cuts to impact the Raven Hill Discovery Center in northern Michigan, where founder Cheri Leach uses outdoors and hands-on activities to teach kids and their families the connections between science, art and history. The 157-acre indoor-outdoor center in East Jordan, […]
