Michigan is the king of potato chips. But a disease is killing state spuds
by Ashley Zhou (Bridge Michigan) Michigan is the nation’s leading producer of potatoes for potato chips, and potato farmers across the state harvest 1.7 billion pounds annually. So it’s concerning that, by July of any given summer, up to half of the state’s potato leaves begin to wilt, their stems harden, and they slowly die. These […]
Democrats’ push to cut inmate sentences draws fierce pushback in Michigan
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Democratic-backed bills that could allow inmates to serve less time in prison are prompting opposition from prosecutors, victim groups and law enforcement. The bills would allow prison inmates to petition for a lighter sentencing after serving a decade of their sentences and earn productivity credits toward early release. The legislation aims […]
Michigan may spend big on passenger trains, eying service to Canada, Up North
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) More money could be coming soon for Michigan passenger rail projects, which advocates hope could lead to better service and, eventually, new routes for Up North and Ontario getaways. Federal officials in recent years have made billions of dollars in grant money available for passenger rail, and Michigan has received nearly $85 million from […]
Michigan’s population crisis: What you need to know. Why it matters.
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) For years, there has been an ongoing conversation among economists, demographers and lawmakers about Michigan’s population growth, yet little has been done to fix it. Now, the clock is ticking as the population is expected to decline and hurt the economy. Businesses across the state are in search of […]
Census: Michigan cities lost population in 2022. See how your town fared.
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Detroit and many other Michigan cities continued to lose population in 2022, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census. Michigan’s biggest city lost nearly 1% of its population, about 7,791 people to 620,376, falling to 29th in the nation, with fewer residents than Memphis or Louisville, according to […]
Michigan officials propose changes to deer hunting regulations
by Ashley Zhou (Bridge Michigan) Spring has only just begun, but Michigan fish and game regulators are already focused on the fall. Deer season, specifically. Officials in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources last week recommended several changes to deer hunting regulations for 2023, including new opportunities for youth and disabled hunters, and changes to hunting limits […]
Book bans move from sex to war, as west Michigan school removes ‘Jarhead’
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan Michigan’s culture war over library books has moved to a book about actual war, as a west Michigan district has removed “Jarhead” from its high school library. In what the author of the memoir calls an unprecedented action, the Board of Education for Hudsonville Public Schools in Ottawa County this week […]
With lawsuits stalled in Michigan, Nessel seeks Line 5 shutdown in Wisconsin
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) After so far failing to win a legal judgment shutting down the Line 5 petroleum pipeline in Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel is lending her voice to a shutdown effort in Wisconsin. Nessel on Wednesday filed an amicus brief supporting the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe […]
Bill aims to allow backyard wildlife feeding, but critics fear deer disease
by Ashley Zhou (Bridge Michigan) A northern Michigan lawmaker is taking another shot at legislation that would allow residents to feed birds and other small wildlife near their homes. A similar bill was vetoed in 2021 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who echoed the concerns of conservation groups that allowing people to spread feed in their […]
Fix the damn roads? Michigan must first decide who OKs the darn gravel mines
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s quest to “fix the damn roads” is prompting a fight in Lansing over who gets to decide where the gravel industry can mine for raw materials used in concrete and asphalt. For the fourth straight legislative term, bipartisan lawmakers are pushing bills that would shift permitting oversight of sand […]
