Michigan schools can’t fill teacher aide jobs: ‘There are no applicants.’
By Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Stephanie Siems can’t hide the desperation in her voice. It’s the first week of August, and the Lamphere Schools district in Madison Heights still has a dozen openings for paraprofessionals to work with special education students. That’s 20 percent of the 60 special ed teaching assistants needed by the first […]
CDC raises Michigan COVID risk level: Why it matters, and why it may not
By Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) With rapid changes in pandemic data points this week, Michigan seemingly has jumped back into the COVID danger zone. The state’s new status, reflected in the mapping tool used by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is not likely to mean new safety mandates for Michiganders, at least in the […]
Michigan buyers ask: Where are the cars? Microchip shortage decimates inventory.
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) If you’re looking for a new vehicle, you might find a dealer lot with many of them. You might even see one that you like. But as summer wears on, the odds get worse that you’ll be able to buy one. U.S. auto producers are still feeling the squeeze from […]
Health officials: Climate change threat to Michigan. But few make it priority.
By Elaine Mallon, Capital News Service (Bridge Michigan) More than three-quarters — 77 percent — of local health department officials surveyed across Michigan agree that climate change will impact their jurisdiction in the next 20 years, according to a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. The study examined local health departments’ readiness and […]
Leftover child care money gives a boost to cash-strapped Michigan providers
By Koby Levin (Chalkbeat for Bridge Magazine) Michigan child care providers who serve low-income communities are set to receive an influx of federal child care dollars that went unused during the pandemic. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill this week that will send $105 million to child care centers and homes, effectively giving them […]
CDC recommends indoor mask use. But don’t expect mandates in Michigan
By Robin Erb, Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) Americans once again should wear masks indoors in schools and areas with high rates of COVID — even those who are fully vaccinated, according to recommendations Tuesday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the new guidance, which targets counties of “substantial or high transmission,” unleashed plenty […]
From empty offices to housing? Michigan leaders support bill to fund shift
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Magazine) Lansing is home to about 118,000 people, but just a fraction of them — roughly 2,500 — live downtown. Boosting that number was a goal of Mayor Andy Schor before the pandemic. Now, facing climbing office vacancy rates as the state of Michigan contracts its leased space, it’s a big priority once again. “It […]
5 things to know about buying a house in Michigan in real estate ‘crisis’
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Magazine) Jordan Falby is still living out of cardboard boxes after her July 4 weekend move, but the shelves filled with plants near her living room window already make her house feel like home. She’s thrilled with her three-bedroom ranch in Southfield that has a finished basement, deck, lots of updates […]
Emergencies surge at northern Michigan parks, lakes. Time for a rescue tax?
By Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Staff and rescue crews at some of Michigan’s most rugged and popular natural areas are pleading with visitors to heed safety warnings — and mulling tax increases — as a rise in emergencies has stretched resources thin. In the latest incident, a 21-year-old man fell to his death at Pictured Rocks National […]
Up to 400K COVID vaccines set to expire in Michigan. Few want them.
By Robin Erb (Bridge Magazine) Three months after a desperate scramble for COVID vaccines — and even some line-cutting — Michigan’s demand for the life-saving shots is so low that some 400,000 vaccines are set to expire if not used in the next four weeks, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Though officials […]
