U-M shrinks pay for Dearborn, Flint chancellors as it doubles it in Ann Arbor
by Kim Kozlowski, Bridge Michigan The University of Michigan has doubled the pay of its presidents in recent years, but reversed the trend at its regional campuses. While U-M ‘s presidential base salaries have increased from $927,000 under Mark Schlissel in 2021 to $2 million awarded this year to a candidate who later stepped aside, […]
Dam safety reforms, millions for repairs advance in Michigan Legislature
by Kelly House, Bridge Michigan Both Michigan legislative chambers have voted to overhaul dam safety laws and funnel millions of dollars toward fixing decrepit dams, marking bipartisan progress on reforms first pitched after the 2020 Midland dam failures. The votes came amid a flurry of activity late Thursday and early Friday as lawmakers worked through […]
‘The outlook is pretty bleak’: Farmers brace for difficult season
By JULIA ROEDER, Capital News Service LANSING — When Brian Neff retired from the Air Force, he had his eyes on a farm on the outskirts of Traverse City. The land was once operated by his wife’s grandparents before it was leased out for years after her grandparents stopped tending to it. In 2021, the […]
In their words: How Michigan governor candidates would build the state economy
by Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan The cost of living, from housing to gasoline, is primed to be a pivotal election issue this fall. And Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates have sweeping but strikingly different plans for how to address it. More than 1 in 4 respondents to Bridge’s election-year reader survey said the economy is their […]
Don’t spit! Michigan’s strangest local laws trace back to bygone eras
by Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan Look down as you walk through the city of Marquette and you may see an unusual entreaty: DO NOT SPIT ON THE SIDEWALK. Dig into the city code and you’ll find a related crime: “No person shall spit on any sidewalk or on the floor or seat of any […]
As health care costs rise, could Michigan offer its own insurance?
by Robin Erb, Bridge Michigan Thousands of Michiganders could save big if the state were to create its own online health-insurance marketplace, rather than having residents enroll in the federally run healthcare.gov, according to several Senate Democrats. And there’s more savings down the road, said Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, sponsor of a package […]
Trump gives ‘total endorsement’ to John James in Michigan governor race
by Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican US Rep. John James to be Michigan’s next governor. “John has proven he has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the incredible people of his wonderful State, and our Nation,” Trump wrote in a Monday afternoon announcement on Truth Social […]
Michigan preps for an American birthday party muted by political divides
by Ron French, Bridge Michigan By all accounts, it was a festive time in Chelsea in the weeks surrounding the nation’s bicentennial on July 4, 1976. There was a barn dance and tricycle races. The American Legion hosted a chicken broil. And at the town library, residents wrote notes to be read 50 years later. […]
Hospice program gives veterans final salute from fellow Michigan veterans
by Nate Miller, Bridge Michigan As some Vietnam veterans near the ends of their lives, a program at Hospice of Michigan connects vets with others who have served in the military through ceremonies and bedside visits. Hospice can be isolating, said Dr. Adam Marks, a clinical professor of medicine in the division of geriatric and […]
Dana Nessel: ICE to offload Romulus warehouse eyed as future detention center
by Lauren Gibbons, Bridge Michigan The Trump administration is expected to offload a Romulus warehouse it had planned as the future site of an immigrant detention center, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday. The news comes after a Thursday New York Times report detailing the US Department of Homeland Security’s planned offloading of seven […]
