Michigan judge orders temporary Enbridge Line 5 shutdown
by Kelly House (Bridge) Enbridge Energy must temporarily cease operations of the Line 5 pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac, an Ingham County judge ruled Thursday. Circuit Court Judge James Jamo has granted Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s request to temporarily shut down the pipeline after Enbridge Energy last week reported “significant damage” to an […]
AARP: To guard Michigan seniors from coronavirus, avoid nursing homes
by Robin Erb (Bridge) Shifting public funds from nursing homes to home- and community-based care services will do more than offer Michigan’s seniors independence. It may protect them against COVID-19. It’s one of the conclusions in a new report on inequalities facing Michigan residents over 50, written by AARP Michigan and Public Sector Consultants, a […]
Michigan GOP lawmakers claim Jocelyn Benson’s absentee ballot mailings illegal
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Republicans lawmakers on Wednesday excoriated Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for mailing absentee ballot applications to all registered voters ahead of the August and November elections. Benson’s predecessor, Ruth Johnson, who is now a GOP senator from Holly, led the charge during a Senate Elections Committee hearing, saying Benson’s “changes […]
Coronavirus outbreaks tied to migrant farm workers in Michigan
by Robin Erb, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Coronavirus outbreaks among migrant workers are contributing to an uptick in cases in Michigan, which experts blame on short growing seasons, crowded housing, tenuous income, and mistrust of government. In the past few weeks, health officials have identified outbreaks in Lapeer, Oceana, and Branch counties among workers tending to farms. […]
Last-minute ruling keeps Michigan gyms closed, hours before they could reopen
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Most Michigan gyms remained closed last Thursday, after a panel of three federal judges sided with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer just hours before they were to reopen. The order reverses an order by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Maloney on Monday, who had allowed fitness centers to remain open and refused to pause his […]
Michigan moves to pause standardized tests amid coronavirus
by Ron French (Bridge) Michigan students, homebound for months because of the worst pandemic in a century and facing a return to school with social distancing and possibly face masks, shouldn’t have to take standardized tests. That was the message of State Superintendent Michael Rice, a bipartisan group of legislators and school leaders from across […]
Judge: Michigan gyms can reopen Thursday despite Whitmer coronavirus order
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Gyms and fitness centers across Michigan can reopen June 25, a federal judge ruled Friday, saying Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration failed to provide scientific evidence justifying the continued closure despite declining COVID-19 case counts. Whitmer plans an immediate appeal, according to a spokesperson, who argued keeping gyms closed longer than […]
Michigan jobs go unfilled when workers make more from unemployment
By Paula Gardner (Bridge) A curbside job fair near Grand Rapids on Wednesday tried to make it easy for 50 companies to fill open positions. Applicants could interview from their cars, and in some cases, might have been able to start work the next day. “Right now we have 270 jobs that we could fill […]
In Michigan nursing homes, a no-win choice between infection and isolation
By Robin Erb (Bridge) Alzheimer’s disease has shrunk the world around him, but Jerry Zeiger — Vietnam veteran, former engineer, and hobby woodworker — is still soothed by the touch of the woman he took out on a first date over a simple cup of truck-stop coffee. “I guess I was so enthralled by him, […]
Enbridge Line 5 shut down after anchor support incurs ‘significant damage’
By Kelly House (Bridge) Enbridge Energy has shut down the Line 5 petroleum pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac following “significant damage” to an anchor support on the lakebottom pipeline, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday evening. In a letter Friday to the Canadian company’s CEO, Al Monaco, Whitmer expressed dismay about the damage, which Enbridge reported […]
