Michigan lawmakers move to approve $37M pet projects on Election Day
By Mike Wilkinson, Jonathan Oosting, & Riley Beggin (Bridge Magazine) One year after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer derided millions in “pork” spending, she appears set to approve $37 million on similar projects for parks, arts centers, and special infrastructure plans. On the same day as Tuesday’s presidential primary, the state House approved $320 million in […]
Another year, another plan stalls to fix transit in southeast Michigan
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — A new plan to jumpstart regional transit in Metro Detroit stalled last week in the Michigan House, complicating and perhaps dooming the push for a new ballot proposal this fall. The legislation, celebrated last week by House Speaker Lee Chatfield as a “common ground” approach, would have allowed any […]
Cow dung won’t stop coronavirus and you can open Amazon boxes from China
by Robin Erb (Bridge) Spreading as fast as the new coronavirus are half-truths, innuendo and downright dangerous lies around it, putting Michiganders’ health — as well as their wallets — at risk. One Michigan school district fought rumors that it shut down because of coronavirus. (It was a power outage.) A county health department faced […]
Citizenship question is gone, but Michigan immigrants still distrust the Census
By Alexandra Schmidt (Bridge) President Donald Trump’s plans to include a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census have come and gone, but they continue to spark fear among immigrants about what the government will do with information collected in the count. Community advocates say this trepidation could cost vulnerable communities federal funding. “Most people […]
As Michigan battle rages on Line 5, Enbridge quietly buys land for tunnel
By Ted Roelofs (Bridge) WAWATAM TOWNSHIP—As court battles persist over Enbridge Energy Inc.’s plan to build an underground tunnel for its Line 5 oil pipeline, Enbridge is quietly shelling out millions for modest properties on the south shore of the Straits of Mackinac. According to local property records, an Enbridge subsidiary has scooped up 16 residential […]
Five Michigan DNR workers contracted tuberculosis, likely from testing deer
by John Barnes (Bridge) Five workers at Michigan’s Wildlife Disease Laboratory have been diagnosed with tuberculosis, possibly linked to “human error” as the lab struggled to test thousands of deer for chronic wasting disease, a Bridge Magazine investigation found. The Department of Natural Resources — which has made no public announcement — confirmed the TB […]
Growth of nontraditional school programs costs Michigan $260M, study finds
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Declining enrollment in Michigan schools has led traditional districts and charters to create programs to offset the loss of students and funding, according to a report by the nonprofit Citizens Research Council of Michigan. The programs include offering two years of kindergarten, placing teachers in private schools, and creating online academies […]
Michigan districts make millions teaching home-schoolers karate and crafts
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Michigan is paying tens of millions of dollars each year for home-schoolers to take classes in dance, karate, ice skating and other electives that critics say not only lack academic rigor but often amount to taxpayer-subsidized private lessons. State law allows public schools to offer elective classes to home-school students, which […]
Michigan primary 2020: Expect heavy turnout, long wait for winner
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) The nation will watch Tuesday to see whether Bernie Sanders can mount a comeback by winning the Democratic primary in Michigan, a crucial swing state. Buckle in for a long wait. Results will come later than usual, as local clerks juggle a surge in absentee ballots, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson […]
For weary Michigan seniors, a retirement in name only
by Robin Erb (Bridge) At age 62, Linda Braden felt like someone had wrenched her life from her — her home, her career as an accountant, and her circle of friends. Forced to retire years before she’d planned, Braden returned to the home where she was raised in Waterford to care for her aging parents […]
