Cellphones are everywhere. Except Michigan courts. Is that an injustice?
By Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING – As ubiquitous as smartphones have become, there’s still one frontier they haven’t conquered: courtrooms. The Michigan Supreme Court is considering whether to create a statewide rule to allow phones, laptops and other “portable electronic devices” in courthouses. The state’s 242 courts now set their own policies, and many ban […]
Michigan transplant surgeon calls vaping damage to teen’s lungs ‘evil’
by Robin Erb (Bridge) The ravages of vaping to a Michigan teen’s lungs – a 17-year-old believed to be the nation’s first double lung transplant for vaping-related respiratory system failure – was “an evil I haven’t faced before,” one of the surgeons said Tuesday. Dr. Hassan Nemeh, surgical director of thoracic organ transplant at Henry […]
‘You just react’ — Hunter deaths shadow opening of Michigan firearms season
by Bob Campbell (Bridge) This is the week each year when anticipation builds for the traditional Opening Day of Michigan firearms deer season, which begins Friday. Hunters are sighting-in guns, gathering gear, tracking weather reports and recalling past hunts. It’s also the week in which spouses, children, parents and friends routinely urge hunters to “be […]
Michigan hunters thought they shot deer, squirrels — they hit other hunters
by Bob Campbell (Bridge) Bridge Magazine culled 20 accidents from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ annual summaries of hunting-related injuries and deaths involving weapons from 2010 to 2018. Over these nine years, 86 people were injured and 16 died after being struck by bullets, slugs, pellets or arrows. The incidents selected illustrate a wide […]
11 safety tips for deer firearms hunting in Michigan
by Bob Campbell (Bridge) With hundreds of thousands of hunters gearing up for Michigan’s deer firearms season, caution is critical. Here are some tips for avoiding tragedy: Clearly identify your target: No deer or other game is worth the risk of injuring or killing anyone. Michigan Department of Natural Resources incident reports are rife with […]
Liberal super PAC sues Michigan over voting restrictions
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) A liberal super PAC that plans to spend millions in Michigan in 2020 has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, arguing certain laws that restrict voter services are illegal and asking the court to stop Nessel from enforcing them. The group, Priorities USA, argues in […]
Critics fear Michigan is promising the moon to land cloud data storage firms
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING – Michigan’s next big battle over tax incentives focuses on server farms, as state officials try to lure massive cloud storage data centers that Facebook and Google are opening in other states. Four years after using a tax break to lure a Switch data center to a pyramid-shaped building in […]
As climate change threatens Midwest cultural identity, cities explore how to adapt
by Dan Gearino (Bridge) Think of a Minnesota with almost no ice fishing. A Missouri that is as hot and dry as Texas. River and lake communities where catastrophic flooding happens almost every year, rather than every few generations. This, scientists warn, is the future of the Midwest if emissions continue at a high rate, […]
No deal: Senate GOP rejects possible budget compromise
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — County sheriffs, small schools, local governments, and other groups grappling with state funding cuts will have to wait several more days — or possibly weeks — for Michigan leaders to try and resolve an ongoing budget dispute. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, on Thursday rejected a potential budget […]
A year after pot became legal, Michigan still months away from retail sales
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING – Retail sales of recreational marijuana may still be months away and confined to select communities, even though Michigan began taking applications for businesses on Friday. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency last week began accepting applications for what is expected to be a lucrative new industry. That’s more than a month […]
