Intense storms from climate change harming Michigan streams and rivers
by Lester Graham (Bridge Michigan) It’s freezing outside and Larry Scheer is in neoprene chest waders kicking up sediment in Boyden Creek near Ann Arbor. He’s using a fine mesh net to capture the detritus he’s stirred up. When he has enough in his net, he makes his way to the shore where Jenni Yim […]
How Nestlé sale impacts Michigan water permit dispute
by Natasha Blakely, Great Lakes Now (Bridge Michigan) The years-long saga surrounding Nestlé and its Michigan groundwater withdrawals comes to an end — in a way — as Nestlé withdraws from the situation, selling its North American water brands to another corporation. Nestlé announced this week that it has unloaded a number of U.S. and […]
As COVID slows, Michigan restaurants urge Whitmer to ease ‘nightmare’ limits
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Sue Wangler fought back tears Thursday, describing a “rollercoaster” ride she fears will end with bankruptcy for the restaurant she and her husband bought with retirement money after he beat cancer two years ago. They had just made it through their first winter as restaurateurs when COVID-19 hit […]
Water could make the Great Lakes a climate refuge. Are we prepared?
by Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue (Bridge Michigan) TRAVERSE CITY—Intrigued by warming winters, researchers from the University of Michigan set out in 1989 to formally measure changes in the geographical distribution of plants and animals in the dense pine and hardwood forests of northern Michigan. Their laboratory, the university’s 10,000-acre Biological Station east of Petoskey, […]
How do I get a COVID vaccine in Michigan? Tips to boost chances for seniors
by Robin Erb, Madeline Halpert (Bridge Michigan) Dave DeMerse has been accused of playing God and of corruption — something that takes some getting used to for a small-town pharmacist who dispenses life-saving prescriptions to neighbors. But with COVID vaccines in short supply, perhaps such anger is to be expected, DeMerse, a pharmacist in rural […]
Invasive mussels now control key Great Lakes nutrients, threatening fish
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) The stunning beauty of Lake Michigan’s crystal clear water draws comparisons to the French Riviera. But to Dustin Van Orman, it’s a hideous sight. Van Orman, whose family owns Mackinaw City’s Big Stone Bay Fishery, knows that the clearer the water gets, the scarcer whitefish and chubs become. It’s a […]
Michigan wanted to end gerrymandering. Census delays make it ‘really messy’
by Madeline Halpert (Bridge Michigan) A delay in the release of crucial U.S. Census population data is jeopardizing the timeline of Michigan’s first independent redistricting commission and sowing ‘chaos’ for potential candidates in the 2022 election. On Friday, the Census Bureau announced it is pushing back the release of data needed to draw Michigan’s new […]
Frustrations mount as COVID vaccine more available in some parts of Michigan
By Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Magazine) Donna Cugini is a persistent Michigan vaccine warrior, checking online every day in search of a shot in the arm. But Cugini, 82, has had no luck — not with her doctor, her local health department nor with area pharmacies in the western Upper Peninsula where she lives. And then, […]
Tensions mount as 3 Michigan school districts hesitate to open classrooms
by Ron French, Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) It was an email Monday evening from the Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent that finally broke Nicholas Bagley. The email, from Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift, informed families that Tuesday would be a snow day. “We will call #virtual snow day tomorrow,” Swift wrote. “Take a break (from) the […]
COVID brings Michigan a hunting boom. What that means for conservation.
By Anna Barr (Bridge Magazine) Claire Selby is probably not who you picture when you think of a Michigan hunter. She’s 20 years old. She’s a senior majoring in psychology at Northern Michigan University. She hopes to go into nature therapy and trauma healing as a career. A lot of her friends are vegan. Yet […]
