Suicide, depression on rise in rural Michigan, but psychiatrists are scarce
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) For Upper Peninsula mother Katie Sinclair, the memories are still painful. Her then 10-year-old son, Jacob, had struggled for years with mental health issues that stretched back to kindergarten. Diagnosed with depression, he suffered panic attacks. He had outbursts at school. He would stab himself with knives, and when they were […]
Michigan lawmakers’ pet projects get funding, new controls added
By Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has added new controls on money spent for a handful of legislators’ pet projects, allowing the state to recoup unspent or misused funds and requiring regular updates. The changes were adopted last week, several months after Whitmer derided more than $115 million for over 70 projects that the Legislature and her […]
More than a dozen hospitals in rural Michigan at ‘high risk’ of closing
By Ted Roelofs (Bridge) It’s been seven years since Cheboygan Memorial Hospital shut its doors, costing hundreds of jobs and jolting rural residents in the northeast Lower Peninsula. But health care analysts now warn that more than a dozen rural hospitals scattered across Michigan risk the same fate, as fiscal pressures, staff recruitment troubles and dwindling […]
Here are 9 ways to build better roads in Michigan, from old tires to pig poop
by Lindsay VanHulle (bridge) Asphalt mixed with plastic bags. Concrete that bends. Carbon fiber in bridge beams. Someday, these materials could be widely used to extend the lifespan of Michigan’s crumbling roads and bridges. Today, they’re emerging in labs and being tested in the real world to see how they hold up to the state’s frigid […]
Whitmer on Census: Get counted or lose money, clout for Michigan
By Chastity Pratt (Bridge) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday announced that she is creating a committee to ensure that everyone in Michigan is counted during the 2020 census. And her message was stark: Michigan cannot afford to lose federal aid or a congressional seat due to an undercount. Whitmer signed an executive order creating the Complete Count […]
Michigan lawmaker: Require dental screenings for school children
By Robin Erb (Bridge) Vision and hearing are standard on the to-do list of Michigan parents whose youngsters are heading to school. Making sure their teeth get a once-over by a trained professional may soon be added as well. House Bill 4223 would require parents to make sure their children have at least a basic dental […]
Surging Great Lakes water levels shrink beaches, flood docks in Michigan
By Jim Malewitz (Bridge) Lakes Erie, St. Clair and Superior broke records for average water heights during the month of May, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Tuesday. And as wet weather persists across the region, all five Great Lakes — as well as Lake St. Clair — may set additional records, the agency […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer opens up more Michigan farmland to solar power
By Jim Malewitz (Bridge) LANSING — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a policy change Monday that would allow solar energy development on up to 3.4 million acres of farmland. Landowners in Michigan’s Farmland and Open Space Preservation program — which offers tax credits to those who keep land under contract for agricultural use for decades […]
Michigan Republican lawmakers challenge Nessel opinion on ballot drive law
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) The Republican-led Michigan House and Senate plan to sue Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for not enforcing a lame-duck law that would make it harder for groups to land a citizen initiative on the ballot, House Republicans announced Wednesday. The law requires ballot petitioners to gather no more than 15 percent […]
Michigan House GOP plans to replace sales tax on gasoline to fund roads
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) House Republicans propose phasing out Michigan’s sales tax paid on gasoline, replacing it with a higher state gas tax dedicated to fixing roads. The plan — which has not yet been formally introduced as legislation — would phase out the first 4 percent of Michigan’s 6 percent sales tax on gasoline […]
