Michigan upholds Nestlé permit to withdraw 576K gallons of groundwater daily
by Kelly House (Bridge) Michigan environmental regulators will not reconsider their decision to let Nestlé Waters North America increase groundwater withdrawals to support the company’s Ice Mountain bottling operation in Stanwood, state officials announced Friday. Instead, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has dismissed a complaint challenging the 2018 permit that […]
Judge won’t allow Michigan restaurants to immediately reopen dining rooms
by Paula Gardner, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Michigan’s restaurant industry has lost its bid made “out of desperation” to prevent a three-week closure of dining rooms due to COVID-19. A lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids sought a temporary restraining order against the statewide restrictions, which started at 12:01 am Wednesday, but an […]
With COVID everywhere, Michigan contact tracers losing control of spread
by Kelly House (Bridge) Michigan’s public health system is becoming overwhelmed as COVID-19 case rates continue to surge, outpacing efforts to contain the pandemic by finding and sequestering sick people before they spread the virus. In much of the state, that means health authorities are less likely to be able to call you if the […]
GOP wants audit before certifying Michigan election. Law won’t allow it.
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — A key Republican on the Board of State Canvassers is threatening to refuse certification of Michigan election results until after an audit, but legal experts say he has no authority to demand a process that is not even allowed under Michigan law. Norm Shinkle, one of two Republicans on […]
Report: Michigan’s most vulnerable students have limited learning options during the pandemic
By Koby Levin, Chalkbeat (for Bridge) The students who need in-person instruction the most are among the least likely to get it, new Michigan data shows. Education leaders in the state have insisted since the beginning of the pandemic that virtual instruction simply can’t meet the needs of thousands of students — notably young readers, […]
Want a COVID test for your Michigan Thanksgiving? Expect … to … wait.
By Mike Wilkinson & Robin Erb (Bridge) Michiganders trying to get tested for COVID before seeing loved ones at Thanksgiving might find that a collective rush on testing labs will make that impossible. And if you are lucky enough to get tested, well, expect … to … wait for your results. Though Michigan doesn’t track […]
Whitmer orders Enbridge Line 5 shutdown, citing easement violations
by Kelly House, Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Following a state review that found the Line 5 petroleum pipeline is putting the Great Lakes at risk, Michigan has ordered Canadian petroleum company Enbridge Energy to shut down the pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac by May. The Friday announcement followed a long-awaited review of Enbridge’s […]
Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is being made in Michigan
by Paula Gardner (Bridge) Two square miles in Portage, near Kalamazoo, on Monday became the epicenter of hopes that the United States will be distributing coronavirus vaccines by year-end. That property in southwest Michigan is home to the largest manufacturing site in the world for drug giant Pfizer Inc. On Monday, Pfizer [NYSE: PFE] and […]
Human error, Dominion voting equipment fuel false fraud claims in Michigan
by Jonathan Oosting, Madeline Halpert (Bridge) When Antrim County’s Republican clerk reported last week that Democrat Joe Biden had trounced President Donald Trump in the fiercely GOP region of northern Michigan, officials and experts correctly questioned what turned out to be a clerical mistake. But Trump and his supporters cried foul, and days after the […]
With COVID rising, Detroit closes classrooms; other districts may follow
By Ron French (Bridge) Detroit Public Schools Community District will switch to fully remote learning on Monday, in the wake of quickly rising COVID-19 cases and positivity rates in the city. The announcement early Thursday is significant statewide because Detroit’s school system, with 51,000 students, is the largest in Michigan, and because DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has […]
