Amid push to grow birth rates, Michigan takes new approach: Cash for moms
by Associated Press (Bridge Michigan) FLINT — A procession of mothers wearing red sashes, pushing strollers and tending to toddlers made their way Friday to a little festival in Flint, Michigan, where families received diapers and kids played. It was called a “baby parade.” The sashes indicated the women were participants of a growing program […]
Breast milk deliveries from Michigan prison benefit babies with moms behind bars
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Inside Michigan’s only women’s prison, some mothers are finding a way to nurture their babies from behind bars — by pumping breast milk that’s hand-delivered to their children on the outside. Volunteers with Mama’s Mobile Milk provide lactation support for women at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility. made their first […]
Michigan weather radar blindspots meant no warning for Deckerville tornado
by Austin Rowlader (Bridge Michigan) An F-1 tornado touched down in Deckerville last Saturday without warning from local officials or the National Weather Service. No one was injured in the storm, but the tornado caused widespread damage as it traveled on the ground for three minutes between 4:18 and 4:21 p.m. It traveled 1.7 miles and […]
Michigan is consolidating election precincts. Will voters face longer lines?
Hayley Harding (Bridge Michigan/Votebeat) Across Michigan, thousands of voters are getting new precincts — and in some cases, new polling places — as officials redraw their maps to take advantage of a new state law that allows for more consolidation of precincts. The new law, which increased the maximum size of a precinct from 2,999 to […]
Families lament end of a ‘lifeline’ for disabled Michigan children, adults
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Insufficient finances and an unexpected policy decision from the state are forcing the closure this fall of the last respite home in southeast Michigan for children and young adults with developmental disabilities, according to its leadership. The Lahser Respite Home for Children has provided a reprieve for parents of children whose care […]
Michigan home energy efficiency standards stalled amid homebuilders lawsuit
by Emilio Perez Ibarguen (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s attempt to adopt new home energy efficiency standards is facing more delays because of stiff resistance from homebuilders. Implementing the changes — already in place in neighboring states — would save new home buyers 10.7% in energy costs, equal to $396 in annual utility bill savings, according to […]
How scores, staff, enrollment changed across Michigan Schools over the last decade
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) In the past decade, Michigan increased spending to K-12 public education by $2.1 billion but the results have been poor to mixed, with students statewide scoring worse than they had prior to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s led to consternation among statewide leaders looking to boost the state’s fortunes by improving […]
Dead eagles get new life with Michigan tribes, but bird flu extends wait
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) For Native American tribes in Michigan, eagle feathers and other parts hold a deep spiritual meaning. But getting them to use in sacred ceremonies can take years — and a bird flu outbreak is making the wait even longer. Officials say new procedures to limit the spread of Highly […]
MEDC chief: ‘I was not aware’ of $20M state business grant caught in probe
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. is defending the agency’s handling of a $20 million state grant at the heart of an embezzlement investigation. Quentin Messer Jr. said Tuesday that the MEDC followed legislative direction in monitoring the grant, which lawmakers awarded to former MEDC board member Fay Beydoun in 2022. […]
Children & Families Michigan program aims to expand benefits for child care workers
by Astrid Code (Bridge Michigan) Emma Knode is exactly the kind of worker Michigan needs more of. She works at a child care center in Lansing and has a psychology degree with a focus in child development. At 26 years old, she’s passionate and wants to make this a lifelong career — but she’s not […]
