As COVID deaths rise again in Michigan, its victims are changing
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extends a state “pause” on many school and business activities for 12 days, Michigan is moving through the deadliest phase of the coronavirus pandemic since April. The state has reported over 800 deaths in December alone, and more than 2,600 since Nov. 1, following five months of […]
At least 12 Michigan lawmakers and 37 staffers have had COVID-19
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — At least 12 state lawmakers and 37 staffers have contracted COVID-19 since March, according to Republican leaders in the Michigan Legislature, who have resisted Democratic calls to mandate mask use and allow remote voting at the Capitol. House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, released the numbers for the first time […]
‘It’s been hell.’ 1 house, 5 kids, and a pandemic struggle to learn at home
by Ron French (Bridge) In a log home on a dirt road in Montcalm County, school is supposed to be in session. Ten-year-olds Reese and cousin Lukas sit at desks in a hallway trying to sign in to the same Tri County Area Schools fourth-grade classroom on their laptops. Lukas’ connection works, while the connection […]
Michigan spends $8.5M to push small manufacturers to become ‘digital ready’
by Paula Gardner (Bridge) A $25 sensor may be all it takes to persuade some Michigan manufacturers to take a leap into a new level of technology investment that state officials hope will boost the sector’s competitiveness. That sensor on a stamping press could measure vibration, sending alerts when it gets out of whack and […]
COVID vaccine for Michigan health workers may arrive by next week
By Robin Erb, Kelly House (Bridge) The first batch of COVID vaccine — “a few hundred thousand” doses — may begin to arrive for Michigan’s health care workers as early as next week, with a vaccine for the general public available as early as the spring, Michigan’s chief medical executive told Bridge Michigan Tuesday morning. […]
Some Michigan schools will stay remote until January amid COVID
By Ron French (Bridge) Many Michigan students won’t be returning to classrooms until at least January as COVID roars through the state. A Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order mandating a three-week closure of the state’s high schools ends Dec. 8, but many schools in some of Michigan’s most populous counties aren’t waiting to see if […]
Will Michigan Supreme Court rescue restaurants from COVID dining ban?
By Paula Gardner (Bridge) Michigan’s struggling bar and restaurant industry has lost a legal bid to resume indoor service. But the federal court ruling published Wednesday opened the door to the Michigan Supreme Court possibly weighing in on the legality of the state’s most recent coronavirus restrictions. A similar path in an earlier lawsuit involving the same […]
Some Michigan drunken drivers would get records expunged in bipartisan bill
By Mansur Shaheen (Bridge) First-time drunken drivers may get their records wiped clean under bills that would expand Michigan’s felony expungement law to include about 200,000 people convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. A bipartisan group of Michigan leaders announced last Wednesday their support for a bill that would expand on landmark criminal […]
Jobless benefits, COVID stimulus likely focus of Michigan lame-duck session
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — With federal assistance funding running dry, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican leaders in the Michigan Legislature were set to begin negotiations last week on a potential state stimulus for residents and businesses struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor is proposing a $100 million spending plan, and both sides […]
Forecasts say Michigan’s economy will still be recovering in 2023
By Paula Gardner (Bridge) Michigan’s recovery from the pandemic recession will last beyond 2022, according to University of Michigan economists who recently released new economic forecasts for the state and the nation. The annual reports offer glimpses into some strengths and many changes for Michigan as it pushes its way out of the pandemic recession. […]
