Michigan festivals adapt as warming winters upend traditions
by Donté Smith, Capital News Service (Bridge Michigan) LANSING – With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting “warmer-than-average” temperatures for parts of the Great Lakes, winter festivals from Metro Detroit to the Western Upper Peninsula are preparing to adapt. Many, such as Detroit’s Noel Night, Grand Haven’s Winterfest, the Magical Christmas Parade in Zeeland […]
Don’t feel like raking? No worries. Michigan wants you to leave the leaves
by Jenelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s 14 billion trees can be a beautiful sight in the fall when the leaves change color, displaying hues of red, orange, brown and yellow. But after they start hitting the ground, comes the tedious task of raking them. Residents who want to avoid the seasonal task and leave the leaves […]
Michigan made school meals free for all. Students ate it up.
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) More than 140,000 additional students ate school-provided lunches daily last year after Michigan’s Democratic-led Legislature approved $190 million to provide free meals for all. New data released by the state on Tuesday points to a significant jump in breakfasts and lunches at Michigan schools since adoption of the universal program, which […]
Trans rights fight returns as wedge in Michigan elections
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) ROCHESTER — Kristi Fleming and six high school girls marched up to a microphone last week to make the case for bathroom regulations. “You’re putting these girls at risk,” Fleming, a parent to one of the girls, told members of the Rochester Community Schools board, where a debate over LGBTQ […]
Michigan House battle spurs big spending as Democrats defend slim majority
by Simon D. Schuster (Bridge Michigan) With control of the Michigan House and Congress hanging in the balance, Democrats are far outraising Republican counterparts in some of the state’s most competitive races ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Many of those races remain toss-ups, however, mirroring the top of the ticket, where Republican Donald Trump […]
In Marquette, growth plans at Northern expected to benefit the city
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Marquette is vibrant and poised for growth, as Bridge Michigan explored in recent stories published about the biggest city in the Upper Peninsula. Many say Marquette also is exemplary for Michigan as the state tries to figure out its next steps toward economic stability and prosperity, and to stem declines. One “secret weapon” in […]
Farmington Hills’ use of opioid funds to backfill budget prompts AG complaint
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) The Michigan Attorney General office is looking into a complaint that an Oakland County suburb is misusing money intended for drug prevention and treatment. Farmington Hills used $120,000 from its share of the national opioid settlement to backfill its budget for past costs associated with addiction. That’s something not being done in 118 other […]
Time to ban cellphones in Michigan schools? Lawmaker proposes statewide plan
by Hannah Dellinger, Chalkbeat Detroit (Bridge Michigan) Autumn Thomas can see the benefits of a ban on using cellphones during class for some students. But Thomas, a freshman at Detroit’s Martin Luther King Jr. High School, doesn’t think every student needs to adhere to the same restriction. “Not all schools need that rule,” she said. […]
Michigan winter may be warm — and wet
by Jenelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Michiganders wary of bitter cold winters may be in luck this year, because temperatures in parts of the state are expected to be warmer than average. But heavier precipitation could still bring snow. Much of the eastern part of the state, including the Thumb, has a 33%-40% chance of […]
Michigan Supreme Court majority up for grabs as 4 candidates seek 2 seats
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) The power dynamic of the state’s highest court is on the line in the 2024 general election as four candidates with diverse legal and political backgrounds compete for two open Michigan Supreme Court seats. State Supreme Court seats are technically nonpartisan, and candidates are not included in a straight-party ticket […]
