‘Human composting’ of dead available in Michigan as long it’s not done here
by Anna Rossow, Capital News Service (Bridge Michigan) LANSING – The popularity of a cheaper and environmentally friendly burial alternative is rising in the U.S., but Michigan has yet to legalize it. Human composting transforms the body into soil, according to Earth Funeral, a human composting company with locations in Washington and Nevada.Human. Human composting, which […]
Michigan ‘lifelong education’ department turns 1, touting growth in free pre-K, college
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she was creating a department to focus on pre-K through college, there were skeptics. One year later, the director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential says she’s proud of MiLEAP’s work so far. “We have really done well with expanding our access to pre-k […]
Michigan’s total deer harvest is down, but hunters shot more bucks in ’24
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Michigan hunters have killed fewer deer so far this year than at the same point in 2023. As of Friday morning, hunters had killed 266,009 deer, down 3%. That’s a drop of more than 8,200 deer. Antlerless deer harvests are down 7%, which accounts for most of the overall […]
Michigan awards more than $5 million in grants to expand recycling efforts
by Donté Smith, Capital News Service (for Bridge Michigan) For the third year in a row, Michigan’s recycling rate has hit a record-high, according to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Michigan’s recycling rate has risen from about 14% before 2019 to over 23% now. Officials say they expect the state will reach a […]
Consumers Energy seeking a nearly 11% increase in residential gas bills
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Consumers Energy has petitioned the Michigan Public Service Commission for a gas-rate increase that would send residential bills almost 11% higher. The company said Wednesday that the $248 million rate increase will “strengthen its natural gas system … and replace up to 10,000 decades-old natural gas service lines that […]
‘Wind phones’ give those in grief a connection to lost loved ones in Michigan
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Every few months or so, Tracey Mayeda walks into a woody stretch of northern Kent County to call her dead mother. She picks her way along a dirt path to a towering dead maple tree and, screwed to it in a protective wooden box, a cream-colored rotary phone. The handset […]
Michigan schools make K-12 education gains, still battle impact of COVID
by Victor Wooddell, Capital News Service (for Bridge Michigan) A recent report by the Michigan Department of Education shows progress toward achieving its educational strategic plan, including higher graduation rates. Other reports, however, show that some Michigan students’ test scores fell as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state’s strategic plan is based on […]
Michigan transparency plans die again, keeping public in the dark
by Simon D. Schuster (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Efforts to bring increased transparency and ethics reforms to state government once again died this year alongside Democrats’ trifecta control. The House adjourned Thursday without taking up a Senate-approved plan to expand Michigan’s open records law to the Legislature and governor, which remains one of only two states with […]
Michigan-based group reframes dementia: There’s life after diagnosis
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) WHITE LAKE — Dr. Arnold Beresh wished he’d known it sooner: There’s a whole lot of living still to do after a diagnosis of dementia. But sitting in a doctor’s consulting room on a warm August day in 2015, his wife, Michele, at his side, the foot and ankle surgeon […]
Where and how to recycle your Christmas tree in Michigan
by Jenelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Now that Christmas is over it’s time to start thinking about putting the decorations away and what to do with the tree. One of the benefits of having a real tree, besides the smell, is that it can be recycled and used for many different things outside of being […]
