Scabies outbreak puts more than half of Michigan prison under quarantine
by Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan More than half of the housing units at a Muskegon prison are under quarantine after 15 cases of scabies were confirmed by the Michigan Department of Corrections. The itchy skin condition, caused by mites burrowing in the upper layer of the skin, was first reported at the Muskegon Correctional […]
Michigan center for adults with disabilities to reopen after dispute
by Robin Erb, Bridge Michigan A northern Michigan adult day program for people with developmental disabilities will reopen this month, following a complicated dispute about workers’ wages. The Bergmann Center in Charlevoix serves about 70 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It closed after last month over a dispute with North Country Community Mental Health, […]
Mallory McMorrow backs Supreme Court age limits, corporate PAC spending ban
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Michigan Democratic US Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow wants to “explore every option” to reform the US Supreme Court, including expansion, age limits and implementing an independent code of conduct could help curb abuses of power and prevent conflicts of interest. The proposal, shared first with Bridge Michigan, is part of […]
Michiganders soon to face stricter Medicaid rules. What to know
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Hundreds of thousands of working-age Michiganders will face new paperwork requirements to keep their Medicaid coverage, beginning next year. In addition to “work requirements,” those beneficiaries also will have to verify twice a year that they’re eligible for coverage. As it stands now, Medicaid eligibility is reviewed just once a […]
Michigan loves a ‘river story.’ But happy ending isn’t guaranteed
by Kelly House, Bridge Michigan Michigan may be known as the Great Lakes state, but most of its residents have a river to thank for their hometown’s existence. “Just looking at settlement patterns in Michigan tells us a lot about how important our rivers are,” said Lisa Dechano-Cook, a Western Michigan University geographer who co-wrote […]
Whitmer on 2028 presidential aspirations: ‘Never say never’
by Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan After telling Fox2 Thursday morning she had no plans to run for president in 2028, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer walked back the statement hours later with a familiar political caveat: “Never say never.” After giving her final keynote speech as governor at the Mackinac Policy Conference, Whitmer told Tricia A. […]
More volatile weather sparks new Michigan trend: tornado safe rooms
by Nate Miller, Bridge Michigan In the 24 years since he founded Linden-based Patriot Builders, Charles Schultz has fielded countless demands for custom features on the homes he builds. But this spring he received a new one: Two families requested tornado safe rooms. The requests for the FEMA-compliant shelters built to keep occupants safe in […]
Amid tax pressure, competition, marijuana may move out of rural Michigan
by Elizabeth Dunham, Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative, Bridge Michigan In December, 62 people lost their jobs when a marijuana manufacturing plant in Webberville (population roughly 1,400) closed. The plant’s leaders blamed a cannabis market contracting amid oversupply that’s driving down prices and a new 24% state wholesale tax. Researchers and industry insiders say that tax […]
As MSU president exits, what the heck is going on? We have (some) answers
by Kim Kozlowski (Bridge Michigan) It’s happening again: Michigan State University is losing another leader. President Kevin Guskiewicz announced Wednesday that he will be departing soon to serve as president of Clemson University in South Carolina. He’s leaving a lot of money behind to serve a school with 20,000 fewer students. Here’s what we know. […]
Biz leaders push data centers, warning Michigan may miss ‘golden ticket’
by Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan MACKINAC ISLAND — Amid growing protests over data centers, business leaders who gathered for the Mackinac Policy Conference argued Michigan must quickly embrace the massive projects or risk losing out on a wave of investment. Hyperscale data centers are “producing thousands of construction jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars […]
