Michigan bill intended to shorten ER waits for youth in mental health crisis
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s threadbare mental health system faces problems that are daunting and complicated, but a new bill in the state House is intended to speed up the decision on whether a patient in crisis should be hospitalized, its sponsor said. The measure follows years in which, particularly during the COVID pandemic, […]
Amazon hits brakes on 5 Michigan facilities as U.S. online shopping slows
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Amazon opened a $150 million regional fulfillment center southeast of Grand Rapids in March 2020, as the start of the COVID pandemic propelled staggering growth for retail delivery across the United State. The 850,000-square-foot building in Gaines Township, about four miles from the Gerald Ford International Airport, generated enough activity to employ 1,000 […]
Michigan farmers using too much fertilizer, hurting water quality efforts
by Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue (for Bridge Michigan) Third of a six-part series. Read the first story here. ADRIAN, Mich. – Tom Van Wagner has a vision for what’s possible in Lenawee County for choking off phosphorus discharges from farm fields. A career specialist in soils and forestry health, most of it with the Natural […]
Eastern Michigan University, faculty union reach deal to end strike
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Eastern Michigan University and the school’s faculty union have reached a tentative agreement that means faculty were back in the classroom Monday teaching courses. The EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors’ contract with the university expired at the end of August and members had voted to strike […]
Abortion ballot measure: What Proposal 3 would do in Michigan
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan voters will decide the future of legal access to abortion in the state when they decide Proposal 3 on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. A “yes” vote would write a broad new right to “reproductive freedom” into the Michigan Constitution, invaliding a 1931 abortion ban and potentially other existing regulations. […]
Michigan spent $2.5M to be a rocket hub. Critics say it’s produced only hype
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Political and business leaders were over the moon when the idea of bringing rockets to Michigan gained state support in 2019. They were dazzled by the prospect of thousands of new, high-tech, well-paying jobs at potential launch sites supporting what could become a trillion-dollar commercial space industry. “This is a […]
Michigan’s unpaid, overworked caregivers reaching a breaking point
by Hayley Harding, The Detroit News & Sarah Rahal, The Detroit News (Bridge Michigan) Rosa E. Hunter sees her mother as a future version of herself. They even share the same name. As 94-year-old Rosa L. Hunter suffers from dementia, she relies on her youngest daughter for around-the-clock care. And while 68-year-old Rosa wouldn’t have it any […]
Eastern Michigan faculty strike disrupts second week of classes, EMU sues faculty union over strike
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Eastern Michigan University faculty did not teach classes Wednesday after voting Tuesday night to strike. The EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (EMU-AAUP) contends the university is dragging its feet on negotiations, while the university said the decision to strike disrupts students’ education. The union’s contract expired […]
Should you get a flu shot and COVID booster at the same time?
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) With two relatively non-existent flu seasons — not to mention a weariness over repeated COVID boosters — Michigan residents might be reluctant to roll up their sleeves this fall for an annual flu shot. Not good, experts say. “Flu is going to circulate — absolutely,” said Joe Fava, assistant professor […]
With fewer inmates (and officers), Michigan closes another prison
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Prison facilities in Ionia and Adrian are shrinking this fall in the wake of a plummeting prison population and a crippling shortage of workers. The consolidations won’t result in layoffs, however. There are enough openings in prisons in each of the Michigan communities to absorb the employees of the mothballed […]
