Michigan has more job openings than workers. Are retirees the answer?
by Ron French and Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) The village of Roscommon has a population of less than 1,000, but the sprawling Fred’s of Roscommon is often packed. People from around the region just south of Grayling come to the restaurant and bowling alley regularly, as do the tourists who flock to nearby Higgins Lake. Yet the […]
To help Michigan teacher shortage, lawmakers may ease retirement rules
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) When should someone who retired from the Michigan public schools be able to return to the classroom, football field or counselor’s office? If they want to keep their pension and healthcare benefits, current law says they have to wait nine months. But Democrats and Republicans are trying to make it easier for […]
Jury acquits three men accused in Whitmer kidnapping plot
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Federal officials announced arrests of a group of armed men in October 2020 for allegedly staking out Whitmer’s northern Michigan cottage and plotting to kidnap her before the November election. Nine of the 14 men accused of being involved in the kidnapping plot have been convicted. Five of them […]
Climate change, bad infrastructure drives away Michigan residents, report says
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Climate change and poor infrastructure are helping drive Michigan residents to Southern states, according to a report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a public affairs research organization. Census data shows that nearly 15,000 Michigan residents — mostly young people — left the state between 2020 and 2021, helping lower the population by 0.2% to […]
New COVID shot approved, could be in Michigan this week. What to know
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Updated COVID shots will be available to Michiganders in the coming days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday approved their use for nearly all adults and children. Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC’s new director, signed off on the recommendation Tuesday by the CDC’s Advisory Committee […]
Michigan braces for UAW strike as contract negotiations head to final week
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Thursday, September 14 looms as a pivotal day for Michigan and its auto industry, as the national contracts with the United Auto Workers are set to expire that day amid escalating speculation that a strike may be unavoidable. No significant public progress has been reported in the negotiations with the so-called […]
COVID hospitalizations surge in Michigan. Doctors remain cautiously optimistic
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) A new wave of COVID-19 infections is sending an increasing number of Michigan residents to the doctor office — and the hospital. COVID-19 hospitalizations jumped by more than a third Wednesday, with the state reporting 388 COVID-19-positive patients statewide, up from 289 last Friday. The number in intensive care units […]
Michigan denies almost all pothole repair claims, despite billions in damages
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) When Rob Conat saw a police car and a few other vehicles on the shoulder of Interstate 96 while driving to work last September, he started what became an expensive lane switch. Thunk. The Walker resident’s Ford C-Max hybrid lurched as it hit a long, thin, hard-to-spot pothole along the centerline […]
More over-the-counter Narcan to hit Michigan shelves amid opioid epidemic
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) More Michigan pharmacies may soon carry Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses, following federal action to increase access to the drug earlier this year. Addressing an opioid epidemic that killed 83,000 people nationwide in 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March approved Narcan, made with the drug naloxone, for over-the-counter […]
It’s peak yellowjacket season in Michigan, and they’re as mean as ever
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) It’s September, and that means yellowjackets are at their peak in Michigan. They may look like bees, but the vicious insect has no qualms about attacking. “This is the time of year when the colonies are at their maximum size,” said Howard Russell, entomologist at Michigan State University. “It’s […]
