After a life-long love affair with books, Ed Surovell learns to let go
by Roni Kane (Bridge Michigan) The last thing Ed Surovell said he remembers reading about is the ocean. Two years ago, before the 82-year-old Ann Arbor book collector could no longer distinguish the words on a page, he recalls sitting comfortably nestled among the 10,000 books in his private collection and traveling from the Arctic […]
Cutting cigarette nicotine? Juul banned? What’s next for Michigan smokers
by Julia Forrest (Bridge Michigan) The Biden administration wants to lower the level of nicotine allowed in cigarettes to make them less addictive. Combined with the banning of Juul vapes and the possible ban of all menthol cigarettes, the federal efforts could save thousands of lives. The administration announced plans this week to create a […]
Michigan gas prices could drop 75 cents per gallon if state, feds freeze taxes
by Zahra Ahmed (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged Congress to suspend the federal gas tax and called on states to do the same, something Michigan legislators have urged of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer since prices hit record highs. The federal tax, 18.4 cents per gallon of gas and 24.4. cents for diesel, […]
Michigan deer hunters decline as pandemic boost in hunting wanes
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) With life getting back to normal after the pandemic, Michigan’s deer hunting participation is simmering down from a boom the sport experienced two years ago. The state’s deer hunting license sales were down almost 4% in 2021 from 2020, the Department of Natural Resources reported Thursday to the Natural Resources […]
From retro to high-tech, Michigan drivers snap up new license plate options
By Roni Kane (Bridge Michigan) In April, Holland resident Michael Alan took the standard blue and white “Pure Michigan” license plate off of his Toyota RAV4’s back bumper and swapped it for a new, maize-and-blue “Water-Winter Wonderland” plate. Water-Winter Wonderland plates were issued to all Michigan drivers between 1965 and 1968, but they made a […]
How one firm in a ‘Wild West’ industry upended the Michigan GOP governor race
by Yue Stella Yu, Mike Wilkinson, & Joel Kurth (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Stephen Tinnin Jr. was at a smoothie shop in Ferndale when a stranger asked him a question: Have you ever gathered signatures for political candidates? No, he told Shawn Wilmoth, owner of First Choice Contracting, he had not, Tinnin recalled to Bridge Michigan. Tinnin […]
Oxford students sue in ‘desperate attempt’ to improve safety after shooting
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Twenty current and recently graduated Oxford High School students are filing a federal lawsuit against the school district in what their parents call a “desperate attempt” to force policy changes and transparency from school officials. The lawsuit — filed almost seven months after a shooting at Oxford High School […]
Michigan GOP rejects LGBT Pride resolution, wants ‘lifestyle‘ disclaimer
by Jonathan Oosting & Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Republican leadership in the Michigan Senate on Tuesday refused to take up a Pride Month resolution adopted in identical form last year, drawing protests from Democrats who accused the majority of sowing election-year divisions. The resolution would have recognized June 2022 as “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, […]
Will Michigan’s grid stand up to heat wave? What to know as temps soar.
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s first summer-like heat wave arrived early and intensely this year, as temperatures well into the 90s Wednesday threatened to break records across much of the state. As cities from Detroit to Battle Creek opened cooling centers to provide relief for residents without access to home air conditioning, regional electrical […]
Lack of parts and mechanics adds weeks to car repairs in Michigan
by Jared Ramsey (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Nicholas Randall may extend work days at Redline Auto Services to 12 hours, spanning from 6 am to 6 pm weekdays then staying open on the weekends. That may be the only way, he said, to keep up with increasing car repair requests at the shop he manages. […]
