A decade after Flint, feds require nationwide lead pipe removal
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Michigan communities and others nationwide have a decade to remove lead-containing pipes from their drinking water systems under a landmark federal rule finalized Tuesday. The rule also lowers the allowable limit for lead in drinking water from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb and requires water testing in […]
It’s FBI vs. CIA in Michigan’s US Senate race. And the gloves are coming off
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) When Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Mike Rogers faced off in a Grand Rapids debate, the U.S. Senate hopefuls rarely saw eye-to-eye — but it was their sharp attacks on each other’s national security credentials that cut to the quick. More than 20 years after U.S. forces first set foot […]
Michigan urges caution as dry conditions raise risk of wildfires
by Izzy Ross/IPR News (for Bridge Michigan This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Federal monitors say parts of northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are experiencing a drought. Dry weather and high winds mean there’s a higher chance of fire, according to the state Department of Natural Resources, […]
Battle brews in Michigan over waste from ‘biodigesters’ that slow-cook manure
by Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue (via BridgeMichigan) FREMONT, MI. — Anticipating a surge of funding for building manure biodigesters that capture methane for electricity and transportation fuels from millions of tons of farm animal wastes Michigan’s environmental agency last year drafted more rigorous operating rules to protect state waters from a new tide of […]
Fact-checking the Michigan economy: Prices up. So are wages. What’s true?
byMike Wilkinson (Bridge Magazine) As voters mull their choices in November, the economy dominates their thoughts. While it is doing well by most traditional measures, such as growth and unemployment, one metric dominates the mind of voters like Barbara Lawrence: the cost of food and everyday household i The 72-year-old from Lansing is on a fixed […]
$1M grant gives Michigan foster kids rides to school as they switch homes
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) A new state program helps foster youth in metro Detroit remain in school and maintain crucial social connections, even if they are moved from home to home to home. The three-year contract, $1 million a year, provides transportation to and from school and after-school activities through Los Angeles-based HopSkipDrive, a transportation […]
Controversial youth detention tool goes live in Michigan. Is a fix coming?
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — A change to Michigan’s juvenile justice system that critics fear could increase detention rates for youths of color took effect Tuesday, but advocates and a key state lawmaker are still seeking a fix. Starting this week, local officials are required to implement a new six-question screening tool when deliberating whether […]
Several Michigan campsites will be closed for renovations in ’25. See list
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Early birds looking to book their favorite state campground for the 2025 season may notice that some popular locations are temporarily unavailable. Over a dozen day-use areas and campsites will be closed for all or part of the 2025 season, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Michiganders can reserve […]
Archery deer-hunting season in Michigan. What to know: Dates, licenses
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Time to get those crossbows ready. Tuesday marks the official start of archery deer-hunting season in Michigan. While a bow and arrow isn’t the most popular weapon used to hunt deer, there are still hunters who participate. In 2023, more than 286,000 deer hunters participated in archery hunts in Michigan, according to the […]
Michigan lawmakers divided but OK tax breaks to lure data centers
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) A divided Michigan House of Representative on Wednesday approved one half of a two-bill package to offer new tax breaks to entice major tech companies to build multi-billion dollar server farms in the state. The bill, Senate Bill 237, is part of a package that would exempt large “enterprise data centers” owned […]
