Mushrooms and other psychedelics gain foothold in Michigan. What to know.
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) Think magic mushrooms are a relic of the counterculture 1960s and 70s? Think again. Hazel Park recently became the third city in Michigan to decriminalize psychedelic plants and psilocybin mushrooms, as advocates collect signatures for a ballot measure that would do the same statewide. Scientists and wellness companies around the […]
Michigan unemployment agency seeks bids to replace troubled computer system
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Michigan this month initiated the bidding process to replace its long-troubled computer system in the state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency, planning to spend at least $45 million on a new “customer-centered” approach that should be finalized by fall. The state outlined requirements that it wants to see in the replacement system on […]
New homes demand is high in Michigan. So are builder costs — and prices
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Scott Schwanke opened an email on Thursday containing yet another curveball that the state director of M/I Homes will have to field as the company plans to build up to 400 new houses in southeast Michigan this year. He already easily lists how construction financials are changing: Lumber costs hit a record high in 2021, […]
Central Michigan University blames ‘complacency’ for enrollment dive
by Isabel Lohman, Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Blaming more than a decade of sagging enrollment on administrative complacency, Central Michigan University is aggressively ratcheting up marketing efforts to woo more students for the fall. In an email to faculty and staff last week that comes after CMU announced plans to temporarily close three dormitories in mid-March, Jennifer […]
Two Michigan educators work to keep new teachers in classrooms after COVID
By Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Michigan teachers Anthony Barnes and Brittney Tylenda want young teachers to stay and grow in their profession. Barnes, who is in his seventh year, teaches special education at Hillside Middle School in Kalamazoo. Tylenda, in her sixth year, teaches third grade in Manor Elementary at Monroe Public Schools. Along with […]
Firm: Michigan AG hopeful Matt DePerno fired over ‘padded,’ false billings
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) A Republican running to be Michigan’s top law enforcement official was fired from a law firm in 2005 after colleagues alleged he “padded” client billings for personal and professional benefit, according to court records reviewed by Bridge Michigan. Matt DePerno, an attorney general candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued the […]
Michigan advances bills to ease return of retired teachers to classrooms
By Tracie Mauriello (Bridge Michigan) While culture wars fuel sharp partisan divisions on everything from how racism is discussed in schools to whether curricula should be posted online, Michigan lawmakers can agree on one thing: There is a critical shortage of substitute teachers that needs to be addressed immediately. The House and Senate education committees are trying. […]
Michigan redistricting commissioners reverse their own pay raise
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) Bowing to public and political backlash, Michigan redistricting commissioners on Thursday voted to rescind a pay raise they gave themselves in February after they had completed new congressional and legislative maps. The 13-member panel voted to restore their own pay to $55,755 per year, reversing an earlier 7 percent raise. Their salaries […]
Star witness: Whitmer kidnap plotters wanted ‘boogaloo’ war to stop Biden
By Jonathan Oosting Militia activists who plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hoped to start a second civil war before the 2020 presidential election and keep Joe Biden out of office, a former colleague testified Wednesday in federal court. Ty Garbin of Hartland — currently serving a 75-month sentence after pleading guilty to a kidnapping […]
West Michigan will be home to state’s 2nd massive EV battery factory
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The state’s race to attract billions in new electric vehicle battery production leapt ahead last Tuesday as officials approved a round of incentives that will help fund a massive expansion of a West Michigan factory. LG Energy Solution plans to spend up to $1.7 billion on the project, adding 1.4 […]
