Michigan hopeful students will return to public schools after COVID exodus
by Koby Levin, Chalkbeat (Bridge Michigan) Michigan students are returning to public schools after a sharp drop in enrollment during the pandemic — but it’s not clear whether or when schools will ever get back to pre-pandemic headcounts. That’s the upshot of a presentation given to the Michigan Board of Education on Tuesday by some of […]
Patrick Lyoya’s parents: Our hearts are broken. Grand Rapids mourns as well.
by Bryce Huffman, Ted Roelofs (Bridge Michigan) GRAND RAPIDS — On the streets, there are marches, demands for change and an overwhelming sense of frustration. Inside, there are tears and calls for justice. From peaceful protests downtown to a tearful press conference featuring the family of Patrick Lyoya, residents and civil rights leaders in Grand Rapids struggled […]
Soaring signature costs may bar some candidates from making Michigan ballot
By Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING—Michigan candidates have until Tuesday to submit enough signatures to appear on the ballot. Many haven’t. It’s not because they are unpopular. Rather, the soaring cost of gathering signatures is slowing them down. Largely indistinguishable from volunteers to the general public, paid circulators hired to collect signatures to get candidates and […]
Report: A quarter of Michigan roads are poor, will worsen without more funding
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan roads will continue to erode and cost taxpayers $25 billion per year by 2031 if lawmakers don’t commit to more money for upkeep, according to a national transportation report released Thursday. Conducted by Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research group TRIP, the report evaluates Michigan’s current road and bridge conditions and predicts […]
Bacon, labor, materials: Inflation pounds Michigan businesses
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Nelson Sanchez grappled with wage and supply cost increases in 2021 at RoMan Manufacturing in west Michigan, expenses that were rarely mentioned in the national dialog about inflation. Instead, many economists and political leaders assured Americans that the pressures leading to price jumps — like supply shortages and a smaller workforce — were transitory […]
Jury: Two not guilty of Whitmer kidnapping; mistrial for other two
By Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Jurors on Friday acquitted two men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and told a judge they were unable to reach a verdict on charges against two others charged in the alleged conspiracy. The jury of six men and six women in Grand Rapids found Daniel Harris, 24, […]
U-M, MSU thrive while Michigan regional universities scramble for students
by Isabel Lohman, Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) For Michigan public universities, state demographic trends have been a ticking time bomb: Fewer students are graduating from high school each year, and a smaller percentage of those who do are heading to college. But the pain is not universal. Enrollment at 12 of the state’s 15 public universities […]
What Michigan parents must know about upcoming school standardized tests
By Tracie Mauriello (Bridge Michigan) Monday begins Michigan’s annual six-week testing season that will help determine how successfully public schools have educated children this school year. The results of the various assessments can influence college admissions, teacher evaluations, and whether third-graders are promoted. Here are some answers to questions parents may have about the assessments. […]
One way to address student mental health in Michigan? Bring the clinic to school.
by Koby Levin, Chalkbeat (Bridge Michigan) Many Michigan school administrators say they’ve often served as stand-in public health officials during the pandemic. So it’s no surprise that districts across the state are eager to get some backup from a program that opens clinics in school buildings. School-based health centers make it convenient for students to leave class […]
A northern Michigan restaurant survived the pandemic, but not inflation
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The story of Up North Family Cafe may be told in a lot of ways: The entrepreneurial dreams of a Cheboygan family. The creativity of a restaurant thriving during the pandemic. The curves of seasonal spending in Northern Michigan. And it can be told through chicken pot pies. Orders for […]
