Meet the Michigander who’s advising Biden on environmental justice
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Kyle Whyte has long advocated for Native American tribes and other marginalized communities to get a seat at the table with government decision-makers. Now, the University of Michigan professor, who is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, has a role in President Joe Biden administration. Whyte, U-M George Willis […]
Survey: More than 8 in 10 Michigan teachers are fully vaccinated for COVID
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) More than eight in 10 Michigan public school educators are fully vaccinated from COVID-19, almost triple the rate of the state adults as a whole, according to a survey released last Thursday by the Michigan Education Association, the state largest teacher union. The high immunization rate among teachers and other […]
Feds fine former Midland dams owner $15 million over safety violations
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Federal regulators have fined the former owner of the failed Midland area dams $15 million for safety violations tied to the disaster, but it unclear whether the agency will ever see a cent. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the country hydropower-generating dams, announced Thursday it assessed the penalty […]
Halted vaccine was key to reaching hard-to-reach Michigan. Now what?
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is much like the small and fast player on a field full of behemoths: important not for its size, but for its strategic ability. And as Michigan pushes toward its goal of vaccinating at least 70 percent of adults against the virus, J & J […]
Workers weary, patients angry, as COVID fills Michigan hospitals — again
by Robin Erb, Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press (Bridge Michigan) With an eye on his father bloodied face, Barry Jensen began punching numbers into his cell phone from the hospital emergency room. His 90-year-old dad had fallen on a gravel driveway. His glasses were broken. His family worried that his bones might be, too. […]
Rapids return means fish returns
by Taylor Haelterman, Great Lakes Echo (Bridge Magazine) The St. Marys River lost over half of its rapids in the last century, mostly due to artificial structures used for navigation. Restoring one of the rapids is helping diverse fish species recover in the river that connects lakes Superior and Huron, according to a recent study. Varied […]
Students in COVID-weary Michigan schools must take M-STEP, feds say
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Michigan students must take the state federally-mandated standardized test, the M-STEP, despite the pandemic. Late Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education informed the Michigan Department of Education that the state plea to shelve the test for the year had been denied. As a result, Michigan students, many of whom have […]
No new restrictions, but Michigan needs help amid COVID surge, Whitmer says
By Mike Wilkinson, Jonathan Oosting, Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) As Michigan is battered by a worst-in-the-nation surge in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer resisted calls to add new restrictions on Friday, but pleaded with residents to be more vigilant and voluntarily limit activities. Whitmer asked school officials to move high school classes online, for youth […]
Lawsuit: Michigan wolf advisory group stacked with hunting advocates
By Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) A wolf advocacy group is suing the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, arguing the agency is favoring hunting interests on a group tasked with helping shape Michigan wolf management strategy. The 06 Legacy, a national group based in Michigan, alleges DNR Director Daniel Eichinger broke state law by appointing hunting advocates […]
Michigan colleges rush to get COVID vaccine in student arms amid surge
By Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Michigan colleges and universities are rushing to get shots in student arms, with COVID vaccine clinics springing up on campuses amid a startling surge in coronavirus cases across the state. Those efforts will get a big boost in coming days, when the state allocates thousands of doses of the one-shot […]
