Popularity of outdoor activities hasn’t abated since the pandemic. State officials say sites such as Grand Haven, Ludington and Young state parks generally sell out.
The more school officials tested, the more COVID cases they found among mostly asymptomatic students at Norwood Elementary in the western Upper Peninsula, underscoring the challenges schools face keeping kids in class amid omicron.
The areas are struggling economically because of population losses and other issues. State officials hope a new office of rural development will stem the decline.
The results, published this week in the journal Nature, showed that mercury levels in plankton and fish fell more quickly than expected once new sources of mercury were cut off.
Cleaning sites like the Detroit River and Saginaw Bay is a priority for spending new funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Advocates say the money is a good start but much more is needed.
Advocates call it ‘prison gerrymandering’ and say urban cities are denied truly fair representation because inmates are counted as residents of their prisons. Others say it's not so simple.
The Natural Resources Commission will open the Saginaw River to walleye fishing during spawning season, beginning in 2023. The state hopes expanded walleye fishing will lift populations of yellow perch in Saginaw Bay.
When Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped a federal lawsuit over the fate of Line 5 and reactivated a mothballed state-level suit, she had hoped for better odds before a state judge. Enbridge wants to undermine that strategy.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Line 5 closed a year ago, citing safety concerns. The Biden administration is now involved. But chances of an imminent shutdown appear slim. We lay out some of the hurdles.
A teacher shortage in the state’s public schools has grown worse during the pandemic. State Supt. Michael Rice wants to make it easier to certify teachers while providing financial incentives to get more young people into the profession.
An uptick in deer hunting during COVID last year prompted whispers of a renaissance for a sport that has been losing participants for decades. Early numbers suggest many of the new hunters aren’t coming back.
With deer hunting in decline and land development pushing humans and deer ever-closer together, Michigan’s deer population may be headed toward an uncontrollable boom.
A looming federal mandate means 2 million Michigan residents must prove they’ve been vaccinated, submit to weekly tests or lose their jobs. A weatherman, dentist, nurse and pastor explain why they refused.
New rules, imposed after Flint, forced public water providers to look harder for lead leaching into drinking water. Violations of state lead standards are up nearly 50 percent, with new urgency to remove lead from water lines.
The Michigan Historical Commission has begun reviewing historical markers to weed out inaccuracies and omissions that don’t tell the subject’s full history, including the roles played by Blacks and Native Americans. The process may get messy.
The debate pits education advocates who want independent control of their school-year calendars against tourism leaders who want to ensure families can book vacations through Labor Day.
