Grand Valley Professor Annie Whitlock is president-elect of the Michigan Council for Social Studies.

Civics education should start in younger grades, educators say

CIVICS EDUCATION: Social studies teachers and civics educators say they want school administrators and the Legislature to focus more attention on civics education for elementary and middle school children. It’s especially important in light of the upcoming election. We talk to a Grand Valley State professor who is the president-elect of the Michigan Council for Social Studies and the director of the Michigan Center for Civic Education. By Anish Topiwala. FOR GREENVILLE, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.

Linda Vail is the former health officer in Ingham and Kalamazoo counties

Challenges, reduced public trust confront local health agencies

RURAL PUBLIC HEALTH. Public health agencies and their employee in rural areas have been facing lower public trust in their work since the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk to the Michigan Association for Local Public Health, the district director whose agency covers Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Osceola and Roscommon counties, and the former health officer for Ingham and Kalamazoo counties. Public health departments in the UP and Northern Lower Peninsula are funding TV and social media campaigns that portray their staff as everyday members of the community. Includes Ottawa County reference. By Alex Walters. FOR CLARE, GLADWIN, BIG RAPIDS, MARQUETTE, CADILLAC, BAY MILLS, IRON MOUNTAIN, SAULT STE. MARIE, ST. IGNACE, LANSING CITY PULSE PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, GREENVILLE, CHEBOYGAN, LUDINGTON, HOLLAND, WKTV, MONTMORENCY, ALCONA, ALPENA AND ALL POINTS.

Rep. John Fizgerald, D-Wyoming

Legislation would require state-funded defibrillators at high school athletic events

DEFIBRILLATORS: Pending legislation would require all public and charter schools to have cardiac emergency plans and all coaching staff to be trained to use computerized defibrillators called automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. A Detroit high school basketball player died of cardiac arrest. Sponsors include lawmakers from Detroit and Wyoming. Supporters include the Michigan High School Athletic Association, Detroit Lions, state Education Department and Michigan State Medical Society. For news and sports sections. By Sophia Ceru. FOR DETROIT, GREENVILLE, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.

Algal blooms highlight the natural beauty of Lake St. Clair and its canals

An underappreciated lake that’s great

MICHIGAN’S VENICE: Lake St. Clair is an unappreciated level and a great lake in its own right, according to a new book on its history and culture. It’s a major game fishing destination and a site where environmental remediation continues. We talk to the author of the federally-designated Area of Concern covering the Clinton River. For News and features sections. By Anna Barnes. FOR DETROIT, PLANET DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.

University of Michigan Assistant Professor Derek Van Berke researches how cities can plan for a possible influx of climate change migrants.

Are Great Lakes cities ready for climate migrants?

CLIMATE MIGRANTS: Michigan and other Great Lakes states may become destinations for climate migrants from other parts of the country beset with rising sea levels, drought, extreme weather and other adverse consequences of climate change. A U-M expert, whose team expects to work with Grand Rapids, Duluth and Buffalo to implement urban planning strategies,. By Kayla Nelsen. FOR MARQUETTE, IRON MOUNTAIN, GREENVILLE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.

State ramps up dental exams for kindergarteners 

DENTAL: For the 2024-25 school year, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to expand statewide a pilot program that gives free dental examinations to children entering kindergarten. The Whitmer administration proposes to spend $4 million next year, but advocates say that’s not enough. The Michigan Oral Health Coalition, Michigan Association for Local Public Health and Michigan Dental Association explain. Includes references to Petoskey, Detroit and Grand Traverse, Chippewa, Oakland, Ottawa, Marquette, Leelanau, Mason, Emmet and Cheboygan counties. By Theo Scheer. FOR PETOSKEY, DETROIT, LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY, CHEBOYGAN, SAULT STE. MARIE, LUDINGTON, HARBOR SPRINGS AND ALL POINTS.

A DJI T40 spray drone.

High tech, AI, boost farm productivity, earnings

FARM TECHNOLOGY: New precision farming technologies, including AI, are making agriculture more efficient. We hear about it from a Farm Bureau board of directors member from Portland, two MSU researchers and the director of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. By Anish Topowala. FOR GREENVILLE, IONIA, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP! FARM NEWS, HOLLAND, OCEANA COUNTY AND ALL POINTS.

Rep. Dylan Wegela, D-Garden City

Michigan House staffers are unionizing: What could it look like? 

HOUSE UNION: Some staff in the state House are organizing a unionization drive which, if successful, would add Michigan to the small roster of states with unionized employees. It would be up to the House leadership, now Democratic, to recognize such a union. We talk to an MSU labor expert and to lawmakers from Clare, Garden City and Northfield Township. By Liz Nass. FOR DETROIT, CLARE, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.