LIVING WITH FOSSILS COMMENTARY

LIVING FOSSILS COMMENTARY: The writer reflects on his childhood move from Texas to South Haven and life lessons for himself and others from Petoskey stones and Western Michigan fossils, geology, streams and trails in the age of climate change. Commentary. By Nick Simon. FOR HOLLAND, PETOSKEY, LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, BENZIE COUNTY, HARBOR SPRINGS, LEELANAU, CHEBOYGAN, OCEANA COUNTY and ALL POINTS.

Illegal hunting complaints reach record numbers during pandemic, arrests down.

POACHING COMPLAINTS: Illegal hunting complaints in Michigan reached record numbers during pandemic, but arrests were down. The state’s poaching hotline received around 60% more complaints related to hunters and wildlife crime in 2020 than it did in 2018. The spike in complaints could be caused by more people using outdoor areas during the pandemic, outdoor officials say. By Nicholas Simon. FOR CHEBOYGAN, PETOSKEY, CADILLAC AND ALL POINTS.

A young visitor holds a rabbit at Grandpa Tiny’s Farm in Frankenmuth.

Organic growth fuels record-breaking agritourism season, experts say 

AGRITOURISM: Farms offering agricultural tourism opportunities have seen record-breaking attendance over the past two years. Hot rural travel destinations like cider mills, corn mazes and U-pick farms were supercharged by the shift. We hear from the president of Traverse City-based Michigan Agritourism Association, who owns a farm in Frankenmuth, Travel Michigan and the Farm Bureau. References to Saugatuck, Grand Rapids and Holland. For news and agriculture sections. By Nicholas Simon. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP!, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, WKTV, HOLLAND, TRAVERSE CITY and ALL POINTS.

A pair of eastern sandhill cranes keep a lookout for predators. These birds normally stay together unless one dies, in which case they’ve been known to start other family groups.

Proposed eastern sandhill cranes hunt in breeding states stirs controversy 

CRANE HUNT: Efforts by politicians to create a hunting season for eastern sandhill cranes in Michigan are stirring debates among hunters, farmers and birders. A legislative resolution to encourage the Natural Resources Commission to explore the possibilities of issuing tags for cranes was introduced but not adopted. We hear from Michigan Audubon, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, DNR and the Humane Society. A similar push is underway in Wisconsin.
For news and outdoors sections. By Nicholas Simon. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS and ALL POINTS.

Retailers and business groups urge shoppers to buy local this year

BUY LOCAL: Michigan economic officials and retailers are renewing their embrace of local shopping, saying that the need is more than just an answer to a COVID hangover and supply line concerns. Local suppliers are struggling with high shipping costs, but they say it also means they have increased demand from local sellers of their products. We talk to a Cheboygan scroll maker, Bronners Christmas Store in Frankenmuth, a nativity scene maker in Sturgis. By Nicholas Simon FOR STURGIS, CHEBOYGAN CORP!, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND NEWS AND BUSINESS DESKS OF ALL POINTS.

Michigan schools are failing students with dyslexia, advocates say

DYSLEXIA EDUCATION: Michigan schools are failing kids with dyslexia, critics say. Legislation pending in the state Senate would require screenings for all students from kindergarten to third grade. We talk to the Lansing-based Michigan Dyslexia Institute and hear from a Detroit football player with dyslexia. By Nicholas Simon. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE, DETROIT and ALL POINTS.

Failure of community college access initiative frustrates state officials

COLLEGE TUITION: More than a dozen other states offer universal access to community college, but Michigan, disappointing advocates who say human infrastructure is just as important as roads and bridges. We talk to the Kalamazoo Promise, the Small Business Association of Michigan, and state officials. For news and business pages. By Nicholas Simon. FOR CORP!, LANSING CITY PULSE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP! and ALL POINTS.

Gracen Minor with her dog Bonnie

New owners hold on to pandemic pets

PANDEMIC PETS: The peak of the pandemic brought unfamiliar free time that led many people across the state to adopt a pet. As life returns closer to normal and in-person activities resume, these new owners continue to embrace their pandemic pets. Michigan Humane and owners from Okemos, Belleville, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, Lansing and Sterling Heights explain. By Emilie Appleyard, Cameryn Cass, Joseph Dungerow, Kristia Postema, Sammy Schuck, Nicholas Simon & Andrea Vera. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE and ALL POINTS.