Business & Economy

E-bike surge sparks safety concerns amid policy changes

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E-BIKE SAFETY: E-bikes are rapidly growing in popularity in Metro Detroit and elsewhere in the state, both on public roads and off-road trails, but raising safety concerns. There were recent fatalities in Grand Rapids and Ypsilanti. We talk to the League of Michigan Bicyclists, a Grosse Pointe bike shop owner and Department of Natural Resources. By Donté Smith. FOR DETROIT, PLANET DETROIT, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy
Botanist Elizabeth Haber of Seeds for Success looks for native plants at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.

Commentary: Michigan joins federal program that collects native flora and champions restoration

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NATIVE PLANTS: Our writer joins researchers who are collecting seeds of native plant species at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. Michigan is among the Midwest states using federal aid for a program to conserve and restore native flora, and the team is combing through Michigan prairies, wetlands and forests looking for native plant seeds. By Elinor Epperson. FOR ALL POINTS.

Arts & Entertainment
Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Lake Superior runs for president, ponders running mate

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LAKE SUPERIOR PRESIDENCY: Yes, Lake Superior is a declared candidate for president of the United States and is in search of a running mate. The self-proclaimed #GLOAT (Greatest Lake Of All Time) is running on a “Water First Agenda,” is active on the social media platform X and maintains a campaign website. We hear from the campaign’s account manager, an MSU science communication expert and the Great Lakes Indian Fisheries and Wildlife Commission. By Elinor Epperson. FOR ALL POINTS.

Construction & Development
Jim and Melinda O’Neill’s property overlooks the east end of Belleville Lake. They don’t boat or fish on the lake, but enjoy the view.

Dams may power a stop harmful algal blooms in urban lakes, expert says

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DAMS & BLOOMS: Like clockwork, Ford Lake and its downstream neighbor, Belleville Lake, turn bright green every summer due to harmful algal blooms. The lakes, near Ypsilanti, have struggled for decades with phosphorus pollution that spurs algae growth. The quest for a solution is familiar to urban lake communities across the Great Lakes region. Area residents, a U-M researcher and an Ann Arbor public works official discuss. By Elinor Epperson and Daniel Schoenherr. FOR ALL POINTS.

Agriculture
Farmland in Livingston County.

Utility-scale solar farm proposals cause turmoil in Livingston County

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SOLAR DISPUTE: Large-scale solar projects are a hotly disputed topic in Livingston County and elsewhere in the state, especially in rural areas with lots of farmland that could become project sites. Complex, interconnected questions about local government authority, private property rights and renewable energy sources. We talk to a Conway Township farmer, Consumers Energy, Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association and Michigan Environmental Council. By Ruth Thornton. FOR ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy
Norm Hess is executive director of the Michigan Association for Public Health.

Limited access to health care contributes to higher rural death rates

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RURAL MORTALITY: The gap in death rates between urban and less healthy rural areas has widened, USDA figures show. Rural hospitals are reducing services and communities are having trouble recruiting and retaining health care providers. We hear from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department and the Michigan Association for Local Public Health. By Anish Topowala. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, SAULT STE. MARIE, IRON MOUNTAIN, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, CHEBOYGAN AND ALL POINTS.