Partnerships with volunteer groups help fill staffing and funding gaps for state and local parks and recreation departments. We hear from the DNR, Nature Conservancy and Friends of Bay City State Park. By Madison Merrell.
Health
Overpopulation, bait piles contribute to spread of CWD in Michigan deer herds
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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious prion that has been found in deer, elk, and moose. A prion is not a virus or bacteria, it’s a misfold in protein that infects brain tissue. It creates little holes in the brain until the animal can no longer function. There has been no cure found for CWD, making it 100% fatal.
Arts & Entertainment
Studio de Danse teaches women to dance through life’s ups and downs
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On Mondays and Wednesdays, Marcia Olds teaches ballet to adults ages 60 and older class called Studio De Danse at the Hannah Community Center. Ballet brought together the group of women that attend Old’s dance lessons under various circumstances. Some were looking to reignite their passion for something they stopped at a young age. Others were just curious to try dancing for the first time. And some were looking for a sense of community.
Agriculture
Solar farms, housing projects are largest threats to Michigan land preservation
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Farmland in Michigan is facing increasing development pressure from housing, solar and other expansion projects. For rural farmland, large-scale solar projects often require hundreds to thousands of acres of land, meaning large areas of rural farmland are increasingly being considered for development. Meanwhile in urban and suburban areas, housing expansion is the primary concern for farm and green space preservation.
East Lansing
Northern Tier Trail receives funding for expansion work after 20 years
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In 2004, over two decades ago, the East Lansing Department of Parks, Recreation and Arts began the early stages of expansion on the Northern Tier Trail. Now, after securing $100,000 in recent Community Development Grant funds, the department grows closer to adding a piece to the trail connecting the East Lansing Soccer Complex to Coolidge Road.
East Lansing
EL residents voice homelessness solutions after City Council vetoes one camping ordinance, passes another
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After the six-hour council meeting that ended at nearly 1 a.m., East Lansing City Council reached a decision on ordinances designed to address public camping after postponing the vote for nearly three months. The council voted down Ordinance 1566—which would have introduced jail time for temporarily living in a public space—but approved Ordinance 1565, making the use of parking structures for shelter a civil infraction with up to $100 in fines.
Environment
Michigan mulls changes in elk hunt regulations
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The DNR received a record 47,493 applications for 260 elk licenses in 2025. The state is considering changes in its regulations for elk hunting season in Pigeon River Country State Forest and an area near Gaylord. We talk to the DNR and Michigan Elk Country Association. For news and outdoors sections. By Addie Tussing.
Environment
Conservation, research and community collaboration aid in successful 2026 Black Lake sturgeon season
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The 2026 sturgeon season on Black Lake in Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties lasted all of 48 minutes before the annual quota – six – was reached. There were 653 anglers competing for them. We talk to Sturgeon for Tomorrow and experts from the DNR and MSU about hopes for a comeback for the species. By Anna Ironside
Business & Economy
When winter shuts down courses, indoor leagues keep golf alive
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During the winter, golfers all-across Michigan lose the opportunity to play due to freezing temperatures and snow-covered courses, thus temporarily removing a traditional favorite pastime for many local golfers. That’s where indoor golf businesses like X-Golf Lansing in Okemos shine. For avid golfers like Rick and Diane Shafer, as well as X-Golf co-owner Joe White, indoor golf centers are a way to continue building their community through their passion for golf in the off-season.
Greater Lansing Community News
Pickleballers find new courts, community in winter months
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Pickleball has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, but with the closure of outdoor courts in the cold winter months, pickleball players have to find new locations to play their favorite sport. Indoor gyms like Court One Athletics provide a place to enjoy pickleball inside still allowing for that community to grow and involve people through exercise.
Construction & Development
East Lansing upgrades Emerson Park
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Under a canopy of decades-old oaks and pines lies a little-known park that just recently went through a transformation of a lifetime. It had been more than 50 years since the City of East Lansing last upgraded John D. Emerson Park, located on Arbor Drive. As the only park south of Grand River in the City of East Lansing, the city felt that it was important to have a more modern and scenic space for residents of the Ivanhoe/Red Cedar neighborhoods.