Business & Economy
Teri Dudley of Reed City’s Dairy Depot smiles after the proposed rezoning was denied by the local planning commission on Feb. 5.

Working-class Osceola County can’t afford to ignore politics, presidential election

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OSCEOLA COUNTY PROFILE: Working-class, lower-income Osceola County can’t afford to ignore politics and presidential election in a local economy dominated by two major employers, a hospital and a yogurt plant, and a long tradition of voting Republican. By Archer Guanco, Daniel Schoenherr, Anna Barnes and Lauretta Sha. FOR BIG RAPIDS, CLARE, LUDINGTON, CADILLAC AND ALL POINTS.

Autos & Manufacturing
A student in the PRIME program at Grand Haven High School.

Michigan manufacturers work to expand engineering training to high schools

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PRIME PROGRAM: The Michigan Manufacturers Association plans to expand its PRIME program that teaches high schoolers skills and technologies that are badly needed by the manufacturing sector. We talk to the association and a Grand Haven High School teacher. Among other participating high schools are ones in Alpena, Hancock, Rudyard, Pontiac. Cheboygan, Grand Rapids, Three Rivers and Bay City, with Traverse City slated to join later this year. By Sophia Ceru. FOR CORP!, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, HOLLAND, IRON MOUNTAIN, SAULT STE. MARIE, MIDLAND, DETROIT, THREE RIVERS, STURGIS, MARQUETTE, CHEBOYGAN AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy

Controversial loan program benefits Michigan colleges 

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COLLEGE LOANS: Five Michigan colleges have taken advantage of a USDA loan program for rural and agricultural areas to finance new buildings and facilities. Alma College’s president says the $39.4 million it borrowed has paid off in rising enrollment. Others are Adrian University of Olivet, Glen Oaks Community College and Bay Mills Community College. The Michigan Association of Independent Colleges and Universities says the benefits are visible on participating campuses. Some rural borrowers nationally haven’t seen the expected benefits, however. By Elijah Taub. FOR ADRIAN, BAY MILLS, MARQUETTE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture
Professor Alan Steinman is a water researcher at Grand Valley State University.

Salty groundwater in Michigan could hurt agriculture, business and homeowners

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SALINITY: Rising salt levels in some Michigan groundwater is killing crops and tainting drinking water. The problem is especially severe in Ottawa County, which is closely monitoring the situation, and also of concern in Southwest Michigan and the Thumb. We talk to a Grand Valley State University researcher, Ottawa County’s director of strategic impact and a Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy expert. By Alex Walters. FOR HOLLAND, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, MIDLAND AND ALL POINTS.

News

Road rage: How Michigan promotes efforts to keep drivers safe

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ROAD RAGE: Only 0.03% of car crash fatalities in the state are caused by road rage or aggressive driving, making Michigan the fourth-safest state for road rage deaths. However, experts warn that anger still plagues Michigan’s roads. Recent incidents include crashes in Ottawa County, Traverse City and Rockford. Includes references to Hillsdale, Lenawee, Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties. We hear from the State Police and the founder of a Detroit-based road safety group. By Theo Scheer. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, GREENVILLE, WKTV, DETROIT, HOLLAND, HILLSDALE, ADRIAN, BLISSFIELD AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy
Nicole White is the policy director BirthDetroit.

Measures, new birth center, take aim at disparities in maternal health care

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IMPLICIT MATERNAL BIAS: New Senate legislation may allow Michigan to join 41 other states in licensing and reimbursing birth centers for their services. The proposal comes as a Detroit organization plans to open a Black-led birth center later this year. Sponsors are from Detroit, Lansing, Taylor and Redford Township. We hear from BirthDetroit, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. By Sophia Ceru. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy
The fall 2023 orientation for international students at Oakland University.

Universities strive for more growth in international student enrollment

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Enrollment of international students at Michigan’s public universities is rising after a pandemic-related decline, bolstering the state’s economy and diversifying perspectives on campuses. We hear about Ferris State, Oakland and U-M. By Anish Topawila. FOR BIG RAPIDS, DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, IRON MOUNTAIN, MIDLAND, CORP, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.

Diversity Issues
The Kirtland’s warbler is one of the rarest songbirds in North America, living only in Michigan and parts of Wisconsin and Ontario during breeding season.

New names slated for birds, including Kirtland’s warbler

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BIRD NAMES: Michigan’s endangered Kirtland’s warbler is about to be de-Kirtlandized as the American Ornithological Society moves to remove the names of people, some with racist connections, from the names of 70 birds, 21 of them in Michigan, including the Cooper’s hawk, Wilson’s snipe, Bonaparte’s gull and Harris’s sparrow. Bird lovers disagree on that action. By Clara Lincolnhol. FOR CADILLAC, MIDLAND, CLARE, BIG RAPIDS, GLADWIN, LUDINGTON AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy

New book explores a lifetime of Great Lakes resilience

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RESILIENCE: A new memoir by the former director of Michigan’s Sierra Club chapter is the story of a half-century of environmental activism that included bringing a live cormorant with a deformed beak from the U.P. to a congressional hearing live cormorant to a congressional hearing as proof of the effects of toxic air pollution. Jane Elder also played an important role in creation of Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshores. By Reese Carlson. FOR MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, IRON MOUNTAIN, ST. IGNACE, ALPENA, ALCONA, MONROE, TRAVERSE CITY, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, CHEBOYGAN, SAULT STE. MARIE, LEELANAU, HOLLAND, LUDINGTON, OCEANA COUNTY AND ALL POINTS.