The Michigan Board of Education Legislative Committee held a meeting this week to discuss bills making their way through the Legislature regarding the upcoming school year. State Superintendent Michael Rice said the pandemic will require changing traditional
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is calling on the Michigan Legislature to take steps to ensure November’s election goes smoothly as more people vote absentee. She says the state’s elections system is safe and secure ahead of
From the Associated Press — The Michigan High School Athletic Association says competition can begin August 19 and 21 for golf, tennis and cross country, but it has held off on allowing the start of football, volleyball
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new partnership with the Dave Thomas Foundation to help find adoptive homes for young people in the state’s foster care system. Department spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells
The Michigan Department of Transportation is holding a community conversation with residents of Paw Paw this week as it starts planning for the reconstruction of the I-94 interchange at M-40. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered bars in northern Michigan to close and ordered that indoor social gatherings be limited to no more than ten people in response to the latest COVID-19 developments. The governor’s office has released
With Governor Gretchen Whitmer calling on Congress this week to approve aid to states facing financial shortfalls due to COVID-19, Congressman Fred Upton says that’s just what he’s pushing for. As the Senate works on a coronavirus
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order to pave the way for larger instruction spaces at Michigan colleges. The governor’s office has released the following statement: Today, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-159 to allow Michigan’s colleges and
Hospitals in Michigan have been seeing a substantial increase in opioid overdoses since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Lynn Sutfin tells WSJM News the agency looked at records
Southwest Michigan economic experts are predicting a long haul before the employment market is back to where it was before the start of the pandemic. Kinexus Group held a roundtable to talk about the state of the
Allow gyms to reopen in southern lower Michigan. That’s what some gym owners told the Michigan Legislature’s Joint Select Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday in Lansing. Burn Fitness co-owner Alyssa Tushman said they have safety protocols
Michigan is reporting 996 additional cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday. However, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says about 300 of them are attributable to older lab results. The department says the state identified two
From the Associated Press — Ann Arbor voters will decide whether to raise millions of dollars through a new property tax to build or acquire housing for people with certain incomes. The 1-mill tax would cost $125
A Facebook group of Davenport University seniors is upset about the school’s decision to hold a drive-through graduation ceremony this year. Davenport University spokesperson Amy Miller told Michigan News Network this week the COVID-19 pandemic forced the
A new campaign is calling on state leaders to invest in Michigan’s students and adopt fair and equitable school funding policies. Education Trust Midwest Executive Director Amber Arellano says a cross section of business and civic leaders
Just one Michigan health system will take part in the next phase of a COVID vaccine study now in its third phase. The National Institutes of Health is tapping Henry Ford Health systems to be among 87
The Michigan Department of Transportation will begin a resurfacing project on eleven miles of I-94 in Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties on Monday. Spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News the work will have crews out on the
Congressman Fred Upton has introduced legislation that would enable the recipients of Paycheck Protection Program loans to have their debts forgiven by the federal government in a streamlined way. He tells WSJM News the Paycheck Protection Small
The state of Michigan, like many states, is going to need major help from the federal government if it’s going to weather a budget storm headed its way in the next couple of months. So says Michigan
From the Associated Press — A Lake Michigan state park near the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is making campsites available after a project was put on hold for 2020. Reservations can be made online starting Wednesday
The St. Joseph City Commission is calling for Amtrak’s Pere Marquette line to be connected to the Blue Water and Wolverine lines. The body approved a resolution Monday to “strongly endorse and support the ultimate building of
From the Associated Press — A hospital system in southeastern Michigan is looking for up to 5,000 volunteers for a COVID-19 vaccine study. Henry Ford Health System is working with the National Institutes of Health and Moderna
Michigan is reporting 669 additional cases of COVID-19 for Tuesday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the state has had a total of 79,176 cases of the illness since the start of the pandemic.
From the Associated Press — Friday is the deadline for people to submit photos of Detroit residents who died from COVID-19 for a unique public memorial. City officials are planning a memorial at Belle Isle State Park
Governor Gretchen Whitmer is calling on the federal government to step up to help beat COVID-19 and to help Americans who are out of work. During a COVID update Tuesday, Whitmer said there should be a federal
Spectrum Health Lakeland CEO Loren Hamel says the best defense against COVID-19 continues to be basic caution. During a Monday update, Hamel said everyone needs to wear a mask, follow good hygiene, and social distance. “I assume
We’re just about six weeks away from students returning to college campuses. The ongoing pandemic is raising concern for students with pre-existing conditions who are considered high risk. Nancy Jansen, director of Oakland University’s Graham Health Center,
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the state’s wolf population has remained stable over the past nine years. Cody Norton is a large carnivore specialist for the DNR. He told Michigan News Network this week the
A downtown St. Joseph business owner will be allowed to hold four outdoor musical performances in August following action Monday by the St. Joseph City Commission. Tom Jennings with the Sand Bar Grille asked that a local
The Berrien County Parks Department will hold a recycling event in August. It says residents can properly recycle household chemicals, electronics, and foam on Wednesday, August 12 at Love Creek County Park in Berrien Center. The event
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