Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

3 min read

Great Lakes Echo

By Eric Freedman

Capital News Service

Outbreaks of the waterborne bacteria E. coli can lower local real estate values, at least temporarily, a new study says. Those outbreaks, which have become increasingly common, are a growing concern in coastal and inland communities, particularly in rural counties, according to the study by researchers from Saginaw Valley State University, Cornell University and the University of Rhode Island. “In Michigan, the presence of E. coli has become problematic for many areas where agricultural run-off and ineffective policies have made these outbreaks endemic,” the study said. As for the negative economic impact on homes within one mile of an outbreak, the study found that “proximity to E. coli outbreaks leads to an 8.9% price drop for houses sold during the outbreaks, which is over $13,000 for the average home.”

coli can cause serious illness and death, and is increasingly common due to climate change, especially in the Great Lakes region, it said.

How new charging stations are set to drive Michigan’s EV future

By Donté Smith

Capital News Service

As electric vehicles become more common, Michigan is expanding its charging infrastructure to ensure accessibility for drivers statewide. The state’s Department of Transportation, supported by federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program funds, is accelerating construction of EV charging stations in both urban and rural areas. Currently, there are around 1,660 charging stations across Michigan, 94% of them public.

New marine sanctuary spotlights a ‘submerged museum’ on Lake Ontario 

By Anna Barnes

After seven years of planning, a new marine sanctuary now protects a portion of Lake Ontario rich with history and shipwrecks. The community-driven designation aims to benefit the area through preservation, economic development and conservation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates marine sanctuaries to preserve sites with national significance, such as important archeology, culture or marine life.

Michigan tourism preps for a colder winter

By Victor Wooddell

Capital News Service

The 2023-24 winter was the warmest on record in the U.S. with average temperatures throughout the state above freezing, with close to average precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center shows that average daily maximum temperatures in the Midwest were several degrees above normal between December 2023 and February 2024. But this year may be different.

More Headlines

Fraudsters face sentencing in fake green energy venture 
Michigan’s winter festivals adapt as warmer winters test traditions
Audit: Michigan must do better monitoring recreational trails

Great Lakes Echo Water

E. coli outbreaks can hurt real estate values, study finds

3 min read

By Eric Freedman Capital News Service LOutbreaks of the waterborne bacteria E. coli can lower local real estate values, at least temporarily, a new study says. Those outbreaks, which have become increasingly common, are a growing concern in coastal and inland communities, particularly in rural counties, according to the study by researchers from Saginaw Valley […]

The post E. coli outbreaks can hurt real estate values, study finds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Echo

How new charging stations are set to drive Michigan’s EV future

4 min read

By Donté Smith Capital News Service As electric vehicles become more common, Michigan is expanding its charging infrastructure to ensure accessibility for drivers statewide. The state’s Department of Transportation, supported by federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program funds, is accelerating construction of EV charging stations in both urban and rural areas. Currently, there are around […]

The post How new charging stations are set to drive Michigan’s EV future first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Echo Water

New marine sanctuary spotlights a ‘submerged museum’ on Lake Ontario 

5 min read

By Anna Barnes After seven years of planning, a new marine sanctuary now protects a portion of Lake Ontario rich with history and shipwrecks. The community-driven designation aims to benefit the area through preservation, economic development and conservation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates marine sanctuaries to preserve sites with national significance, such as […]

The post New marine sanctuary spotlights a ‘submerged museum’ on Lake Ontario  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Echo

Michigan tourism preps for a colder winter

2 min read

By Victor Wooddell Capital News Service The 2023-24 winter was the warmest on record in the U.S. with average temperatures throughout the state above freezing, with close to average precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center shows that average daily maximum temperatures in the Midwest were several degrees […]

The post Michigan tourism preps for a colder winter first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Echo

Fraudsters face sentencing in fake green energy venture 

2 min read

By Georgia Hill Two men who admitted conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud await sentencing for cheating 22 investors out of more than $2 million from June 2016 to April 2018. Former Pittsburgh resident Jonathan Freeze and Kevin Carney of Euclid, Ohio, have pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh. Freeze, Carney, and a […]

The post Fraudsters face sentencing in fake green energy venture  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Echo

Michigan’s winter festivals adapt as warmer winters test traditions

4 min read

By Donté Smith Capital News Service With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting “warmer-than-average” temperatures for parts of the Great Lakes, Michigan’s winter festivals from Metro Detroit to the Western Upper Peninsula are preparing to adapt. Many, such as Detroit’s Noel Night, Grand Haven’s Winterfest, the Magical Christmas Parade in Zeeland and Holland’s Winter […]

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Great Lakes Echo

Audit: Michigan must do better monitoring recreational trails

4 min read

By Eric Freedman Capital News Service Michigan boasts thousands of miles of trails for snowmobilers, hikers, off-road vehicle operators, dog-walkers, bicyclists, snowshoers and horseback riders, but the Department of Natural Resources needs to improve how it monitors them. That’s the conclusion of the state Auditor General’s Office, which said DNR fell short in monitoring and […]

The post Audit: Michigan must do better monitoring recreational trails first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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How an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck became trendy on TikTok

4 min read

By Clara Lincolnhol As the gales of November approach, social media users are channeling an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck as tongue-in-cheek inspiration for a new fall aesthetic. It began with a video comedian Django Gold posted to TikTok in September. “Brat Summer is over. It’s time for Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Fall,” Gold says […]

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Great Lakes Echo

Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations

3 min read

By Isabella Figueroa Student researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin are among the winners of an Environmental Protection Agency contest for innovations in sustainability. The EPA established the People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition to support teams of undergraduate and graduate students working to develop solutions to environmental and […]

The post Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.