Tag: Great Lakes Echo
Michigan’s winter festivals adapt as warmer winters test traditions
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 […]
The post Michigan’s winter festivals adapt as warmer winters test traditions first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Audit: Michigan must do better monitoring recreational trails
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.
How an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck became trendy on TikTok
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 […]
The post How an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck became trendy on TikTok first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations
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.
Lawmakers plan bills to protect Michigan sand dunes
Red highlighted areas on this map indicate Michigan townships that contain critical dunes. Image: Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and EnergyBy Clara Lincolnhol Michigan’s towering freshwater sand dunes make up a one-of-a-kind natural resource and the largest collection of freshwater dunes on the planet. But environmentalists say the state’s legal protections are vague and leave […]
The post Lawmakers plan bills to protect Michigan sand dunes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Industry opposition, partisan politics slow polluter-pay bills
By Elinor Epperson Capital News Service It’s been one year since Michigan Democrats introduced legislation that would significantly change the state’s environmental regulations. But those bills are stuck in committee. Election distractions, negotiation, and a slim Democratic majority in the state House have kept a suite of polluter-pay bills in limbo, according to environmental advocates […]
The post Industry opposition, partisan politics slow polluter-pay bills first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Efforts to bridge digital divide expand in Michigan’s rural areas
By Donté Smith Capital News Service The digital divide remains a pressing issue for Michigan’s rural communities, where broadband access lags due to challenging geography and limited infrastructure. Jason Hamel, the operations manager and product assembler for Hower Tree Baler Corp. in Merritt, says current dial-up connection speeds in the area “aren’t worth it.” “It […]
The post Efforts to bridge digital divide expand in Michigan’s rural areas first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Animal shelters struggle with challenges
By Victor Wooddell Capital News Service Animal shelters in Michigan are at capacity, even while facing staff and resource shortages. According to experts, more animals are being abandoned and too few pet owners are having their animals spayed or neutered. In 2020, adoption rates soared due to pandemic-related stay-at-home orders across the country, according to […]
The post Animal shelters struggle with challenges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
An uncommon wildfire season is exceeding averages
By Gabriel S. Martinez Capital News Service An unusually busy fall fire season in Michigan has produced more than double the seasonal wildfires originally anticipated so far. About 100 prescribed burns are scheduled on both state and federal land for next year to help reduce damage from future wildfires. According to the state Department of […]
The post An uncommon wildfire season is exceeding averages first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Crescent Wind Farm fuels push for greener Michigan
By Donté Smith Capital News Service In the rolling farmland of southern Michigan’s Hillsdale County, the Crescent Wind Farm towers over the landscape, generating renewable energy while stirring both hope and contention among residents. The wind farm, operated by Consumers Energy in Adams, Moscow and Wheatland townships, is part of the state’s growing push to meet […]
The post Crescent Wind Farm fuels push for greener Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.