Great Lakes Echo

Lawmakers plan bills to protect Michigan sand dunes

4 min read

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.

Great Lakes Echo

Industry opposition, partisan politics slow polluter-pay bills

4 min read

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.

London Free Press

School board boss clamps down on executives’ spending after $38K retreat scandal

3 min read

The region’s largest school board has introduced a new screening process for staff seeking professional development activities in the wake of a Toronto travel scandal that led to a large-scale provincial audit. The Thames Valley District school board came under fire in late August when The Free Press uncovered a three-day retreat by 18 administrators at […]

London Free Press

Politicians say no to allowing homeless camps within 25 metres of homes

6 min read

City politicians want to strike down an effort to shrink the distance between encampments and homes, even as city hall says current guidelines put staff at risk and make homelessness increasingly visible. During Tuesday’s meeting of city council’s strategic priorities and policy committee, politicians spent several hours combing over new recommendations for the city’s community […]

Great Lakes Now

2024 Election: State and Local Voters Consider Tax Increases for Water Protection

7 min read

2024 Election: State and Local Voters Consider Tax Increases for Water Protection

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Owen Sound Sun Times

International student cuts concern Georgian College, Grey County

7 min read

Georgian College’s president has raised concerns about the federal government’s plans to reduce the number of temporary residents eligible to enter Canada and the impact that is having on colleges and communities, including those in Grey-Bruce.  In an Oct. 4 letter to Grey County Warden Brian Milne, the college’s president and CEO, Kevin Weaver, said […]