Owen Sound Sun Times

South Bruce Peninsula approves 3.9% budget hike

2 min read

South Bruce Peninsula council approved its 2025 operating and capital budgets with a 3.9 per cent municipal levy increase. The 2025 budget will cover total net operating expenses of $12,825,099, compared to $12,343,860 in 2024. The figure squares with the prediction made by the director of financial services and treasurer Tracey Neifer in mid-October when […]

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 Now Lake Superior Michigan

Waves of Change: Meet Protect the Porkies founder Tom Grotewohl

2 min read

Waves of Change: Meet Protect the Porkies founder Tom Grotewohl

Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.

This month, we spoke with Tom Grotewohl, a resident of Wakefield Township in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and founder of the Protect the Porkies campaign.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Owen Sound Owen Sound Sun Times

City news: Bluffs building help, fire truck sale, cemetery niche, more

6 min read

A pilot project will be extended in which Owen Sound building department staff will continue to provide building permit and inspection services for Georgian Bluffs.  Also, city staff would support bylaw enforcement and any future short-term rental licensing program in the township by providing inspections and licences.  The pilot started in May to solve a […]

London Free Press

All aboard! Local town set to live-stream rail crossings to draw tourists

6 min read

The bells ring, the lights flash and the crossing gates descend, blocking the road and delaying drivers from reaching their destination. Though it can be inconvenient to idle while a locomotive pulls freight cars, sometimes stretching for several kilometres, to train enthusiasts, passing trains are the destination and a Southwestern Ontario town’s new tourism venture […]

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.