In today's newsletter, overtime at prisons taking toll, what a father and son’s death certificates revealed and stay in a retired 1912 train car. |
How was your holiday weekend? |
While combing through stories from over the weekend and deciding what would make it into today’s newsletter, I was fascinated by some unique Fourth of July traditions and celebrations that took place across the state. In Jackson, 89-year-old Phil Hull put his antique tractor collection on display at his family farm for everyone to admire for the 10th year in a row. The city also saw hundreds gather at Cascade Falls Park for the annual fireworks display. Both Fenton and East Grand Rapids hosted mesmerizing water shows. East Grand Rapids celebrated Independence Day with a performance by the Grand City Show Skiers while The Silver Lake Ski Club captivated community members at Silver Lake Park in Fenton. |
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The Silver Lake Ski Club performs at the Freedom Festival Ski Show in Fenton on Thursday, July 3, 2025. The club has been a staple in the community since 1960. (Lukas Katilius | MLive.com) |
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ICE arrests in Michigan jumped 154% since Trump took office |
Immigration arrests have spiked in Michigan, and across the country, since President Donald Trump took office under a promise to enact the “largest deportation operation in American history.” Before Trump’s second term, ICE was arresting between two to three people a day in the state. But that has been climbing since January, with immigration agents detaining roughly an average of 12 people a day during the first two weeks of June. Since Jan. 20, ICE has arrested 940 people in Michigan – nearly outpacing the 951 people detained last year. More in public interest: WKAR, an East Lansing public broadcasting network affiliated with Michigan State University (MSU), has laid off nine positions, according to reporting by the station. |
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10-year double in overtime at Michigan prisons taking toll on guards and inmates |
The staffing crisis in Michigan’s prisons has led to an explosion of overtime hours clocked by the state’s correctional officers. In the span of 10 years, overtime hours have nearly doubled. Officers worked a total of just over 1.4 million hours of overtime in 2013. In 2023 the total hours worked ballooned to more than 2.3 million hours, records show. In 2023, MDOC paid $112.5 million – about 6% of its budget – in overtime alone. Corrections officers maintain order in the prison system, and with the shortage, morale has weakened within their ranks, and tensions between officers and prisoners lead to increasingly more dangerous encounters. To know: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer granted seven clemency requests, including sentence reductions for four people serving life terms for murder. The three pardons and four sentence commutations issued Thursday, July 3, were based on recommendations from the Michigan Parole Board. |
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Isle Royale campers: What a father and son’s death certificates revealed |
“Pending law enforcement investigation.” Those four words have been hoisted often in the last few weeks, used to explain the silence from federal authorities and the National Park Service following the bodies of two campers being found on Isle Royale last month. The first new details were released last week. Keweenaw County Medical Examiner Dr. Michael McAllister told MLive that murder-suicide was the suspected cause of the deaths, and that the victims were a father and a son. It was not clear who died first, he said. This week, local officials released the death certificates for the two men who died. While the information on these one-page sheets is scant, it does offer a small window into who they were. Relatives reached by other media outlets have so far declined to talk about the men. |
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Former NFL linebacker begins tenure as Michigan school district’s new superintendent |
A former NFL player who traded in his pads for a career in education has officially taken the helm at St. Charles Community Schools. Ron Stanley's first official day as the district’s superintendent was July 1. Stanley graduated from Saginaw High School in 2001 and received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, where he played football on a scholarship. He continued his football career in the NFL, playing as a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2005 to 2007. Speaking of scholarships: Pioneer High School 2025 graduate Calder Westerman is one of the five finalists for the Stuck at Prom Scholarship contest, which challenges students to create prom outfits made entirely from duct tape. Westerman's suit was inspired by his love of motor sports and career aspirations to work in that field. In baseball: Trey Sweeney hit a three-run home run as part of a six-run 10th inning to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. |
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Stay in this retired 1912 train car rock stars have used for a green room |
Love live music, wine, trains and history? Michigan’s second-oldest winery, Warner Vineyards, offers a unique place to stay onsite after an evening of wine tasting and perhaps even a live show at its onsite amphitheater. Those accommodations are a reimagined 1912 Canadian train car that has been located at the Paw Paw winery for over five decades. Back to life: The revitalization of a boutique hotel in Fennville received nearly $1 million in support from Michigan’s Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program. Steven’s Hotel in Fennville was one of two historic hotels in West Michigan that received a combined $2.5 million in RAP grants, according to a release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office. Replaced: A treasured Upper Peninsula landmark has a new chandelier hanging from its ornate ceiling more than 100 years after the original fell during a fire. Calumet Theatre is a Gilded Age opera house that became a movie palace and now serves as community hub for concerts and events. Opened in 1900, it was the first municipal opera house in the country. |
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Thank you for joining me on today's edition of the Morning Briefing. As always, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. If you value the work of our journalists, consider becoming a subscriber. Cara has you covered for the rest of the week! - Jamie Rewerts |
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