In today's newsletter, Magic Johnson awarded nation’s highest civilian honor, Michigan’s weather this week features Arctic Front and these Michigan universities have the best online master’s programs, national ranking says. |
Let's get ready for some winter fun |
Colder temperatures and snow are on the way to parts of Michigan this week, making it the perfect time to enjoy a few winter activities. If you have any young anglers in your life, mark your calendar for free children's ice fishing lessons at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Held throughout January and February, the workshops will cover fishing skills, safety measures, and fishing regulations. For a unique experience at one of four luge tracks in the country, get ready to head to the Muskegon Adventure Sports Park. It's the only kunstbahn track (German for artificial track) made from natural ice and not refrigerated. |
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SkyBridge Michigan is showing off all its twinkles with this winter's Lights in the Sky illumination display. (Photo provided by Boyne Mountain) |
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Is Michigan’s political landscape ready for independent run for governor? Experts think so. |
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s decision to ditch his Democratic affiliation and run as an independent for governor in 2026 is unconventional. The important question, however, is: Is the political landscape in Michigan ready for an independent candidate? Some experts say the political landscape is “ripe” for a third well-known choice on the ballot. An estimated 3 million people will receive an increase to their Social Security payments thanks to a bill that was signed into law Sunday by President Joe Biden. The Social Security Fairness Act removes a pair of provisions that limited Social Security payments for those who also receive pensions from their current or former employers, according to the Associated Press. Four years later: On the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters called on Americans to come together despite political differences to uphold democracy. |
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Magic Johnson awarded nation’s highest civilian honor |
Honored: Magic Johnson may be the most famous among the more than 500,000 living Michigan State alumni worldwide. The legendary basketball player turned billionaire businessman added the nation’s highest civilian honor to his resume on Saturday when President Joe Biden awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Opponents all set: The Detroit Lions just put the bows on their best regular season in franchise history. And while they aren’t done yet, with more games to play in the postseason, let’s take a look ahead at who they will face next year. Detroit Lions coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are drawing a ton of interest as the head-coaching carousel kicks off. The Chicago Bears requested an interview with Johnson and Glenn for their head-coaching vacancy to start the day. And now the pair of coordinators are drawing interest from the AFC East. |
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Michigan’s weather this week features Arctic Front, eventual Alberta Clipper snow |
What's ahead: We don’t have any large-scale winter storm in the cards this work week here in Michigan. We do have a strong cold front that will march south across Michigan. The meaningful snow this week will all be confined to the lake-effect variety of snow. This means any heavy snow will fall from southwest Lower, west of Grand Rapids, northward along the Lake Michigan shoreline into the Grand Traverse region. Eventually a widespread snow may sweep into Michigan late this weekend. Getting icy: We are just starting the Great Lakes' ice season. The Great Lakes' water temperatures have been running warmer than normal for most of 2024, and are still warmer than any January 6 in recent history. The total ice amount on all of the Great Lakes combined is now only 2.29 percent. A huge swath of the U.S. was blasted with ice, snow and wind on Monday as the polar vortex that dipped south over the weekend kept an area stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the coast of Maine in its frigid grip, making many roads treacherous, forcing school closures, and causing widespread power outages and flight cancellations. |
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These Michigan universities have the best online master’s programs, ranking says |
Numerous Michigan universities and colleges saw recognition for having the best online master’s degree programs in the state, according to the national Online Master’s Colleges publication. The rankings released a list for 2024 that honors the Best Online Master’s Programs in Michigan, highlighting 19 in-state institutions for having affordable tuition, expert instructors and solid retention and graduation rates. Getting recognition: Kalamazoo native Tinashe Chaponda was named to the Forbes “30 under 30″ list in the advertising and marketing category. Chaponda was recognized for his work at Los Angeles-based Sosani Studios, an influencer marketing company he founded in 2020. Improvements needed: Just over a dozen K-12 schools in Washtenaw County have been among Michigan’s lowest-performing over the last few years, according to three state watch lists that help identify schools needing extra support. But under the latest reports tracking progress, most of the impacted schools haven’t improved enough to come off the lists. |
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Discover Sleeping Bear Dunes after dark at family-friendly night hikes |
Take a trek: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park rangers are inviting guests of all ages to come see the park in an entirely new light, moonlight. Families with elementary and middle school-aged children are invited for the family-friendly night hikes taking place four times this winter. In the air: Boyne Mountain’s popular SkyBridge has been a destination - even in winter - for the last couple of years. But now the resort is bringing back its popular SkyBridge Snowshoe Suppers on Saturdays for the rest of the season, pairing this fun trek across the world’s largest timber-towered suspension bridge with an outdoor adventure that ends in a great meal. Great outdoors: Nestled among old-growth pines and hemlocks just south of downtown Munising, you’ll find the picturesque Wagner Falls. The 20-foot waterfall is a short walk from the road, and you’ll travel down a scenic boardwalk surrounded by trees. At the end of the boardwalk is an observation area that gives visitors a great view of the falls. |
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We will be back bright and early tomorrow morning with more top stories. Until then, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. If you value the work of our journalists, consider becoming a subscriber. See you tomorrow! — Cara Hackett |
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