In today's newsletter, Easter's weather forecast, Big Lots is reopening stores in Michigan and the Electric Forest festival is rolling out day passes. |
It's finally starting to feel like spring |
Michigan's weather is on track to slightly warm up this weekend, making it the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors. If you're ready to shake off our chilly start to the season and embrace springtime temps, check out these activities. Head to Charlevoix for mushroom hunting. The Northern Michigan town is home to unique mushroom houses and is a popular spot for morel hunting. Here is a guide to what you should know about finding the elusive mushroom before venturing into the woods. Try sleeping under the stars one night at one of Michigan's popular glamping sites. Two of Michigan's glamping campgrounds—Beaver Island Retreat and Glamp Michigan in Benzie County— are national contenders for Best Glamping in a USA Today poll. |
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Dropped into the remoteness of Beaver Island, glampers can experience the wild of dark skies while still sleeping comfortably on a queen memory foam mattress and bamboo sheets. (Photo Courtesy of Beaver Island Retreat / Photos by Captured Glimpses) |
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Michigan nonprofit hospitals receive $605M more in tax breaks than community giving |
Three-quarters of Michigan's nonprofit hospitals received $605 million more in tax breaks than they gave back to communities annually from 2020-2022, according to a new Lown Institute report. The University of Michigan Health-West had the largest deficit at $76 million, while some hospitals like Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services showed surpluses. Justin P. Hicks reports. Michigan hospitals spent just $4.6 million per hospital on community investments—the lowest rate among 20 states studied. Measles outbreak response: Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces criticism for his handling of measles outbreaks across the U.S., with experts pointing to delayed CDC guidance and mixed messaging about vaccines. Amanda Seitz reports that despite over 700 cases and two child deaths in Texas, Kennedy has deviated from established public health strategies, continuing to raise vaccine safety concerns while state and federal officials struggle to deliver a unified message on prevention. West Nile Virus prevention: Seven months after a case of West Nile Virus was confirmed in Burton, the city is moving forward with its first-ever mosquito control program, Nick Taylor reports. The Burton City Council unanimously approved a mosquito abatement program this month that’s already underway and could continue through September. |
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‘Legion of bark beetles’ expected to gobble Michigan’s ice-damaged trees |
Beetles on the way: An invasion of beetles is coming, and it will bring another wave of damage to the already battered Michigan Northwoods. Participants at last week’s annual Michigan Society of American Foresters conference in Bellaire discussed how bark and wood-boring beetles can be expected in a matter of months as the next environmental and economic disaster to strike up north forests. Powered up: The majority of the electricity that powers Ann Arbor’s city operations is generated by renewable energy sources, city officials announced Tuesday. Now at a total of 74 city sites, just over 70% of Ann Arbor’s overall electricity usage for its operations is generated from renewable energy sources pulled off the grid, officials said. One more thing: The University of Michigan and Michigan State University are among several top research universities and associations suing the federal government over funding cuts. The lawsuit aims to nullify a new U.S. Department of Energy policy change that university officials claim would “end or seriously jeopardize” research in many fields if they lose millions a year while the federal government looks to cut spending. |
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Michigan offers $50K prizes to students who complete FAFSA forms |
Cashing in: Michigan students who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for the first time can win up to $50,000 in a new state sweepstakes. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the “Ticket to Tuition” sweepstakes Wednesday, April 16, as part of an effort to increase FAFSA completion and connect more students with state and federal financial aid. New lawsuit: The University of Michigan is now a part of a class action lawsuit regarding alleged years of “gender-based pay disparities.” The lawsuit was filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on Tuesday, April 15, on behalf of over 300 current and former female physician assistants employed at Michigan Medicine, Northville-based plaintiff attorney Sarah Prescott said in a release. Ten international students from Western Michigan University, Michigan State University and three schools in other states have sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in federal court, arguing that their permission to remain in the United States was terminated illegally, reports Matthew Miller. |
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Large hail, damaging 60 mph winds will be Friday’s biggest severe weather threats |
Friday forecast: Friday’s summer-like warmth in the bottom half of the Lower Peninsula will be followed by a severe weather threat as a slow-moving cold front meanders through later in the day. Large hail and damaging wind gusts topping 60 mph are the main threats that could be embedded in this storm system, the National Weather Service said. Heating up: Get ready for an amazingly warm feel to develop quickly Friday afternoon. From Saginaw to Mount Pleasant to Big Rapids and southward the afternoon temperatures should soar to the 75 degree to 80 degree range. We may not hit 80 degrees anywhere in southern Lower Michigan, but 78 degrees is very likely. Ice storm aftermath: A bill to put $75 million in state money toward disaster relief efforts in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula following recent, historic ice storms has advanced in the state House. The House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday, April 16, advancing it to the House for consideration. |
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TSA deadline nears for travelers to be Real ID compliant when flying |
Get ready to travel: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reminding travelers that the deadline to become Real ID-compliant for air travel is fast approaching. Starting May 7, TSA security checkpoints will no longer accept state-issued identifications, including driver’s licenses, that are not REAL ID-compliant. See historic homes: Muskegon's Flashlight Tour is back at the Hackley and Hume Historic Sites for two nights only, 8-9 p.m. Friday, April 25 and Oct. 10. Guides from the Lakeshore Museum Center will guide you through the 1880s homes with insight into the artistry, decor, and lifestyle of the prominent lumber barons Charles H. Hackley and Thomas Hume. Great outdoors: To celebrate National Park Week, Campspot, a Grand Rapids-based booking platform for private campgrounds, dug into traveler data to reveal the 15 most-searched National Parks for 2025. The ranking is based on check-in dates throughout the year. Among the parks on the list is Indiana Dunes National Park on Lake Michigan, checking in at No. 13. |
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Hang in there, we are one day closer to the weekend! As always, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber. See you tomorrow! - Cara Hackett |
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