Morning Briefing

FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2025

In today's newsletter, see if your county's population grew last year, Michigan has $37M in unclaimed tax refunds expiring soon, and Michigan spots beat out Georgia and Oregon for country’s top flower festivals.

Let's get ready for some weekend fun

One of my favorite things about weekends is the extra time it gives me to try out recipes I've saved on Pinterest or to swing by a new neighborhood restaurant.

If you would rather leave the cooking to someone else this weekend, check out a few restaurants that were recently featured on our Michigan's Best or Local Eats pages. Need to bring the kiddos with you? Check out these family-friendly options in Washtenaw County.

If your weekend plans involves a bit of drinking for St. Patrick's Day, AAA is offering its “Tow to Go” program as a last resort for residents who would otherwise not have a safe way to get home.

Curated by Cara Hackett

An anonymous Yooper shared this photograph from March 6 with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, where scientists confirmed it is a cougar cub. (Michigan Department of Natural Resources)

Most Michigan counties grew in population last year. See if yours was one of them.

Seeing growth: Michigan saw 55 counties — almost 67% of the state — increase in population last year, according to new Vintage 2024 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The state had a total net gain of 57,103 residents in 2024 — from 10,083,356 in 2023 to 10,140,459, up 0.6%.

On the other end, 27 counties saw a decline, with Luce County shrinking the most. Its small population of 6,328 lost 61 residents. By net loss, Huron County’s 163-person decrease was the largest in the state, leaving it with a population of 30,780. Iosco County was the only one in the state to show no growth or decline, matching its population of 25,361 for the second consecutive year.

A sixth Michigan child died after being sickened by influenza. The flu-associated death was reported to the state by the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency during the week ending March 1.

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Cougar cubs found in Michigan for first time in more than a century

On the prowl: Scientists confirmed on Wednesday that a pair of wild cat cubs spotted on March 6 by a couple of Yooper motorists in Ontonagon County were cougars, approximately 7 to 9 weeks old. Officials said this is the first time cougar cubs have been verified in the state since the big cats were hunted out of existence in Michigan in the early 1900s.

The Trump administration announced pollution and climate regulation rollbacks at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that target, among other things, the agency’s landmark finding that greenhouse gas emissions harm public health. In a March 12 video, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced 31 different actions to weaken bedrock environmental rules that restrict pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks and power plants, and prevent the degradation of wetlands and source waters.

On the water: Michigan Department of Natural Resources revamped its boat launch directory, the Michigan Boating Facility Finder (MiBFF), with an interactive map and list option for boaters to scroll through more than 1,000 boat launch sites.

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Michigan has $37M in unclaimed tax refunds expiring soon, IRS says. How to see if you’re on the list

Tax refunds: The IRS says an estimated $1 billion in tax refunds from the 2021 tax year will soon become property of the U.S. Treasury if 1.1 million taxpayers don’t claim their money soon, The Hill reports. In Michigan, it comes to more than $37.3 million in unclaimed 2021 refunds for 40,300 Michiganders; the median refund is $854, the report said. Those numbers do not include tax credits you may have qualified for, like the Earned Income Tax Credit that was worth up to $6,728 that year.

New stores: The leadership team at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet isn’t just interested in closeout merchandise deals. The discount retailer announced last month it has purchased the leases for 63 former Big Lots locations nationwide with plans to open stores in those spaces this year.

A casino gaming company is shutting down a Michigan facility, leading to a layoff of nearly 100 employees. On Feb. 25, LNW Gaming, Inc. announced plans to lay off 92 employees due to the closure of its Farmington Hills facility. The layoffs will begin on April 27, according to a notice the company filed through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

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Michigan House to MHSAA: Keep transgender girls out of female high school sports

Some Democrats joined House Republicans Wednesday in passing a resolution that urges the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) to align its transgender athlete participation policy with President Donald Trump’s February executive order. The order aims to ban transgender women from female sports across all educational levels.

The Detroit Lions: The 2025 NFL free agency period is underway, and slowly but surely, the Detroit Lions have begun making moves —adding free-agent talent and re-signing some of their own. With several roster holes still to fill — some at the starting level, others for depth — here are five potential fits for the Lions at some point in free agency.

Listen in: The Spartans and Wolverines head to Indianapolis with the same goal — winning the Big Ten Tournament — but in much different places. MLive’s college basketball beat writers preview the event on the latest episode of the Wolverine Confidential podcast.

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Michigan spots beat out Georgia and Oregon for country’s top flower festivals

Flower power: Two of the top spots in the entire country for flower festivals are located in Michigan. Both Holland and Mackinac Island rank near the top of USA Today’s 10Best List for Best Flower Festivals in the U.S. Coming in at No. 5 on the list is Tulip Time in Holland. The 2025 event takes place from May 2 - 11. Ranked just ahead of the Tulip Time Festival at No. 3 on the list is Mackinac Island’s annual Lilac Festival, which takes place from Friday, June 13 - Sunday, June 15 this year.

For the night owls: The third annual U.P. Dark Sky Festival is scheduled for April 24-26 at the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park in Copper Harbor. It coincides with International Dark Sky Week, April 21-28. Only 50 tickets are available. Registration is $250 per person. The historic Keweenaw Mountain Lodge will host the event for stargazers, astro-photographers and anyone interested in the night sky.

Spring has sprung: They aren’t the flashiest of birds, but they are harbingers of spring in Michigan. Keep your eyes and ears open for red-winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes, Canada geese and turkey vultures. These early migrants are already making their appearance after spending the cold winter months in warmer climates.

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Another week is in the books.

Thanks for starting your day with the Morning Briefing. I'm glad you're here.

We will be back on Monday with more top stories. Until then, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber.

See you next week!

- Cara Hackett

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