Take steps to stop spread of oak wilt
It’s time to leave those oak trees alone. Due to the possibility of beetles spreading oak wilt fungus from tree to tree, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources advises homeowners and landowners not to trim or prune any oak trees from mid-April to mid-July. Sap-feeding nitidulid beetles are most active during this period and can transfer spores from infected trees to healthy trees through wounds, the DNR states in a news release. Recent research at Michigan State University indicates that in Michigan, oak wilt infection risk peaks in May and June. The DNR recommends that ...
Almanac for April 27, 2026
Today is Monday, April 27, the 117th day of 2026. There are 248 days left in the year. Today in history: In 2011, during the four-day Super Outbreak, 112 tornadoes touched down across the southeastern United States, killing 319 people in the deadliest day of tornadoes in the U.S. since 1925. Also on this date: In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines as he attempted to expand Spanish colonization in the region. In 1813, the Battle of York took place in Upper Canada (modern-day Ontario) during the War of 1812 as U.S. forces ...
All redistricting reformers are hypocrites
Hypocrisy was triumphant, as it usually is in arguments over redistricting, in Virginia this week as voters approved a "fairness" constitutional amendment allowing the Democratic-majority legislature to enact a congressional districting plan that is expected to increase Democrats' edge in its ...
Almanac for April 25, 2026
Today is Saturday, April 25, the 115th day of 2026. There are 250 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1898, the United States Congress declared war against Spain. The 16-week Spanish-American War resulted in an American victory, after which the U.S. took possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. Also on this date: In 1507, a world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contained the first recorded use of the term "America," in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. In 1859, ground was broken in Egypt for construction of the Suez ...