It seems that every day more news arrives on how social media has been misused, often for nefarious purposes. What follows here is yet another example of this misuse. Michigan Treasury Department officials and local assessors report a surge in inquiries from residents who have read on social ...

Legislation churning its way through the Senate right now, if enacted, would take a good step toward improving transparency of government here in the Great Lakes State, but still falls short of a complete home run. It’s a rare phenomenon that doesn’t tend to happen very often these days, ...

Although there are many ways a downtown in particular can improve its appearance, facades provide some of the most visible means to looking better, particularly to tourists. Residents already know what’s inside a building, but a business with an attractive outside is more likely to draw in ...

It didn’t take Ed McBroom very long to get involved with substantive matters that are important, we believe, to many in the state, namely transparency in public bodies doing the public’s business with public dollars. McBroom is sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution E, which would open to the ...

Eastern Michigan University last year made some tough cuts to its athletic programs to meet the demands of a tight budget and declining enrollment. In return, the university got sued for a Title IX violation. Universities must follow federal law, but they also have an obligation to taxpayers ...

Michigan residents have an opportunity to support young people in need and do it with only modest financial commitment. The Fostering Futures Scholarship Fund is tied to state income tax returns, according to a Michigan Department of Treasury poress release. Residents filing their Michigan ...

Local ad seen recently: “3-bedroom, 2-bath for rent. Cheap, move in ready.” The photo? An area pothole. Ha, ha, groan. Any Michigander with a driver’s license grudgingly gets the joke, as potholes join the joyous spring rites we count on, like flooded basements and dandelions. But ...

Since 2010, more than $2.4 billion of federal money has been allocated to support cleanup efforts and other projects in the Great Lakes region. Some people may question whether that investment was worth the return. We’ll respond by saying: without a doubt. The Great Lakes Restoration ...

Last year, the Michigan Regional Poison Control Center responded to more than 60,000 calls related to potential poisonings; 46 percent involving children under the age of six. To raise awareness of the dangers of potentially poisonous medicines and chemicals, the Michigan Department of Health ...

Pump the brakes, you unemployed miners — at least for now. Last week’s headline that Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. isn’t ready to reopen the Empire Mine probably wasn’t the news folks wanted to hear, but there is some hope on the horizon. Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves made the announcement ...

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took a step back toward Michigan’s Lost Decade in her first budget proposal, seeking to alter one of the key tax reforms that helped make the state competitive for jobs and investment. The governor proposes extending the 6 percent corporate income tax on most privately ...

In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that measles was eliminated in the U.S. This meant that there had been no continuous transmission of the disease in over 12 months within any region of our country. This was a remarkable achievement given that in the years ...

With the recent change to daylight saving time, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reminds motorists to watch out for pedestrians, joggers, and bicyclists. Sunrise occurs one hour later, meaning that it will be darker later in the morning. “Driving through school zones becomes ...

Isle Royale has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, something we suspect a great many people thought already had happened. The nomination covers not only the main island proper but more than 450-plus islands and surrounding waters in Northern Lake Superior. Isle Royale ...

This week’s bouquets go to: From the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign 2018: Escanaba Salvation Army has had another great year of support from our community. Our 2018 Christmas Campaign, the Red Kettle Campaign, wrapped up with a total of $89,223 donated by in our community. ...

Employment scams were the riskiest scams in 2018, according to the latest report from the Better Business Bureau. Employment scams had more instances and higher losses than in previous years when it ranked the third riskiest. The report is based on data supplied by consumers to BBB Scam ...

As the 2020 presidential race heats up and declared candidates start looking around for viable running mates, some experts are predicting that the Democratic Party ticket will include a woman. After all, record numbers of women were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and it ...

For eight years, Republicans held complete control of the government in Michigan, a state that has significantly more Democratic voters and overwhelmingly supported that party’s presidential candidates during the same period. Give much of the credit to Ron Weiser. The just retired ...

Michigan’s new “Emergency Vehicle Caution Law” — also known as the “Move Over Law” — took effect this month. Drivers now must slow to 10 mph below the posted speed limit when passing any stopped emergency vehicle: ambulances, police cruisers, fire trucks or wreckers. Anyone who ...

Wanna start an uproar? Churn up the waters? Institute an alcohol ban on parts of some of Michigan’s prettiest, most popular paddling rivers. Backlash to the Huron-Manistee National Forest ban announced early this month was swift and sure, and within a week of the announcement, the rule ...