Editorial

Virtual meeting Thursday on recycling batteries in state

Whether it’s small single-use batteries, household rechargeable batteries or large batteries for electric vehicles, disposal can pose a significant safety risk to people and the planet. Conversely, batteries contain valuable materials that, when properly managed, can be returned to the supply chain to realize substantial environmental, economic and social benefits. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is launching a Battery Circularity Program to improve how batteries are collected, recycled and reprocessed across the state. By using recycled materials, ...

Editorial cartoon for Feb. 25, 2026

Suggestions to stem the spread of invasive species

Invasive species have become such a significant problem that it’s likely the average person can name one with little difficulty, not just casually but in close proximity to where they live. Glossy buckthorn. Eurasian watermilfoil. Wild parsnip. Garlic mustard. Zebra and now quagga mussels. Starlings. English sparrows. That proliferation doesn’t mean invasive species can’t — or shouldn't — be battled to stop them from becoming more established in the region. This is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, an event guided by the North American Invasive Species Management ...

Editorial cartoon for Feb. 24, 2026

GOP in UP at each other’s throats over endorsement

Wow. That’s what a great many Upper Peninsula residents likely said early last week when a festering behind-the-scenes Republican Party dust up over who’s endorsing whom in the upcoming 2026 elections burst into the public arena as a full-fledged mud slinger. With epithets most often expected from the elected culture warriors in Washington, D.C., and less often Lansing, state Sen. Ed McBroom, joined by state Reps. Greg Markkanen and Karl Bohnak, ripped into U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman for his endorsement of former state Rep. Beau LaFave for McBroom’s job. McBroom, from Waucedah ...

Editorial cartoon for Feb. 23, 2026