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Bridge bill one last parting shot from Casperson

A proposed bill would expand the mission and focus of the 1952 charter for the Mackinac Bridge Authority, giving it the ability to take ownership of a tunnel housing Line 5 for Enbridge, should be scrapped. The bill, dropped in early November into the state senate by Sen. Tom Casperson — long known for his dislike of anything that protects the environment — is being fast-tracked through the legislature in hopes that it will be a done deal before the end of this year, when current Gov. Rick Snyder leaves office. Everything about this plan, part of a backroom deal between Snyder ...

Lame ducks pick on kids to ‘get tough’ on crime

It would be easier to praise Michigan lawmakers for doing the right thing if the bad things they do were not so breathtakingly awful. The Senate Government Operations committee last week did what everyone — the business lobby in particular — expected it to do and, on a party-line vote, gutted the citizen initiatives to raise the minimum wage and to mandate paid sick leave. After activists raised hundreds of thousands of signatures to get the two issues on the November ballot, the Legislature acted quickly to pass the two initiatives. The One Fair Wage initiative would have raised ...

STEP educates students before disaster strikes

Michigan may not get the kind of killer — literally in many cases — weather events that many parts of the country often experience. But we get more than our share of blistering winter storms and the occasional flood — ask the folks in the Copper Country about that. That’s why we think a program offered by the Michigan State Police is absolutely spot on. The MSP initiative is called the Student Tools for Emergency Planning, or STEP for short. Its principal goal is to offer elementary schools across the state the opportunity to enroll fifth-graders in a national program that ...

Protect yourself from flu during holiday season

It is not too late to get the flu vaccine. National Influenza Vaccination Week, Dec. 2-8, promotes awareness about the importance of the flu vaccine and provides a reminder to get the flu shot for those who have not done so yet this season. Annual flu vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from the flu. “The flu isn’t on anyone’s holiday wish list,” said Dr. Eden Wells, MDHHS chief medical executive. “It is important to get vaccinated now to protect yourself and your family. The vaccine is your best defense against the flu and will help reduce the severity of ...

Tiny plastics pose big threat to Great Lakes

Even at microscopic levels, plastics polluting our Great Lakes can be a very severe threat. Microbeads, or microplastics, are tiny plastic particles measuring less than 5 millimeters in size. They’re typically found in popular skin care products and toothpaste, and can also be the leftover pieces you’d find after larger products, such as plastic bags or synthetic clothing, are broken down. The little bits of material were a widely discussed topic of concern a few years back, with some calling on lawmakers to ban the microbeads as a step toward ensuring our waterways weren’t ...

Be vigilant of dangers, risks of meth

One of the less-celebrated designated days in November comes Friday, which is marked on the calendar as National Meth Awareness Day. Far too many in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula need little reminder of the dangers this powerful drug can pose and the havoc it can ravage on users and their families. As part of the Know Meth Awareness Day effort, the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse/Mental Health Coalition will join with organizations across Wisconsin to use the day as an opportunity to learn more about methamphetamine use and addiction — and what can be done to avoid the problem ...