Great Lakes

Pandemic lockdown created clean air gains

The same pandemic that restricts travel and manufacturing is having a measurable impact on decreasing air pollution in parts of the Great Lakes region, experts say.

Clearing the air over northern Michigan pollution

By Kurt Williams

Air quality in northern Michigan was bad on Jan., 21. At least that’s what the weather app on Sharon Emery’s phone reported. The ominous warning “Unhealthy Air Quality for Sensitive Groups” hung above the day’s current conditions of clear skies and 27 degrees. Emery has a place in Cheboygan, on the shore of Lake Huron in northern Michigan. It’s not  known for poor air quality, especially in winter.

Drones raise issue: Who controls prison airspace?

State officials say that Michigan prisons are buzzed by drones almost weekly as people try to get cell phones, drugs and other contraband to inmates. State lawmakers want to ban flights over prisons, but they’re stepping on the toes of the FAA which regulates the nation’s airspace.