What does the voice of the Great Lakes sound like?

Does all this water makes us talk the same? The communities of the Great Lakes region have long shared an environmental, industrial, commercial, recreational, cultural heritage. Echo claims the region has a shared news community. But a shared accent? That’s what Slate recently indicated in an article cleverly titled Vowel Movement: How Americans near the Great Lakes are radically changing the sound of English.

Environment reporter receives honor

Here at Echo we admire quality reporting on the environment, especially in the Great Lakes region. It looks like the Sierra Club does too. Journalist Jeff Alexander was recently honored for his in-depth environmental reporting by the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club. The group cited his investigation into changes in Michigan’s forestry management as an exemplar of the quality journalism he’s doing.  He’s also covered such issues as beach pollution and mining in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for Bridge Magazine. We’re a little partial to Alexander’s  Asian Carp Doomsday Clock, a feature he created on his blog, All Things Great Lakes, to track how close carp are to entering the Great Lakes.

Pet projects won’t restore the Great Lakes

Is yet another round of spending on an already restored artificial peninsula in Chicago the proper use for Great Lakes Restoration funds?

One thing you know when you live in Chicago, the city tends to get what it wants, protocol and prudence be damned.