Workers filling potholes with tar
Transportation

Michigan Municipal League suggests delivery tax to help fund local roads

By |

By Victoria Witke A proposal would impose a 50-cent per delivery “retail delivery tax” to raise about $275 million a year to fix local streets. We hear from the Michigan Municipal League, which is floating the idea, and the Michigan Retailers Association and Small Business Association of Michigan which call it a no-go. An Ann Arbor legislator on the subcommittee that handles transportation funding says the money is badly needed.

Senator Jon Bumstead poses for a portrait phot
Solutions

Gun safety bill would add firearm education for middle and high school students 

By |

By Katie Finkbeiner
A group of Democratic and Republican senators want to bring gun safety instruction into middle and high schools with DNR-certified instructors. The lead sponsor, from North Muskegon, said the program would improve gun safety among youth and perhaps increase the ranks of young hunters. Cosponsors include senators from Detroit, Harbor Springs, Manton and Mount Pleasant and Six Lakes. A U-M expert discusses.

A person stands in front of a mural of a frog
Art

Toledo’s community art highlights importance of native plants for safe drinking water

By |

By Clara Lincolnhol

Toledo, Ohio, has a rich Rust Belt history that influences its present-day culture. Local environmental groups and agencies are turning to public art to teach residents that the area’s natural history is just as important.

“Telling this story through something visual that beautifies a community is a great way to educate Toledo residents and reconnect them to nature in the place they call home, said Rob Krain,” executive director for the Black Swamp Conservancy.

A lab person handling vials used for blood testing
Water

CDC awards biomonitoring grants to Great Lakes states; Future funding unclear

By |

By Isabella Figueroa 

New grants to Great Lakes states to measure harmful chemicals in marginalized communities are facing uncertainty under increased White House scrutiny on federal spending.

In September 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded a first round of $5 million across six state biomonitoring programs that measure chemicals in people. Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin were among the states receiving grants.

Aerial view of high school football field
Recreation

Artificial turf trend continues in high schools amid safety considerations

By |

By Donté Smith

Artificial turf fields are becoming a hallmark at high schools across the state with the Michigan High School Athletic Association reporting around 100 high schools now playing on them.

A study by the University Hospitals Sports Medicine Institute and Case Western Reserve University showed athletes were 58% more likely to sustain an injury during athletic activities on artificial turf, compared to natural surfaces, with significantly higher injury rates observed in football, soccer and rugby.

A photo showing the downtown area of Detroit from above
Climate

Hotter temperatures worsen health inequalities in Detroit

By |

By Ayushya Gautam

Big buildings, concrete and roads paint Detroit, just as they do other cities across the country. As a result, the city’s temperature also tends to be hotter than in nearby communities.

Cities are prone to the heat island effect, a phenomenon in which urban areas experience more heat than rural or even nearby suburban areas due to the concentration of infrastructure.

A goose and its babies walk across an open green field
Wildlife

More goose poop, more problems

By |

By Clara Lincolnhol

Chris Compton, owner of a company called Goose Busters, has spent nearly 30 years addressing human-goose conflicts. Over the years, the goose population has continued to grow, especially in more populated areas, he said.

“We have them all over,” he said. “They’re building up in Lansing quite a bit. Ann Arbor’s a big area. Troy, Detroit, Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills too.” 

That also means there’s a lot of goose poop. One adult goose can produce up to two pounds of feces a day. Too much waste could cause environmental problems, research shows.

Climate

Many elderly Ohioans feel unprepared for severe weather, study finds

By |

By Clara Lincolnhol
Ohio took a beating from a record-breaking 73 tornadoes in 2024. Twisters and other severe weather events are becoming more common in the Midwest due to climate change, and seniors are more at risk. As the threat from major storms grows, roughly one in five older adults living in central Ohio say they feel unprepared or uncertain of their readiness for a severe weather event, according to a recent study conducted by The Ohio State University. The study surveyed more than 1,400 individuals aged 65 and older living in eight counties to gauge their preparedness for a severe weather event. Questions were based on storm-readiness recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 
Overall, 78% of participants said they felt prepared for severe weather, 13% said they did not and 9% felt unsure. 
The study also asked individuals if severe weather caused them significant life disruptions, such as preventing them from getting to doctor’s appointments or from accessing medication or other vital supplies.

Waste

EPA restricts use of chemicals used in dry cleaning, brake cleaners 

By |

By Elinor Epperson
The Environmental Protection Agency has banned the use of perchloroethylene in dry cleaning processes. The chemical will be phased out over a 10-year period. 
The EPA has banned all uses of trichloroethylene (TCE) and most uses of perchloroethylene (PCE). Those are cancer-causing chemicals used in a variety of consumer products and industrial processes. TCE is used in spray coatings for arts and crafts, for example. The new rules will ban both chemicals from all consumer products, most within a year, according to the EPA.