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In May, Traverse City cleared “The Pines,” a homeless encampment near Division and 11th streets. Officials promised residents would have places to go - like Safe Harbor or the Goodwill Inn. But did that happen?

Activists said the facility, now open as an immigration detention center, is a profit-driven system that exploits vulnerable communities and called for its closure.

By Anna Barnes After seven years of planning, a new marine sanctuary now protects a portion of Lake Ontario rich with history and shipwrecks. The community-driven designation aims to benefit the area through preservation, economic development and conservation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates marine sanctuaries to preserve sites with national significance, such as […]

The post New marine sanctuary spotlights a ‘submerged museum’ on Lake Ontario  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Victor Wooddell Capital News Service The 2023-24 winter was the warmest on record in the U.S. with average temperatures throughout the state above freezing, with close to average precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center shows that average daily maximum temperatures in the Midwest were several degrees […]

The post Michigan tourism preps for a colder winter first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Georgia Hill Two men who admitted conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud await sentencing for cheating 22 investors out of more than $2 million from June 2016 to April 2018. Former Pittsburgh resident Jonathan Freeze and Kevin Carney of Euclid, Ohio, have pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh. Freeze, Carney, and a […]

The post Fraudsters face sentencing in fake green energy venture  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Clara Lincolnhol As the gales of November approach, social media users are channeling an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck as tongue-in-cheek inspiration for a new fall aesthetic. It began with a video comedian Django Gold posted to TikTok in September. “Brat Summer is over. It’s time for Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Fall,” Gold says […]

The post How an infamous Great Lakes shipwreck became trendy on TikTok first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Isabella Figueroa Student researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin are among the winners of an Environmental Protection Agency contest for innovations in sustainability. The EPA established the People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition to support teams of undergraduate and graduate students working to develop solutions to environmental and […]

The post Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Red highlighted areas on this map indicate Michigan townships that contain critical dunes. Image: Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and EnergyBy Clara Lincolnhol Michigan’s towering freshwater sand dunes make up a one-of-a-kind natural resource and the largest collection of freshwater dunes on the planet. But environmentalists say the state’s legal protections are vague and leave […]

The post Lawmakers plan bills to protect Michigan sand dunes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Elinor Epperson Capital News Service It’s been one year since Michigan Democrats introduced legislation that would significantly change the state’s environmental regulations. But those bills are stuck in committee. Election distractions, negotiation, and a slim Democratic majority in the state House have kept a suite of polluter-pay bills in limbo, according to environmental advocates […]

The post Industry opposition, partisan politics slow polluter-pay bills first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Donté Smith Capital News Service The digital divide remains a pressing issue for Michigan’s rural communities, where broadband access lags due to challenging geography and limited infrastructure. Jason Hamel, the operations manager and product assembler for Hower Tree Baler Corp. in Merritt, says current dial-up connection speeds in the area “aren’t worth it.” “It […]

The post Efforts to bridge digital divide expand in Michigan’s rural areas first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Victor Wooddell Capital News Service Animal shelters in Michigan are at capacity, even while facing staff and resource shortages. According to experts, more animals are being abandoned and too few pet owners are having their animals spayed or neutered. In 2020, adoption rates soared due to pandemic-related stay-at-home orders across the country, according to […]

The post Animal shelters struggle with challenges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

By Donté Smith Capital News Service In the rolling farmland of southern Michigan’s Hillsdale County, the Crescent Wind Farm towers over the landscape, generating renewable energy while stirring both hope and contention among residents. The wind farm, operated by Consumers Energy in Adams, Moscow and Wheatland townships, is part of the state’s growing push to meet […]

The post Crescent Wind Farm fuels push for greener Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.