Michigan

Michigan DOT Set to Launch $1 Billion Highway Widening Project

The Michigan Department of Transportation will start a $1 billion, 14-year construction project later this year, on I-75, north of Detroit. Some community members are still wondering if the project is necessary.

February 25, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Detroit's Business Community Ties Its Fate to Detroit's Neighborhoods

The Detroit Regional Chamber made an explicit show of solidarity with the concerns of neighborhood revitalization in the many neighborhoods of the city.

February 24, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Ten States Could Hike Gas Taxes this Year

With gas prices the lowest since 2009, ten state legislatures and governors consider raising state gas taxes, though many are accompanied by fiscally questionable tax shifts. Some tried and failed last year. All of the proposed increases are modest.

February 24, 2016 - Tax Justice Blog

Study: Location Matters for Farmers' Markets

Research conducted in Flint, Michigan, found that changing the location of the local farmers' market had a dramatic effect in how residents shopped.

February 23, 2016 - NPR

Detroit - Renaissance Center

The Portrayal of Detroit Through 'Ruin Porn' Fails To Tell The Full Story

Do the stylized pictures of crumbling edifices and the recent incorporation of a vacant home in an art show do a disservice to the residents—mostly poor and black—who still call Detroit home?

February 22, 2016 - The Guardian

Detroit Announces New Program to Jumpstart Mortgages

Low property values continue to stunt the comeback of Detroit—so the city and a group of banks have created a program to guarantee 1,000 mortgages in the city.

February 21, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

America's Coast-to-Coast Toxic Crisis

Flint, Michigan is not an anomaly.

February 19, 2016 - TomDispatch

Detroit Gets Another Round of Property Tax Reductions

In an effort to bring relief to homeowners, the city will reduce property taxes on 95 percent of the city's residential properties.

February 4, 2016 - The Detroit News

Big Development Investments Expected to Follow New Detroit Red Wings Arena

Developers are predicting that the new $627.5 million arena to house the Detroit Red Wings, paid for with both private and public money, will spur another $596 million of investment in the neighborhood.

February 2, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

How the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Failed the People of Flint

While blame squarely lays with Michigan state officials, agencies, and possibly Gov. Rick Snyder himself, the EPA also played a role by both detecting the cause of the problem but not acting on the reports of improper treatment of river water.

January 31, 2016 - Huffington Post

First Step to Restoring Drinking Water for Flint—Coat the Existing Pipes

Gov. Rick Snyder (R-Mich.) announced on Wednesday that the state is working to ensuring safe tap water for Flint residents. While there is no schedule to replace the corroded lead pipes, they are being treated to prevent further lead leaching.

January 30, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Excessive Lead in Drinking Water Spread to Ohio

Learning from the mishaps shown by state regulatory agencies in Michigan, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency wasted no time in beginning a criminal investigation resulting from reports of concentrations of high lead levels in some Ohio homes.

January 27, 2016 - WFMJ-TV

The Erosion of Public Trust

The damage caused by Michigan environmental agencies charged with protecting public health extend far beyond Flint. Residents suffering health effects from a huge natural gas leak in Southern California see parallels with the lead poisoning crisis.

January 26, 2016 - The New York Times

Detroit Seeking a New Vision for its East Riverfront

The city of Detroit will review the presentations of seven finalists tasked with creating a new vision for the east riverfront—a part of Detroit poised for redevelopment momentum.

January 25, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

GM Announces Renovation of Detroit's Iconic Renaissance Center

Detroit's most iconic building, the Renaissance Center, will soon get a major upgrade.

January 23, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Detroit’s Rosa Parks Transit Center Not Living Up To Its Name

Inside the efforts to clean up and improve the centerpiece of Detroit’s transit system.

January 18, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Illustrating the Toxicity of Flint's Water Supply

The Washington Post shows why the Flint water crisis is so concerning for the health of the residents affected.

January 16, 2016 - The Washington Post

Michigan Governor Finds Himself at Center of Flint Water Crisis

A case is made that Gov. Rick Snyder's handling of the lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan is analogous to former President George W. Bush's bungling of the crisis resulting after Hurricane Katrina touched-down on the Gulf coast in August 2005.

January 14, 2016 - MSNBC

Motorcycle No Helmet

The High Cost of 'Motorcycle Freedom'

Michigan's mandatory motorcycle helmet law was repealed in April 2012. It only took a week for Dr. Carlos Rodriguez to notice an increase in patients not wearing a motorcycle helmet in his trauma unit in Grand Rapids, so he launched a study.

January 12, 2016 - Huffpost Healthy Living

Detroit Bus Drivers Union in Dispute Over Regional Transit Expansion

Detroit Department of Transportation drivers are mobilizing against a plan to expand regional service on the SMART system. Supporters say the proposed changes are for the benefit of commuters.

January 6, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

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