Rose White

A migrant worker died after picking Michigan asparagus. His death fell through the cracks. Five years after Emilio Lopez came to work in the United States, the question lingers: Why did he suddenly get deathly ill?

Read this if you're looking for important & original local journalism (this story is in W Michigan):

A migrant worker died after picking Michigan asparagus. His death fell through the cracks.

www.mlive.com/public-inter... by @rosekellywhite.bsky.social / @mlive.com

Michigan plans to clear 400+ acres of state forest near Gaylord for solar farm Officials with the DNR recently assessed 1,200 acres of public trust land in Otsego County near a major power transmission line to decide whether it was suitable for solar arrays.

A 420-acre swath of state forestland will be cleared for a solar farm near Gaylord under a lease agreement with the Michigan DNR.

www.mlive.com/environment/...

New law bans landlords from rejecting renters over income source, like Section 8 Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a law barring landlords from discriminating based on source of income.

“We need to be doing more in this chamber to fight the affordable housing crisis and to make a space for all people to find stable housing in our state.”

By @mlive.com's @rosekellywhite.bsky.social

www.mlive.com/public-inter...
#housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism

With billions in assets, should DeVos and Van Andel families qualify for big tax incentive? The Grand Rapids City Commission is set to consider a $565 million Transformational Brownfield subsidy Tuesday, Dec. 3 for a massive downtown project affiliated with the DeVos and Van Andel families.

A skyline defining project from the DeVos and Van Andel families is facing community pushback: With billions in assets, can’t they afford to pay for the $797 million private development without asking the public for help?

www.mlive.com/news/grand-r...

Ex-Grand Rapids police officer charged in killing of Patrick Lyoya loses appeal The case against Christopher Schurr, who is charged with second-degree murder in the April 4, 2022, death of Patrick Lyoya, is now expected to be scheduled for trial.

In June 2022, Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who immigrated to Michigan from Congo.

More than two years later, his case has yet to go to trial.

www.mlive.com/news/grand-r...

With billions spent, is Whitmer’s pledge to ‘fix the damn roads’ a broken promise? Capitalizing on the frustrations of Michigan drivers, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2018 election campaign prominently featured a pledge to “fix the damn roads.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer promised to fix the damn roads and poured billions into infrastructure. But how do we know when that's happened?

www.mlive.com/politics/202...

Michigan steps back from developing 1,400-acre rural megasite The state is no longer pursuing a plan to turn a megasite in Eagle Township into an industrial site.

Michigan is no longer actively pursuing a plan to develop a 1,400-acre megasite in Eagle Township, even after disbursing nearly $6 million to prep the site for future use.

www.mlive.com/public-inter...

Michigan utility wants to charge customers for pricey coal ‘boondoggle’, watchdogs say A Michigan utility buys above-market power from Cold War-era coal plants owned by an affiliate when cheaper options are on the table, critics say, and customers are worse off for it.

A Michigan utility buys power from 1950s-era coal plants whose largest owner happens to be its parent company.

It's a bad deal for the power company's customers, consumer watchdogs and enviro groups say.

www.mlive.com/environment/...

Worker dies from Legionnaires’ after disease hits manufacturer second time The state investigated after a company failed to address a Legionnaires’ outbreak and the bacteria grew again – killing one worker and sickening two others.

In 2020, two employees at a Sanilac County manufacturer were hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease.

Three years later, legionella grew again – killing one worker and sickening two others after the company failed to mitigate the deadly bacteria.

www.mlive.com/public-inter...

They also refer to inflation trends as "very demure, very mindful" in the latest U.S. economic outlook report:

University of Michigan economists are forecasting the federal deficit will climb to a "level would be unprecedented outside of wars, the recent pandemic, and severe recession," under President-elect Trump's plan to usher in tax cuts and tariffs on China: lsa.umich.edu/content/dam/...

Yup!

It’s feeling like a Christmas Hallmark movie in Grand Rapids ✨

Man who uses racial slur during hearing in Lansing defends use While speaking against the legislation, Avi Rachlin claimed the bills "targets white people" and that those who have Concealed Pistol Licenses are "primarily white."

I’m curious about the decision to interview the man who used the n-word during a Michigan committee hearing last week. To me, it’s giving him a big platform to parrot racism.

What are your thoughts?
www.fox2detroit.com/video/1548354

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