Morning Briefing

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2024

In today's newsletter, Donald Trump is visiting Michigan this weekend, Social Security disability eligibility is changing and how to spend a Michigan summer day in Port Huron

What's going on this weekend across Michigan

We've made it to the end of another week! If you need some ideas to fill out your weekend agenda, here's a look at a few fun things happening this weekend.

Lapeer's Porchfest returns to its historic downtown area on Saturday, July 20, for its third year of showcasing 20 bands, musicians and artists. Several events kick off in Washtenaw County this weekend including the Ann Arbor Art Fair, Manchester Chicken Broil, Thunder Over Michigan Air Show and Lavender Kids Festival.

Get ready for an exciting time seeing bull riding, barrel racing and more when the 21st annual Gaines Rodeo returns to Genesee County today. Don't forget to check out the Brown Trout Festival, Lavender Daze Festival, and the Old Saginaw City Lawn Chair Film Festival.

Curated by Cara Hackett

A white lighthouse stands beside a brick house with a red roof

Fort Gratiot Light Station, Michigan’s oldest lighthouse located in the heart of Port Huron, as seen on May 20, 2024. In a state featuring the most lighthouses out of any other in the U.S., Fort Gratiot Light Station provides a unique experience as the lighthouse approaches 200 years since its initial installation. (Jake May | MLive.com)

Ex-Secret Service agent: Expect ‘unprecedented level’ of officers during Trump’s Michigan rally

Extra security: Law enforcement officials are tight-lipped about preparations for former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally Saturday in downtown Grand Rapids. However, coming a week after the assassination attempt of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, a former Secret Service agent says to expect a much larger police presence.

At the RNC: Donald Trump, defiant and bandaged, accepted the GOP presidential nomination on Thursday in a speech that largely ignored his most divisive plans and focused instead on uniting his party and the nation.

Also in Michigan: Vice President Kamala Harris used her Wednesday, July 17, campaign visit to Southwest Michigan to talk up reproductive rights, criticize political violence and poke jabs at former President Donald Trump’s new running mate.

Read more

Michigan regulators want to ‘hear directly from Yoopers’ for U.P. energy study

Opinions wanted: As Michigan energy regulators study the unique challenges facing the Upper Peninsula’s electric grid and its path away from fossil fuel-based power generation, they want to hear from residents. The Michigan Public Service Commission will present on an ongoing U.P. energy study and take public comment on Tuesday, July 30 in Marquette.

Also in the U.P.: One of the black bears trapped on Grand Island was recently released on the mainland in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – an event shown in a new video posted online by the Hiawatha National Forest. U.S. Forest Service officials are relocating bears away from the popular outdoor recreation area

Saline’s nearly three-year, $62-million construction project to upgrade its aging wastewater treatment plant recently encountered a $2.3 million problem. Low levels of contaminating PFAS were found present in on-site soils. As a result, soil removal costs will more than quadruple from the base bid of $10 per soil ton to $47.94 per soil ton.

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Mackinac Island Ferry Company leader out after private equity firm sale

Replaced: Less than a month after a Florida-based private equity firm bought the last independent ferry service serving Mackinac Island, its longtime leader Jerry Fetty is no longer at the company, the new owner announced yesterday. Fetty had been CEO since 2013.

In development: The Grand Rapids City Commission has approved a request from city staff to borrow $30.5 million to help fund construction of a parking garage and other features of Acrisure Amphitheater, the 12,000-capacity riverfront venue expected to open in 2026.

Also in business: A plan to open a new, 100,000-square-foot building for Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine in downtown Saginaw by fall 2028 will include a $200 million fundraiser scheduled to kick off this fall, college officials said.

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Major change announced for how Social Security disability eligibility is determined

The Social Security Administration is changing the way it evaluates the work history of people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security benefits because of a disability. Starting on June 22, applicants no longer need to recall the previous 15 years of employment and can now list the previous five years of employment.

In housing: A parking lot located on Grand Rapids’ south side is being eyed for a proposed affordable housing development amid ongoing efforts to meet housing needs across the city.

One of a kind: A major housing development slated to move forward in Ann Arbor in 2025 now plans to operate a unique system to generate its own building electricity.

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How to spend a Michigan summer day in Port Huron

Plan a trip: Traverse City, Mackinac Island and the Upper Peninsula may be considered Michigan’s top tourist destinations, but Port Huron in Michigan’s Thumb region also deserves recognition. This summer, MLive curated a list of destinations to check out while visiting Port Huron.

Rare beauty: Visitors to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore were treated to a rare summertime treat on Wednesday. The National Park Service posted a video to its social media depicting a waterfall rarely seen outside of winter when it is a wall of ice.

Lost and found: If you’ve been camping at the Rivermouth campground at Tahquamenon Falls State Park this summer and lost some shoes, staff may have just found the thief who made away with your footwear. A collection of flip-flops and Crocs were discovered by staff outside of a fox den Thursday, according to a post on the park’s Facebook page.

Read more

That's all for now.

Thanks for starting your day with the Morning Briefing. We'll be back in your inbox Monday morning.

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Have a great weekend!

— Cara Hackett

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