| WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2024 |
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In today's newsletter, infant death rate dips to new low in Michigan, Michigan AG offers tips to avoid being scammed while buying playoff tickets and 12-year-old Michigan boy drives nearly 100 miles in stolen SUV. |
Put these events on your weekend calendar |
From the Detroit Lions playoff game against the Washington Commanders to enjoying a winter adventure, there's no shortage of exciting things to get into this weekend. The Detroit Auto Show is hosting a Lions rally concert featuring Grammy Nominated music artist from Michigan, Mike Posner on Friday, January 17. The rally will feature appearances by Lions alumni, including: Herman Moore, Joique Bell, Cory Schlesinger, Eddie Murray, and TJ Lang. Tickets are $10 and registration is required. For the outdoor enthusiasts, head to the Upper Peninsula for cross-country skiing, fat-tire biking and more at the top the U.P's Keweenaw Peninsula. |
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Copper Harbor Trails Club has opened its winter trail system for cross-country skiing and fat-tire biking. The trails are at East Bluff Bike Park and Campground near Copper Harbor, Mich. (Photo provided by Copper Harbor Trails Club) |
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First Republican announces run for Michigan governor |
Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, has announced he will run for governor in 2026. Nesbitt is the first Republican to announce his candidacy for governor. No Democrats have yet announced their candidacy. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, announced in December that he will run for governor as an independent. The new Republican House majority’s No. 1 budget priority this year is fixing the state’s roads without raising taxes, House Speaker Matt Hall said Tuesday. That goal will be made easier in part after recent revised estimates from the Michigan Department of Treasury show the state will have about $770.4 million more in revenue to spend in the upcoming budget. In local politics: Members of the Flint City Council haven’t stopped trying to elect a president for 2025 but like a broken record, the result keeps repeating. Council members finished 693 rounds of roll-call voting on Monday, Jan. 13, before ending their latest attempt after three hours with no candidate able to secure the five votes needed to win the job and no clear path forward. |
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Infant death rate dips to new low in Michigan |
Making some improvements: Michigan’s infant mortality rate reached the lowest point on record in 2023. While still higher than the provisional national average (5.6), it’s a slight improvement for Michigan from 6.2 in 2021 and 6.4 in 2022. Reductions in infant death rates have generally been slow and steady going back to the early 1970s when about 20 babies died in their first year of life for every 1,000 live births. A closer look: Among Michigan’s 83 counties, Berrien had the highest rate in 2023 with 20 infant deaths compared to 1,393 live births—a rate of 14.4. The next highest rates were in Tuscola (12.6), Saginaw (12.2), Clinton (12.1), Wayne (8.9) and Genesee (8.5). For counties with more than 1,000 live births, the lowest death rates were reported in Kalamazoo (3.1), Oakland (3.1), Washtenaw (3.2), and Livingston (3.5). On the job: University of Michigan Health-Sparrow nurses and healthcare professionals struck a deal Tuesday with the hospital to avoid a planned strike. |
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Michigan boy, 12, drives nearly 100 miles in stolen SUV |
At just 12 years old, a Michigan boy traversed nearly 100 miles of the state from behind the wheel of a stolen SUV. Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputies at 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12, contacted their counterparts in Clare County, asking them to be on the lookout for a red 2000 Chevrolet Blazer. The SUV had been reported stolen by its owner, who said his 12-year-old son had taken it. A Macomb County man is facing more than a dozen felony charges after Clinton Township police allege he assaulted and pointed a gun at the mother of his 2-year-old son before also holding the toddler at gunpoint. Still looking: Authorities searched a Macomb County landfill Monday for any evidence of a Detroit-area woman who has been missing for more than a week. Ashley Elkins, 30, was reported missing on Jan. 3. A former boyfriend has been charged with lying to police during the investigation. |
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Planning to buy Detroit Lions playoff tickets? Michigan AG offers tips to avoid being scammed |
Be alert: With two possible home games remaining at Ford Field this season, ticket prices for this weekend’s divisional round game and next weekend’s possible NFC Championship game have skyrocketed. If you plan on buying tickets, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is offering tips to avoid being scammed. In baseball: The Detroit Tigers will take the field at Tigertown in 29 days. Major League Baseball officially released the spring training report dates for all teams on Tuesday. Tigers’ pitchers and catchers officially report to Lakeland, Fla., on Feb. 12. The first full-squad workout will be Feb. 17. On ice: The Detroit Red Wings had their longest winning streak in 13 years snapped on Tuesday by the team with the second-worst record in the NHL. The Red Wings played catch-up virtually all night and never got back to even, losing 6-3 to the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena. |
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One of the most popular state park campgrounds will do a quick open this summer, then close until 2027 |
Great outdoors: One of the state’s most popular campgrounds is taking a year-and-half long hiatus for $8.5 million in upgrades. But, there will be a short stint of early season camping available for those quick enough to get a reservation. The campground at Keith J Charters Traverse City State Park is now closed until April 1. The campground will reopen for its 2025 season for just a few months, including through the National Cherry Festival, and then close again on July 7. Also getting upgrades: This Up North town’s No. 1 destination for visitors is about to get a $1.65 million overhaul – that means summer closures. Work on the Manistee Riverwalk was planned for summer 2024 but was delayed when no bids came in for the work. With a $400,000 budget bump, the project is now expected to go forward this year. Every section of Genesee County has miles of non-motorized trails and there’s a new push to take a closer look at connecting them better. The Genesee County Board of Commissioners is expected to consider accepting a $60,000 grant toward that effort from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation when it meets on Wednesday, Jan. 15. |
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Thanks for starting your day with the Morning Briefing. As always, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber. Make today a great day! — Cara Hackett |
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