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Morning Briefing

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025

In today's newsletter, Canada and Trump back down on tariffs, see when and where 70 degrees is likely in Michigan, Tom Izzo named Big Ten Coach of the Year

Get your shamrocks and green outfits ready: It's almost St. Patrick's Day☘️

St. Paddy's Day is right around the corner on March 17. Chances are your local stores and restaurants are already stringing up green decorations or rolling out special menus to celebrate Irish culture. 

From parades to fundraisers to beer crawls, many Michigan communities are getting ready for the festivities. Bay City is gearing up to host its parade, 52nd annual Bay Area Runners Club Bay City St. Patrick’s Day races, and more. Head to Flint to enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl, 45th annual Pot O’ Gold Races, and St. Patrick’s Day Mass and Award Ceremony. 

See hockey players from Ireland during the Irish-American Club of Kalamazoo's St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, March 15. Jamesport Brewing Company in Ludington will host its annual beer run on Saturday, March 15. 

Curated by Cara Hackett

A photo of Kevin Graves is decorated with ribbons from Missing in Michigan events at the Graves’ house in Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

Hidden in plain sight: The 6-year search for Kevin Graves

For six years, tens of thousands of Electric Forest attendees likely walked past Kevin Graves, the 28-year-old man who never came home. Before his body was finally found in December, Graves lay in the solitude of rural west Michigan’s New Era, population 441, in a patch of woods surrounded by empty fields. Volunteer search parties, cadaver dogs, police helicopter and water searches missed him  after the 2018 music festival. But his parents – Howell residents Gary and Kathy Graves – never gave up.

Finding Kevin: Here is a list of notable dates and actions taken during the six-year search for Graves, who vanished while attending the Electric Forest music festival in 2018. His remains were discovered by a hunter on the festival grounds in December.

The tragic fallout of domestic violence has hit home for a Saginaw mental health service as their staff grapples with the killing of one of their therapists. Jackie Jo Torrez, 34, was fatally shot inside of a hotel on Friday, March 7. The Vassar man police say shot her, 33-year-old Marcus I. Taylor, then turned the gun on himself and ended his life.

Read more

Canada, Trump back down on tariff hikes; Ontario premier apologizes to Whitmer

Tariff talk: In a continued back-and-forth in the Canadian-American trade war, President Donald Trump walked back his latest tariff threat on Tuesday. That was not until Ontario Premier Doug Ford had done the same, the  Associated Press reports. As a response to the initial 25% tariffs Trump implemented on Canada on March 4 — as well as the 25% aluminum and steel tariffs set to go into effect on Wednesday, March 12 — Ford, on Monday, issued a 25% electricity surcharge on the United States on all electricity coming from his province.

Awaiting funds: State officials say the Trump administration is withholding $56 million in federal disaster reimbursements from the state of Michigan, including millions in payments to hospital systems for supplies and labor during the pandemic.

Michiganders on average would keep about $140 more of their income each year under a Republican proposal to cut state income taxes.

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See when and where 70 degrees is likely in Michigan

Feeling springy: A few days just ahead should be really warm for mid-March. A storm system is going to take a late-April track and bring a surge of very warm air our way Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The southern half of Lower Michigan could warm to 70 degrees on Friday and Saturday. Saturday will have the warmest air shift into eastern Lower Michigan. 

Melt down: With the very warm weather coming this week and a warmer-than-normal extended forecast we won’t have ice much longer on the Great Lakes. Here’s a look at how the ice cover measured up this winter.

Staying safe: Two elderly men were rescued after falling through the ice while ice fishing in Grand Blanc Township on March 10. The incident comes as Genesee County Sheriff’s Office officials warned ice fishers about the dangers of melting ice as spring weather approaches.  

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Tom Izzo named Big Ten COY after Spartans shut out of All-Big Ten first team

Coach of the Year: A month after becoming the winningest coach in Big Ten history, Tom Izzo was recognized for one of the best performances of his storied career. Izzo, in his 30th season leading Michigan State, was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year on Tuesday. After guiding the Spartans to an outright conference championship three games clear of the field, both the coaches and media selected Izzo as the best in the league.

On the team: The Detroit Lions are re-signing restricted free agent Myles Adams to a one-year deal, as first reported by the Detroit Free Press. Adams, who turned 27 three days ago, joined the Lions late last season after they signed him off the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad on Nov. 30.

March Madness: College basketball fans will be hearing plenty of familiar voices during the 2024-25 NCAA college basketball tournament. Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson will call this year’s NCAA Men’s Final Four national semifinals on April 5 and national championship on April 7 from San Antonio on CBS.

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Michigan’s maple syrup season is about to begin: How to get an inside look

Sweet syrup: Sap will soon be flowing from Michigan’s sugar maples, ready to be boiled down to pure maple syrup. Next month, the Michigan Maple Syrup Association will celebrate the tapping season and syrup heritage with weekend events at nearly two dozen farms. Check out this map for locations and event times.

In the running: In USA Today’s latest reader choice poll the Mitten state has four lakefront cities vying for “Best Small Town in the Midwest.” The only other Midwest state with four nominations is Indiana. An expert panel chose 20 small towns, each with a population of fewer than 25,000. Now it’s up to readers to narrow the list down to a top 10.

Taking flight: A new airline promising affordable flights is coming this summer to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Avelo Airlines announced Tuesday, March 11, it will offer nonstop routes early this summer from Ford Airport to North Carolina’s Research Triangle via Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Florida’s Lakeland International Airport.

Read more

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Let's get Wednesday started.

You're all caught up on top stories from around Michigan. We'll be back tomorrow morning. 

Until then, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber.

See you tomorrow!

- Cara Hackett

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