Plus, Holland eye doctor is first Michigander to swim open water Triple Crown 

View in browser  |  Get our newsletters

Morning Briefing

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2024

In today's newsletter, Kamala Harris would consider debate with Donald Trump in Grand Rapids on one condition, Mackinac Island Ferry Company’s new owner asks to suspend summer and fall service, and Holland eye doctor is first Michigander to swim open water Triple Crown. 

Want to find Yooperlites below the bridge? This state park has them

If you're on the hunt for glowing Yooperlites rocks beyond the shores of Lake Superior, head to the  Harrisville State Park in Alcona County. You can also find Petoskey stones and pudding rocks while you're there. 

 

Yooperlites,  also known as syenite rocks, were first confirmed in Michigan in 2017 by Erik Rintamaki. He gave them their Michigan-themed name. At first glance, they  appear to be normal, gray rocks but are rich with fluorescent sodalite and glow vibrant orange and yellow under a UV light.

 

Speaking of the great outdoors, the Outdoor Adventure Center and DNR Explorer Program staff are guiding a bat hike at Maybury State Park in Northville on Thursday, Aug. 22.

Curated by Cara Hackett

Mackinac Island Ferry Company vessel prepares to dock at Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island Ferry Company vessel prepares to dock at Mackinac Island, Mich. on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)

Kamala Harris would consider debate with Donald Trump in Grand Rapids on this condition, campaign says

2024 election: Campaign officials for Vice President Kamala Harris said they would consider debating former President Donald Trump in Grand Rapids, but first he must demonstrate his willingness to participate in an earlier debate on Sept. 10.

 

Not confirmed: Trump, the Republican nominee in the 2024 race for the presidency, last weekend announced on social media his plans to debate his opponent, Harris, on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in Grand Rapids. On his Truth Social account, Trump said the debate would air on NBC and be anchored by Lester Holt. Harris campaign officials, though, said they reached no such deal with Trump or NBC on the debate. 

 

Three high-ranking Michigan politicians in the past five days have been the victims of swatting. The latest incident targeted Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as police were called to her Detroit home both Saturday night and Monday morning on false reports. A spokesperson for Benson said no one was injured and that they weren’t aware of any arrests.

Read more

Mackinac Island Ferry Company’s new owner asks to suspend summer, fall service amid huge repair issues

Rough waters: Faced with a multi-million-dollar list of massive repairs for the fleet of boats it just purchased, the new owner of Mackinac Island Ferry Company asked the Mackinac Island City Council to approve suspending their passenger ferry service schedule to and from the island for the rest of the summer and fall season. 

 

This would mean their sister company, Shepler’s, would be the sole ferry service taking residents and visitors to and from Mackinac through December.  The city - which according to its charter must approve all schedule and fare changes for any island ferry service - has set another special meeting for Wednesday to vote on the request.

 

Also in business: Sheetz will be all over the state in the near future. The 24/7 gas station chain plans to open 50 to 60 locations in Michigan over the next decade with most locations in the Metro Detroit area.

Read more

Michigan juvenile lifer who strangled jogging woman in 1983 to no longer die in prison

It’s been four decades since Brian K. Granger attacked a Midland County mother of three as she went for a jog, strangling her before leaving her in a ditch. The killer was just 17 at the time, and though he was twice sentenced to die in prison, he now has the chance at walking free.

 

Granger, now 58, appeared before Midland County Circuit Judge Michael Beale on Aug. 8 to be resentenced for the second time in just a few years. Beale ended up sentencing Granger to 40 to 60 years in prison, with credit for 15,023 days — or 41.16 years — already served.

 

In Canton: A Michigan father is dead and his alleged killer is charged with murder after a deadly neighborhood dispute over the weekend. 

Read more

 

Advertisement

 

Holland eye doctor is first Michigander to swim open water Triple Crown 

Champion: After a grueling 16-hour swim battling strong currents in pitch darkness, Holland-area ophthalmologist Bryan Huffman became the first Michigander to complete the Triple Crown of open water swimming. 

He swam California’s Santa Catalina Channel earlier this week to top off his earlier completion of the English Channel and the 20 Bridges swim of Manhattan Island in New York.

 

Selling tickets: StubHub, a leader in the ticket marketplace, released its 2024 college football ticket preview on Tuesday. The defending champion Michigan is the No. 1 most in-demand team on the service. Additionally, sales are up 42% across the board when compared to last season’s start, with the Big Ten recording the biggest growth this year due to the acquisition of four new teams.

 

Staying put: Jim Harbaugh won’t be returning to Michigan later this month after all. The Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach — invited to be honorary team captain for the Aug. 31 opener against Fresno State — has apparently declined the offer, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore told reporters on Tuesday.

Read more

Guided hikes in Keweenaw Heartlands to highlight links to flagship preserves

Mother Nature: International conservation organization The Nature Conservancy will host a pair of late-summer hikes through the Keweenaw Heartlands, a vast 32,000-acre tract deep in the Upper Peninsula which was permanently preserved two years ago.

 

Speaking of hikes: The MacCready Nature Reserve in Liberty Township near Clark Lake is a wooded, 408-acre reserve with 6.5 miles of walking trails. The hilly loop trails, owned and operated by Michigan State University, feature scenic views and a wide variety of wildlife. The reserve is also are also dog-friendly. 

 

On a stroll: Deep beneath the sand of Lake Michigan shorelines is history dating back to the Ice Age. Ottawa County Parks is guiding tours through the dunes at its popular Rosy Mound acreage to unearth secrets of how these dunes formed and the unique plant species that can only be found here.

Read more

 
 

That's all for now.

Thanks for starting your day with the Morning Briefing.

 

As always, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber.

 

See you tomorrow!

 

— Cara Hackett

 

OTHER TOP STORIES

 

  • Rock star buys Michigan vineyard and winery

  • Chocolate shop in Michigan named one of the Top 10 in the entire country

  • 4 days of showers coming; A few details you should know

  • One of Tigers’ top prospects likely done for year with broken hand

  • Motorcyclist dies in crash after contact with police in parking lot
 

GAMES & COMICS

Today’s Crossword
More free puzzles & games
Today’s Comics

 

 

Today’s crossword
Puzzles & games
Today’s comics

 

TODAY'S OBITUARIES

Click here to for access to Michigan obituaries.

 

NEW! LOVABLE MICHIGAN EXCLUSIVE NEWSLETTER

Ready for positive, feel-good coverage of life in the Mitten? Curated from our best travel, outdoor, food, entertainment, photos and videos - immerse yourself in the place we love and the place we call home. Explore new dining, cabin rentals or how to view the next meteor shower.

 

Join MLive․com's Tanda Gmiter and the Life & Culture team every week. Your next adventure is waiting! Sign up here.

 

There's one caveat: This is an exclusive newsletter for MLive.com's loyal subscribers. Not a subscriber? That's OK. You can receive a few weeks of the newsletter as a free trial. Click here to sign up.

 

DUNGEON OF DOOM INSIDER TEXTS

Subscribe today to get exclusive insights and bonus content from Detroit Lions writers Kyle Meinke, Benjamin Raven and Kory Woods. Dungeon of Doom is your home for entertaining and informative analysis and discussion of the Lions. Get your 14-day free trial and then keep the conversation going for only $4.99 per month.

 

NOT ENOUGH NEWS?

The Daily Digital Edition is included with both print and digital subscriptions to MLive.com. You can also choose from our selection of local news, sports or lifestyle newsletters and apps.

 

WANT TO SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WITH A FRIEND?

Facebook TwitterLinkedInEmailGet Link

Did someone share this newsletter with you? Click here to never miss a day!

 

CONTACT THE NEWSROOM

To contact the newsrooms for any of our publications regarding technical support, news tips, classified ads and other inquiries, please click here.

 

 

Unlimited Digital Access.

 

Start today for $1

(cancel anytime)

Subscribe now!

Start today for $1

(cancel anytime)

Subscribe now!

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING
OR SPONSORING OUR NEWSLETTERS?

Contact advertising@mlive.com

 

GET YOUR LOCAL NEWS 24/7

Ann Arbor | Bay City | Flint | Grand Rapids

Jackson | Kalamazoo | Muskegon | Saginaw

FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube

You received this email because you opted in to the newsletter. To ensure receipt of our emails, please add newsletters@update.mlive.com to your address book or safe sender list.

 

MLive Media Group 169 Monroe NW #100Grand Rapids, MI 49503

 

Contact us | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy