| October 20, 2021 
 Political opposition to school masking orders is pitting elected officials against health departments charged with protecting their communities from COVID-19. State law empowers local health departments to issue emergency orders to protect public health during an epidemic. And while elected county boards do not have the authority to reverse epidemic orders, some officials have backed symbolic resolutions to satisfy constituents who are vehemently opposed to masking and other health measures. Residents mobilized by partisan political groups and social media pages are venting their frustrations at public meetings and demanding their representatives fight “tyrannical” health departments. Some have insisted health officials resign or be fired. READ MORE  It will be a while yet before Michigan’s independent redistricting commission votes through final versions of the state’s next political maps. But it’s safe to say many Michigan residents will be voting from drastically different legislative and Congressional districts for the next decade if current trends hold and withstand expected legal challenges. Commissioners are headed into a series of five public hearings around the state, where they’re expected to hear proposed changes to the maps from members of the public and other groups. The maps have already drawn their fair share of criticism on whether they’re adequately meeting state and federal requirements. READ MORE  A far-left group fed up with the lack of protections for students and staff as school continues amid the coronavirus pandemic is suing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and demanding mask and vaccine mandates. BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) attorney and spokesperson Shanta Driver said a lawsuit would argue state budget language banning vaccine and mask mandates -- which Whitmer signed into law, but has said is unenforceable -- is unconstitutional. READ MORE  The football season keep rolling along. Iowa, which occupied the top spot in these rankings for five straight weeks, took a dive after falling flat at home against Purdue. Big Ten East teams moved up as a result. Where is your team? SEE THE RANKINGS ►Lions QB Jared Goff hits new bottom heading into matchup with Matthew Stafford  A historic locomotive has been relocated from Texas to Northern Michigan, where it will give residents and visitors a more complete picture of the impact its inventor had on the world. The 1907-built Shay locomotive will be restored and eventually displayed in downtown Harbor Springs, the adopted hometown of Ephraim Shay, who patented the train’s design in the late 1800s. It had long been a hope of the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society to find and obtain one of Shay’s locomotives for display in town, where it will join two other significant Shay creations: A rare all-steel ship named the Aha, and Shay’s own hexagonal home, which is built out of stamped steel. READ MORE ►Rare 130-year-old steel ship to be restored, displayed at Northern Michigan park
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