Morning Briefing

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2022

In today's newsletter, public libraries are the latest political battleground, Flint residents are angry over the dismissal of criminal charges in the city's water crisis and look out for that October rain in Michigan.

Get out there and take a fall color drive, but be careful while you're on the road.

Every Michiganders should take the time to make a fall color drive. At least one. Really, it's pretty much mandatory. And we have some info here on the best times, in case you haven't looked into it yet.

But safety is always of importance when you are out on the roads. We have a list of fall driving hazards Michigan motorists should take into account this time of year. We want you to be careful while you are enjoying the beauty of autumn.

Oh, and speaking of driving, gas prices have gone up. Here's the latest report on what you can expect at the pump. But, in my mind, a fall color drive is priceless.

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

Tart cherries being processed into pie filling at Great Lakes Packing Co. in Kewadin, Michigan on July 28, 2022. Learn more about Michigan's most famous crop in the new documentary below.

Rotten Times for Tart Cherries: Is Michigan's most famous crop in jeopardy?

A new documentary: Our video team members at MLive always put their all into the short documentaries they produce, examining issues important to Michiganders. In the past, they've looked at the deadliest Great Lake, the state's bottle bill and environmental justice. This time, they explore the world of tart cherries and why the crop could be in jeopardy. Watch it here.

Are the tart cherries in trouble? The industry is dealing with supply chain issues, staffing shortages, climate change and a lack of production facilities. We talked to growers and other experts to get the story on Michigan's most profitable crop.

More fruit news:Michigan ranks third in the U.S. for apple growing, and this season is better than the last.

Read more

Book challenges surge as public libraries become the latest political battleground.

A surge in book complaints: Public libraries have become the latest political battleground, where the constitutional freedoms to read books with a vast array of themes and passages – even those some people disagree with – are being met with parental concern about keeping certain topics away from children.

Michigan Library Association Executive Director says: "There have been censorship issues forever. We’re not surprised; It’s not something new,” Deborah Mikula said. “It’s just the volume of these attempted efforts and the extremist rhetoric that’s going with them is unprecedented to us. We have never seen this many books challenged, and I think that that’s something that we really have to look at."

See the formal book challenges: We have a look at the challenges filed to books at a Kent County library this year.

Read more

Flint residents are 'disappointed and angry' after the dismissal of criminal charges in water crisis.

A city's reaction: Flint residents and officials say they are angry and disappointed by the dismissal of criminal charges against former state officials accused of having played key roles in the city’s water crisis.

The dismissal: Judge Elizabeth A. Kelly issued the order granting dismissal of the felony charges on Tuesday, saying the indictments issued against the officials, including former cabinet members of former Gov. Rick Snyder, are invalid.

Other courts news:A ruling that determined prosecutors suppressed evidence has led to the dismissal of charges against a Michigan man in a 2004 homicide case.

Read more

October is set to be wet (and full of beautiful autumn colors).

November rain? Nope! Think again.As we transition from summer weather to winter weather in Michigan, October ends up being a wet month. And it is always more rainy for those on the west side of the state. Mark Torregrossa has more info here.

Routes for fall leaf peeping: There are so many fantastic spots for checking out the autumn foliage in Michigan. If you are looking for suggestions, we have some great routes here in the Gaylord area. Oh, and while you are there, you really should check out the elk herd.

Another beautiful autumn sight: One of the year's most lovely meteor showers is going to be lighting up the October sky all month long (and into early November).

Read more

Education, climate change and the economy are priorities for Gov. Whitmer in her reelection bid.

And abortion: Another issue that is top of mind for Whitmer as the November election nears is abortion rights. It's on the ballot as a proposal and her opponent has asked for voters to set it aside when thinking of the governor's race, but Whitmer has continued to state she will "fight like Hell" on that issue.

Priorities that aren't proposals:If voters approve Proposal 3, there would be little reason for Whitmer to focus on abortion rights in her second term, if she gets one. At that point, her main priority shifts to education. "I really want to put a lot of energy and focus into educational outcomes for our kids," she said.

Tudor Dixon on education: Whitmer's opponent, Republican Tudor Dixon, has focused on hot-button culture wars when speaking about education.

Read more

That's all for Wednesday morning.

Well, that is all from the Morning Briefing for Wednesday, but that doesn't mean it is all the news for today. Don't forget, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com.

Have you become an MLive subscriber? It's an easy way to support the work of local journalists like the ones whose work you see here each morning.

I'll see you back here tomorrow for another batch of Michigan news. Until then, take care.

— Jessica Shepherd

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