November 17, 2020 At the stroke of midnight tonight, Michigan's bars and restaurants have to suspend indoor service for three weeks, per an order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. There’s a mix of frustration and resignation, as the food and drink industry stares down more financial challenges while the COVID-19 pandemic surges to new heights. Some say the ban on dining in won’t help slow the spread. Others say they’re willing to take the financial hit for the good of the state. “Our industry has been devastated and this is just another nail in the coffin for many businesses,” said Scott Ellis, executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association.MORE As coronavirus cases surge in Michigan and the state surpasses 8,000 deaths linked to the virus, hospitals are scrambling. While health officials say the real problem is maintaining adequate staffing to care for the influx of patients, there are also capacity issues. The state doesn’t publicize data on hospital staffing, but there are numbers on hospital bed capacity and coronavirus hospitalizations on Michigan’s coronavirus website. Here's a look at that data: MORE Longtime MLive reporter Julie Mack had previously interviewed her niece Chelsea Boet for a story on how she was navigating life following a diagnosis of advanced colon cancer. Less than three years after the initial diagnosis, Boet celebrated her last birthday. She was 37. Mack was working on a piece about how her niece planned to spend her final months, but before the original piece could publish, Boet died at home, surrounded by her loved ones. Now, Mack offers this thoughtful tribute to her beloved niece, with a look at how the young mother and physician lived those last few years. MORE ►A young mother had a 'perfect life.' Then came the deadly cancer diagnosis As Michigan's already shortened high school football season was approaching its finale, teams were again required to halt play. Amid a coronavirus surge, all high school sports were put on pause, leaving players wondering what would become of the remaining games. “We’re trying to look at the positives of what we did," said South Lyon coach Jeff Henson. "Who knows how we’ll look back on 2020." But the Michigan High School Athletic Association says it plans to resume play in December. MORE As Michiganders, we always want to know what kind of winter we will be in for ahead of the season. Will it wallop us with snow? Will the temperatures dip to record lows? Will we get a mild winter this year? Yes, those questions abound. And everyone has a different desire. Some hope for blizzard conditions while others cross their fingers for the least amount of snow possible (like a sweet dusting on Christmas that disappears the next day). Well, one way we can predict our conditions for the upcoming season is by checking out this La Niña: MORE Get your local news 24/7 Connect with MLive To ensure receipt of our emails, please add newsletters@update.mlive to your address book or safe sender list. |