Morning Briefing

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2024

In today's newsletter, the Michigan State community stands as ‘Spartans together’ one year after shooting, baseball is back, and Michigan’s black bear population is rising.

Roses are red, violets are blue...

I love Morning Briefing readers like you! Hopefully you're surrounded by the love, support and comfort of loved ones this Valentine's Day.

Conversation hearts or boxed chocolates are typical candy mainstays for the love-filled holiday, but not for Michigan. According to the bulk online candy provider CandyStore.com, cupid corn is the top seller in the state for Valentine's Day for the second year.

If you're feeling more angst than adoration today, a Saginaw County Animal Care and Control Center fundraiser will write your ex's name on a soiled cat or doggy bag for a donation.

Curated by Cara Hackett

The Spartan community embrace each other at the Spartan statue

The Spartan community embraces at the Spartan statue on Feb. 13, 2024, during a remembrance of the lives lost in the mass shooting that occurred on campus exactly one year prior. (Photo by: Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

One year after a mass shooting, MSU community stands as ‘Spartans together’

"Day of reflection": Standing in silence, hugging and crying, members of the Michigan State University community gathered at the Spartan statue on February 13, 2024 to recognize last year's school shooting that claimed the lives of three students.

As Michigan marks the one year anniversary of the MSU shooting, it also marks a change in the state's firearm policy. Laws like extreme risk protection orders, safe storage, universal background checks, and gun bans for domestic violence convictions went into effect on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

Safety: But the violence of that night sent ripples through the campus and the university has upped security in response, though not always as quickly or in the precise ways promised in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

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Visitor spending up 35% in Kalamazoo County since 2019 — best in Michigan

Welcome to Kzoo: Visitor spending in Kalamazoo County represented 2.5% of Michigan’s total visitor spending in 2022 — the largest share in county history, according to Discover Kalamazoo. That adds up to $685 million in visitor spending.

Help wanted: Cedar Point, the Ohio amusement park known for its thrilling roller coasters, is set to hire 7,000 seasonal associates during a weeklong hiring blitz from February 17-24.

More in business: Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum, Michigan’s beloved vintage arcade and museum, will be demolished to make way for a new development. However, the owner vows he will not close.

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Winter is back this week with an accumulating snow

Winter weather: A storm system is going to track across Michigan on Thursday, bringing a swath of accumulating snow up to five inches to central and northern Lower Michigan.

Looking at the sky: A powerful burst of solar activity could bring colorful Northern Lights over Michigan and other Northern and Upper Midwest states this week — if the clouds cooperate.

Milder winter: Wondering what's causing this season's below average snowfall and warmer than normal temperatures? You can thank El Niño.

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Baseball is back: Tigers’ 2024 spring training opens this week

Play ball: Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers officially reported to Tigertown for their first workout of the 2024 season on Wednesday. Here are the required report dates for the 58 Tigers expected in big-league camp this spring.

On TV: Carlos Peña, who moved into broadcasting after playing for parts of 14 seasons in the big leagues, is the newest member of the Detroit Tigers television broadcast team.

New look: Detroit is one of nine teams that will debut new “City Connect” uniforms during the 2024 season, MLB announced Tuesday. It’s unclear what the designs will look like and the the alternates will be unveiled between Opening Day and the All-Star break.

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Michigan’s black bear population rising on both peninsulas, better cub survival possible

Growing: Michigan’s black bear population is climbing – and this year’s mild winter could result in higher cub survival rates, giving the species a bump, officials said. In the Upper Peninsula, 10,218 bears were counted in 2022; that’s up 21% since 2012, according to Department of Natural Resources documents.

New additions: The Potter Park Zoo in Lansing is welcoming a set of North American river otter triplets born earlier this month. They are the fourth litter of Nkeke and Miles, and their second set of triplets.

Maybe next time: Poor trail conditions and fickle winter weather have canceled the last of the Upper Peninsula’s annual CopperDog sled dog race event in Calumet for 2024.

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Have a happy Valentine's Day.

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Be kind to yourself and others today.

— Cara Hackett

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