August 3, 2020 In Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump is calling on schools to reopen, and “open 100 percent.” In Novi, Michigan, it’s not anywhere near that easy. Superintendent Steve Matthews is still sorting through exactly what school will look like in the fall. His district plans to offer a virtual and an in-person option, though it’s not clear what in-person will look like. Novi isn't alone. The one-size-fits-all approach to reopening taken by Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos isn't working at the local level. “I would say that the decision has to be local ... we don’t have one national outbreak, we have lots of local outbreaks,” said Logan Scott, professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Epidemiology & Clinical Research at the University of Minnesota. “It can’t possibly be the case that a national strategy makes sense.” MORE Tuesday is an election day in Michigan. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, for the state primary election to wean down party candidates at the local, state and federal level. MLive has compiled a list of local ballot issues and candidates in eight regions of the state where it has local reporting teams, and packaged them into a handy voter guide. MORE Dr. Joyce DeJong has heard the skepticism surrounding Michigan’s 6,191 confirmed coronavirus death count - that the number has been inflated under political or financial motivations. But as the medical examiner for 12 of the state’s 83 counties, who has played a key role in the behind-the-scenes process for counting each of those deaths, she’s comfortable with the accuracy. It's been extremely difficult to convince many people of one thing: "We don’t get any extra money for reporting a COVID death.” MORE Almost three months after the failure of two dams devastated some lakefront communities in mid-Michigan, their problems are far from over. Cleanup continues in an effort to get rid of debris. The lakes once formed by the dams are largely gone. In their place is a landscape of sand and weeds once covered by water. We've had reporters there since the beginning, but we continue to speak to those who live and work there, because this struggle is far from over. Also, DO NOT miss the amazing drone footage we just shot of the area (linked below). THIS IS WILD With bars and restaurants having to reinvent most of what they do to survive in the time of COVID, Bobcat Bonnie's has taken a cue from a wildly popular pre-pandemic trend: igloos. Originally a seating fad made for outdoor dining during Michigan winters, Bobcat Bonnie's in downtown Ypsilanti is using the dome-shaped structures - without the covers - to give people the coolest possible socially distanced restaurant experience. CHECK THIS OUT 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. |