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Morning Briefing

MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2023

In today's newsletter, amid national debate over ‘book bans,’ a Michigan district is letting parents choose what their kids read, Snyder’s attorney calls for Nessel to end ‘insanity’ of continued Flint water prosecutions, and how to explore a haunted Michigan forest months before Halloween.

How's your bracket holding up?

Watching Purdue suffer that upset, even Tom Izzo felt bad, saying "I’ve been on that side." But he wasn't last night as No. 7 seed Michigan State fought hard and defeated No. 2 Marquette, 69-60. Here's what was overheard in the locker room.

It looks like the first graders at Byron Elementary School had to read a little extra last night as they struck a deal with Izzo for March is Reading Month. Oh, and did you know a production mill in the Upper Peninsula provides new, made-in-Michigan custom hardwood courts for the tournament? 

It's time to make another bracket as the NCAA hockey tournament kicks off this week. Western received a No. 3 seed. Michigan’s hockey team has earned a No. 1 seed for a second straight season after claiming the Big Ten tournament title. Speaking of the Wolverines, their women's gymnastics team won the Big Ten championship while the men's gymnastics captured a regular season conference title.

Curated by Jamie Rewerts

Green beer, green hats, green plaid and even a fiddle or two swarmed Ionia street in downtown Grand Rapids for the Irish on Ionia St. Patrick’s Day festival. See more coverage from the event here.

Recycling law overhaul includes composting. Some Michigan towns already do it well.

A focus on composting: Turning food scraps and other organic waste into nutrient-rich soil is a key part of lawmakers’ goal to boost statewide recycling rates and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

State environmental officials also gained new regulatory controls over composting facilities when a bipartisan bill package about waste materials management passed during lame duck session in December and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the legislation into law.

A model for others: Now as all Michigan counties prepare to study their own waste streams under the new laws, communities such as Ferndale and Emmet County are already knee deep in successful composting programs. About 460 households in Ferndale participate in a curbside drop-off program to turn things like food scraps, dead flowers, and coffee filters into high-grade compost.

Read more

Amid national debate over ‘book bans,’ a Michigan district is letting parents choose what their kids read

Looking for a solution: As schools across the country face public scrutiny over the content available to students and navigate divisiveness from book and curriculum challenges, Forest Hills Public Schools is giving parents the power to restrict what books their children can check out of the school library.

A heated meeting: Hundreds of concerned citizens showed up to the Lapeer District Library board meeting to debate the presence of "Gender Queer: A Memoir" on the shelves. The book has been the target of book bans across the nation.

More in public interest: Birth justice advocates say racial disparities in Michigan’s maternal health system are creating a crisis for Black mothers and birthing people. A coalition called MI State of Birth Justice intend to present the issue to the state legislature in the form of a comprehensive package of bills.

Read more

Snyder’s attorney calls for Nessel to end ‘insanity’ of continued Flint water prosecutions

Calling it "insanity": An attorney for former Gov. Rick Snyder is calling on Attorney General Dana Nessel to end the state’s prosecution of his client and other government officials after they hit another stumbling block.

"A monster": Kristina Karamo, the new chair of the Michigan Republican Party, said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer should face criminal investigation for her response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Curbing smog: Factories and power plants in Michigan must adhere to a new federal rule finalized this week that sets greater limits on air pollution which travels across state lines.

Read more

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Rounding up MHSAA Girls Basketball Finals, the Lions and Michigan football

The champions: D1 - Rockford girls basketball claimed its first state championship with an unforgettable 3-pointer from Grace Lyons.

D2 - Lansing Catholic received its second girls basketball state title in program history, as the Cougars defeated Frankenmuth, 43-29.

D3 - Hemlock defeated Blissfield, 59-43 for its first girls hoops state title.

D4 - After a 45-year wait for a second state title, it finally ended as Glen Lake claimed its first state championship since 1978 by defeating Baraga, 60-43. 

"The offer they gave me... disrespectful": Jamaal Williams loved playing in Detroit. He loved the fans and the city and his teammates and his coaches. His contract offer, not so much. However, the Lions may be better off with David Montgomery. And the team is bringing back C.J. Moore in a two-year contract worth up to $4.5 million.

Changed the narrative: Some departing Wolverines shared their best Michigan memories - specifically "beating Ohio State at Ohio State."

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Explore this haunted Michigan forest months before Halloween

Deranged Haunted Attraction in Romulus is once again opening its “Halfway to Halloween” haunted trail. Last May’s Deranged haunted trail gave people a closer look at Camp Zika. This year, visitors will dive deeper into that fictional story with the focus centered on Greeno Industrial, a company being blamed for the chaos and rumored to be disposing of toxic chemicals into Lake Zika.

Michigan history: If there's one story you should start your week off with, I recommend this one on how a family turned a small prohibition-era distributor into one of Michigan’s largest.

Will they take off? Marijuana lounges opened last year in Hazel Park and Kalkaska. Only 10 states, including Michigan, have greenlit marijuana lounges and cafes in recent years. It seems like a promising concept – a place for people to use cannabis legally in public – but strict Michigan laws have made it tricky for lounges to gain traction.

Read more

Welcome to a new week.

So happy you could join me today on the Morning Briefing. 

As always, you can get the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a MLive subscriber. 

Have a great week! 

— Jamie Rewerts

OTHER TOP STORIES

• Michigan college baseball player shot multiple times after game in Ohio
  
  
• A Michigan 14-year-old’s struggle to find shoes that fit
  
  
• 3 Michigan counties should mask-up as COVID-19 levels return to high
  
  
• Sealed green envelopes reveal medical students’ fates on Match Day
  
  
• Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera not wavering on retirement plans

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