Posts published in “Guest Column”

  There are lots of misconceptions out there about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. To many people, the UP is just a giant state park with little towns here and there to accommodate tourists. We certainly have…

  For more than 100 years, the United States and Canada have benefited from a peaceful, 5,525-mile border and cooperation on many issues of common concern. Michigan has benefited from this relationship, and without Canada,…

  As currently structured, there is simply not enough money to meet the needs of our aging stormwater systems. A recent court ruling could change that. Unlike drinking and wastewater systems, there is no designated…

  Freedom of the press is important to those who have chosen to be journalists and serve as the peoples’ watchdogs in America for almost 250 years. Many feel that the First Amendment is in…

  In her recent State of the State address, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for new restrictions on student cellphone use in schools. In response, legislators reintroduced House Bill 4141 that seeks to impose such restrictions.…

  The Great Lakes are the great uniters of Michigan and the region, including our Canadian neighbors. But as the Trump administration continues to defund and degrade our federal government, it’s more important now than…

  With the advent of a new administration in Washington, the US is undergoing a significant shift in energy policy. Currently, more than 80 percent of US energy is derived from fossil fuels. During the…

  To borrow from Michigan’s motto, if you seek to site solar panels on our pleasant peninsulas, look about you… to the rooftops and “brownfields” all around us. Opportunity abounds in these underutilized spaces, where…

  For the first time in decades, Michigan lawmakers last year fully funded local public health in Michigan. We hope they do it again in 2025. For over 30 years, the state shorted its statutorily…