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Michigan Gov. Whitmerâs Proposed Budget Prioritizes Clean Water
Drew YoungeDyke
Michigan Governor Proposes Investments in Clean Water Infrastructure, PFAS Clean-up
LANSING, Mich. (Feb. 11, 2021) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed state budget includes critically needed investments in clean water infrastructure and the clean-up of PFAS, known as “forever chemicals.” The National Wildlife Federation urged the Michigan Legislature to adopt these recommendations to help protect people and wildlife alike.
“The National Wildlife Federation supports the strong water, energy and environmental justice funding initiatives within Gov. Whitmer’s FY 2022 Executive Budget. In particular, the focus on water and energy infrastructure that is targeted toward low-income communities is a necessary and just investment,” said Mike Shriberg, Great Lakes Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation. “The funds for cleaning up PFAS, the fore
Michigan’s decision to move educators near the front of the vaccine line is appearing to pay off: Nearly two-thirds of teachers have already received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, or are on schedule to get it, according to an informal survey of over 22,000 Michigan teachers.
That’s good news for teachers worried about getting sick and for parents waiting impatiently for their children to return to classrooms. Some school districts say teacher vaccinations are paving the way for more face-to-face instruction ahead of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plea for schools to offer in-person classes by March 1.
Parent says need ways to reopen now, not another reason to stay closed’ By
January 18, 2021
Ann Arbor Public Schools officials say they are unlikely to meet Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s call to return to some form of in-person instruction by March 1. They cite a need for nearly all teachers to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
Establishing vaccinations as a prerequisite for a return to the classroom, announced Jan. 13 by Superintendent Jeanice Swift, reverses a position she had taken only a month ago.
“While we had not planned . to await the vaccine, we did not understand for sure how quickly that would be coming,” Swift said Jan. 13. “Now that we understand the vaccine is here, it seems in the best interest of safety and of health for our teachers to be able to have their vaccine appointments.”
Parents frustrated Ann Arbor is ‘moving the goalposts’ with early March plan for in-person classes
Updated Jan 14, 2021;
Posted Jan 14, 2021
A bus sits parked outside a Central Academy classroom during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in Ann Arbor on Friday, July 17, 2020. Nicole Hester/Mlive.com
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ANN ARBOR, MI - Parents are expressing a mix of optimism and frustration with Ann Arbor Public Schools’ targeted timeframe for a return to in-person classes, with some remaining skeptical the district is holding off on committing to a return date.
Some parents said they are frustrated with AAPS’ announcement it is targeting bringing students back for in-person classes in a hybrid format in early March, claiming its caveats of “significant progress” in vaccinating school personnel and a reduction in community COVID-19 infections are another example of it “moving the goalposts,” to further delay the return of face-to-face learning.
Enbridge is awaiting permits in that project, which aims to replace the aging dual span pipes at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac with a new pipe running through a tunnel beneath the lakebottom. Enbridge officials have said they plan to start building the tunnel this year and finish by 2024, but the company is still awaiting state and federal permits it needs to begin construction.
Citing a litany of easement violations and broader concerns that the pipeline poses a dire risk of an oil spill, Whitmer notified Enbridge in November that she was revoking and terminating the 1953 easement that allows the company to operate Line 5 in the Straits. Whitmer ordered the Straits portion shut down by May.