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What’s next in the fight over regulating short-term rentals in Michigan?
New Buffalo Mayor John Humphrey has been outspoken about his opposition to the rise of Airbnb-style rentals in his community, which held several packed public meetings in 2021 as the City Council took up the issue. Tackling short-term rentals was a tumultuous two-year process that included a moratorium on city-issued licenses for rentals in May […]
More ORVs are clogging Michigan’s snowmobile trail system, causing growing pains
Deep in Michigan’s winter woods, it’s becoming more common for snowmobile groomers to discover vehicles stuck in the snow or find ruts left by off-road vehicles. Add in the fact that outdoor recreation exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s creating unintended consequences for Michigan’s motorized trail systems. Sales of off-road vehicles (ORV), like those […]
As snow and ice disappear with climate change, some Michigan businesses struggle
Jim Rudicil says West Michigan winters have been fickle since 1984 — the year he helped open the winter sports complex inside Muskegon State Park. The longtime executive director of the Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park, formerly known as Muskegon Winter Sports Complex, and his team have made do with Mother Nature’s handiwork. But it’s […]
Could your kids’ bus driver be their new substitute teacher?
Cafeteria workers, secretaries and bus drivers could serve as substitute teachers in their district under legislation that awaits a decision from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The legislation would allow school districts to temporarily use school support staff to fill in as substitutes without any college credits. The law applies to support staff already working in a […]
Michigan’s state parks have needed repairs for years. Then the pandemic hit.
A patchwork of filled potholes welcomes visitors to P.J. Hoffmaster State Park, on Lake Michigan’s coast, as they drive into the wooded park that features miles of sandy beach and coastal dunes, hiking trails, a campground and popular visitor center. The Muskegon-area park, open year-round with designated cross-country ski trails in the winter, attracted 1.3 […]
Michigan could open the floodgates on short-term rentals, overruling local governments
Imagine buying your first home in a coastal community — or even your dream home on a lake — and creating a peaceful backyard oasis. But when warm weather rolls around, you soon discover a revolving door at the house next door. Loud music, late-night bonfires, even PA systems, beer pong and extra tents take […]
Legislation tightening rules for medical marijuana caregivers passes committee, heads to House
Several bills that change the state’s 2008 voter-approved Michigan Medical Marijuana Act and caregiver program moved out of committee Tuesday and are headed to the House floor. House Bills 5300-5302, known as the Michigan Cannabis Safety Act, tighten rules for caregivers related to plant allowances, product testing and where they can grow medical marijuana. The […]
Lawmakers blast ‘wild west’ of cannabis market, while caregivers decry proposed regulations
Updated, 10:22 a.m., 10/8/21 When Tanya Kaye’s granddaughter, Anastasia, began having seizures shortly after birth, doctors recommended controlling them with phenobarbital, a barbiturate that slows the activity of the brain and nervous system. Kaye, 40, a medical marijuana caregiver and certified cannabis consultant from Clio, was worried about side effects and developmental delays from the […]
Lawmakers introduce package adding marijuana caregiver regulations, as activists protest
Lawmakers on Tuesday announced proposed bipartisan legislation that would create a new license and add more regulations for marijuana caregivers. On Wednesday, cannabis activists held an already-planned rally in Lansing to protest the bills that leaders told the Advance earlier this week they had heard were in the works. The Michigan Cannabis Safety Act, House […]
Michigan medical marijuana caregivers gear up for fight against efforts to restrict grow rights
Medical marijuana caregiver Ryan Bringold has been involved in Michigan’s grassroots efforts to legalize cannabis for years. But as larger licensed recreational and medical cannabis grow facilities and provisioning centers crop up across Michigan, caregivers like Bringold who helped legalize marijuana feel they are being pushed out. A small group of corporate activists want to […]