More than 49,000 hunters applied to hunt Michigan elk in 2021, a record that is part of a steady decade-long rise, state wildlife officials say.

A teacher shortage in the state’s public schools has grown worse during the pandemic. State Supt. Michael Rice wants to make it easier to certify teachers while providing financial incentives to get more young people into the profession.

An uptick in deer hunting during COVID last year prompted whispers of a renaissance for a sport that has been losing participants for decades. Early numbers suggest many of the new hunters aren’t coming back.

With deer hunting in decline and land development pushing humans and deer ever-closer together, Michigan’s deer population may be headed toward an uncontrollable boom.

Kindergarten enrollment was down 11.3 percent across Michigan last year as parents chose to keep their students home rather than face the COVID health risk.

The once-in-a-generation legislation promises to bring more than $10 billion in public works aid to Michigan, a state in dire need of upgrades to roads, dams and bridges, drinking water systems and other protections against climate change.

Documents released this week paint a picture of how Benton Harbor’s lead-tainted water crisis was allowed to fester for years amid funding shortfalls, communication breakdowns and delays.

The veto sets the stage for a petition drive Republicans hope to use to circumvent the Democratic governor’s objections to an effort critics say would drain money from public schools and violate the state’s constitution.

A looming federal mandate means 2 million Michigan residents must prove they’ve been vaccinated, submit to weekly tests or lose their jobs. A weatherman, dentist, nurse and pastor explain why they refused.

Join us on Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. December 13 for our final Bridge Book Club event of 2021. Author and Michigan native Anissa Gray will join us to discuss her debut novel. Bridge members receive a free e-version of the book.

Citizen group finds middle ground on House maps, but ignores advice of counsel and changes deadline for submitting legislative district proposals.

Despite Qanon conspiracy theories, a state takeover and a missing tabulator that prompted a police raid, hundreds of Adams Township voters still hit the polls Tuesday. The 2020 election may have been rigged, but not here, they said.