Great Lakes Wire

On August 16, 2024, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Enbridge Energy's request for a rehearing of its June decision to remand back to a Michigan state court the Attorney General’s lawsuit aimed at shutting down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. The announcement was made by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The federal court was unpersuaded by Enbridge’s petition for rehearing en banc, which sought to have the entire bench of judges in the Court of Appeals re-hear the case previously decided by a three-judge panel. Consequently, the case, Nessel v. Enbridge,...

Rashad Trice sentenced to life for murder of two-year-old

LANSING – Rashad Maleek Trice, 27, of Lansing, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by Judge Joyce Draganchuk in the 30th Judicial Circuit Court in Ingham County for the 2023 murder of 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the sentencing. Trice was also given a concurrent sentence of 60-90 years' incarceration for the violent assault of Wynter’s mother. He pled guilty in July to one count each of First-Degree Murder and First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct.

Employee wellness plans boost productivity and performance

Implementing a wellness plan can significantly enhance employee performance and productivity, according to experts. Businesses can benefit from simple and effective strategies such as organizing active events, promoting friendly competition, offering healthy potlucks, conducting outdoor meetings, or scheduling group stretch breaks.

AG Nessel responds to lawsuit challenging Michigan's ban on conversion therapy

LANSING – In response to a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s state ban on the practice of conversion therapy on minors, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a brief opposing the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the ban. The lawsuit was filed in July by Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties and an individual psychologist in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, against defendants including Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Nessel, several state agency directors, and numerous individual...

AG Nessel partners with NLRB to enhance worker protections

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Regional Directors from Board Regions 7-Detroit and 18-Minneapolis to strengthen worker protections. This agreement enables the Department of Attorney General and NLRB’s Detroit and Minneapolis regions to collaborate more closely by sharing information, conducting cross-training for staff, and partnering on investigative efforts within each agency’s authority to more effectively enforce the National Labor Relations Act and the state laws of Michigan.

NMU men’s soccer announces pre-season matches against Madonna University

Join Alex Fatovic and the NMU men's soccer team as they open 2024 with a trio of pre-season exhibition matches in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and Wisconsin.

Attorney General Nessel joins multistate effort supporting firearm sale regulations

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in support of state and federal laws regulating the sale of firearms to enhance community safety. The coalition filed an amicus brief in U.S. v. Steven Perez, arguing that federal laws preventing individuals from transporting or receiving firearms from outside their state of residence, except through a federally licensed firearms dealer, are crucial for public safety. The brief, submitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, emphasizes that regulation of firearms...

New podcast from Chris and Max features residential broker Tiffany Szakal

Check out this new podcast featuring residential broker Tiffany Szakal. LISTEN HERE

Michigan's Restaurant Meal Program expands statewide

For the past three years, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has provided restaurant meals to seniors and eligible food assistance recipients through its Restaurant Meal Program. Today, the program has grown to more than 100 restaurants in 26 counties.

Medium superintendent of public instruction michael f rice 2023

How many African American students were enrolled in Michigan school districts in 2022-23 school year?

There were 260,538 African American students enrolled in school districts in Michigan in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Report: 181,000 travelers used credit card rewards to travel to Michigan

By Great Lakes Wire reports | Aug 14, 2024

More than 181,000 travelers used credit card reward points to visit Michigan in 2022.

Senate Candidate Rogers: Biden-Harris open border ‘jeopardizes the security of American families’

Michigan Senate Candidate Mike Rogers stated that the Biden-Harris campaign’s border policies, which his opponent Elissa Slotkin supports, could harm people living in Michigan. Rogers shared his statement with Great Lakes Wire on August 12.

Tyler Annala places second at UPGA Championship

NMU golfer Tyler Annala competed in the 110th Upper Peninsula Golf Association (UPGA) Championship, finishing as the runner-up in the top flight.

Legal tips to future-proof your small business

Navigating the small business world involves managing a constantly shifting landscape of legal regulations. Statistics indicate that one in two small businesses encounter legal hurdles annually in the U.S., underscoring the importance of being prepared.

Michigan AG launches "Operation Survivor Justice" targeting fugitive sex offenders

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, alongside members of the Department of Attorney General, Branch County Prosecutor Zachary Stempien, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor and Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan President Jeffrey Getting, Special Assistant Attorney General Erin House with the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative in Kalamazoo County, and House Appropriations Chairwoman State Representative Angela Witwer, announced the launch of Operation Survivor Justice at a press conference today. The initiative is a partnership between the Michigan Department of...

Livonia man pleads guilty to cold-case sexual assault at Western Michigan University

LANSING – On Friday, Cameron Alvarez, 34, of Livonia, pled guilty to two counts of First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 9th Circuit Court in Kalamazoo. This cold-case prosecution was part of the Kalamazoo County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Alvarez was charged in 2022 for a sexual assault committed in January 2010 on the campus of Western Michigan University (WMU). According to the plea agreement, Alvarez is expected to serve 12 to 25 years’ incarceration and will be subject to lifetime electronic monitoring...

Republican incumbents Friske and Bezotte lose primaries amid controversies

Two embattled Republican House members who each found themselves in the news for separate unflattering reasons lost their primaries Tuesday, accounting for the only incumbents to lose in Tuesday’s election.

AG Nessel extends Kroger opioid settlement sign-on deadline

The deadline for counties and local municipalities to register for payments from the $1.2 billion national Kroger settlement has been extended to Wednesday, September 11, 2024. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel urges local governments that have not yet enrolled in the settlement to complete and submit their participation paperwork by this new deadline. Local Michigan governments and the state will receive approximately $42 million from this settlement over an 11-year period to aid in their efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

MPHI launches PHIRE virtual learning program for high school students