State News

A memorial service is set for this afternoon for a state lawmaker who died in a motorcycle accident earlier this week. The 3 p.m. service for Presque Isle Republican State Representative Peter Pettalia will take place at the Presque Isle Lighthouse as part of a celebration of life that is …

Education officials in Michigan are moving forward with new guidelines to help school administrators and teachers maintain a supportive learning environment for students identifying as LGBT. The State Board of Education voted six to two in favor of revised guidelines designed to share best practices for addressing academic and safety …

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spent about an hour in Flint Wednesday afternoon. Trump toured the Flint Water Treatment plant and then spoke at a church. He says he would fix the water crisis. Trump also criticized Ford for announcing the move of small car production to Mexico. Trump said …

It may cost you more to drink a beer. Byron Center Republican Tom Hooker has introduced legislation to increase the tax on beer to five cents. The extra money raised would help fund treatment programs. The beer tax has been the same since 1966. The tax would only be on …

Kinross Correctional Facility in the Upper Peninsula is still on lockdown as clean-up from a Saturday prison riot continues. The Michigan Department of Corrections say the inmates were peacefully protesting Saturday morning in Kincheloe and got violent in the afternoon. Sinks were broken inside the bathrooms, inmates also broke windows. …

The Michigan House has given final approval to bills that would further regulate medical marijuana. This comes nearly eight years after its use was first authorized by voters. The main legislation would impose a new tax and establish a state licensing system to grow, process, sell, transport or test marijuana. …

More information is known concerning Republican State Representative Peter Pettalia, who was killed Monday evening in a motorcycle accident. According to Michigan State Police, Pettalia was killed after a pickup truck pulled in front of his motorcycle on M-33 and he ran into it. MSP says Pettalia was wearing a …

The median house-hold income has jumped $2,800 to $56,500. Business editor Murray Feldman says the it’s the first positive jump in eight years. Feldman says even with the spike we are still one point six percent below where we were before the recession hit in 2007.

The state board of education is expected to vote today on guidelines for schools to create a comfortable environment for LGBT students. Part of those recommendations will include recommending that schools let transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms with the gender they identify with. It’s generated a lot of …

An average of six student athletes at every high school suffered a concussion during the last school year. For the first time, the Michigan High School Athletic Association ordered every high school to report concussions in it’s athletes. The results–over 4,400 reported concussions, says spokesman John Johnson.