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Michigan to mail cards telling 4.4M they can vote from home in November
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Michigan will mail postcards telling 4.4 million registered voters that they can vote from home in November’s presidential election, and it will spend $2 million to reimburse local governments that provide pre-paid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes.
17 years ago: Blackout hits Metro Detroit, Northeast putting 50 million in dark
It’s been 17 years since a major power outage put 50 million people from Detroit to New York in the dark.
About 50 million people lost power Aug. 14, 2003, when a tree branch in Ohio started an outage that cascaded across a broad swath from Michigan to New England and Canada.
The Michigan Senate called a special Saturday session to tackle the debate on forcing school districts to offer an in-person learning option. Among the topics of debate is whether schools would risk losing their funding if they don’t offer an in-person option, but that’s not a done deal.
Dedicated road lanes from Detroit to Ann Arbor for autonomous vehicles announced
“What may be the world’s most sophisticated roadway will be built here in Michigan,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.
Local and state leaders announced a new project Thursday that will allow autonomous vehicles to travel between Detroit and Ann Arbor using the new Michigan Connected Corridor.
Live stream: Michigan Gov. Whitmer holds COVID-19 news conference
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is planning to hold a news conference Friday morning about the state’s COVID-19 response. Watch live here at 11 a.m. today.
Man charged in 2013 murder of Clinton Township mother, daughter
A 40-year-old man has been charged in the murder of a Clinton Township woman and her 11-year-old daughter that occurred in 2013.
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🍺 ‘Our staff deserves better’: Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire has had enough of rude customers
Short’s Brewing Company in Bellaire said their employees have been mistreated by customers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Customers have reportedly gotten upset over mask requirements or slower service and have sworn, yelled and laughed at employees -- some have even made threats.
📦 Taylor woman says racial slur was written on toy shipped by Amazon
A Taylor woman said she received a doll from Amazon for her daughter’s first birthday -- and inside, someone wrote the N-word.
📓 View list: Michigan school district return plans for 2020-21
Many Michigan school districts are finalizing their plans for the 2020-21 school year amid the pandemic. Some have decided to begin the school year entirely online, others are planning to welcome students back for face-to-face instruction -- and some are offering both.
See what Michigan school districts have planned for the fall here.
📚 Watch: Education Town Hall on return-to-school plans
Local 4 hosted a virtual town hall Thursday night on education and the return to school amid the coronavirus pandemic. Devin Scillian and Paula Tutman were joined by education leaders from across the state to answer questions on the complicated decisions being made by schools and parents heading into the 2020-2021 school year.
Coronavirus in Michigan 🦠
Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 90,392; Death toll now at 6,289
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 90,392 as of Thursday, including 6,289 deaths, state officials report.
Thursday’s update represents 1,121 new cases and 16 additional deaths, including nine from a Vital Records review.
Michigan reported 40,441 diagnostic COVID-19 test results on Wednesday, Aug. 12, the largest amount of such COVID-19 test results reported on a single day by the state. The state reports a 3.08 percent positive rate for that day. The percent of positive tests has remained flat since June between 3 and 4 percent while the number of test results reported has increased steadily.
New cases have plateaued in the last two weeks, while deaths remain flat in Michigan. Testing has remained steady, with an average of more than 25,000 per day, with the positive rate between 3 and 4 percent. Hospitalizations have increased slightly, but remain considerably lower than in April.
Michigan has reported 63,636 recoveries. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 20,400 as of Thursday. Michigan’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 709 on Thursday.
Here’s a look at more of the data: