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Climate change integrators come to Michigan

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Climate change integrators come to Michigan


This isn’t about Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, multinational investors or corporate raiders buying huge land tracts in western states and upending communities. In Michigan, it could be companies like Ceres, the foreign Hancock Timber and Farmland Fund, Bowman Family Holdings or even smaller, local groups. 

My brother and I are among the many centennial farm owners here in Lenawee County. We inherited land, buildings, other assets and tax breaks. Some here inherited wealth others can only imagine.  

There’s no birthright to lifelong land ownership. Choices are made, consequences follow. 

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At some point, there might not be anybody in the family to take over or to lease to another farmer. Others might decide to grab that brass ring and cash out. Then what? 

One choice is to sell, breaking up large holdings into smaller parcels. Young farmers here want to buy or lease, others want to expand or continue renting. But land (and lease) prices have to be affordable. Rising rents and land prices aren’t the only barriers to entry; higher township property values increase taxes, which hurts others who can’t afford them. 

While getting multiple unsolicited offers from different companies over the past 18 months to buy or lease our farm in Riga Township for different energy options, I checked into them. Their websites are filled with high production value, emo-greenwashy stuff and seemingly unrelated business interests. Some promise “in perpetuity” (at least until they sell the parcel or go out of business). 

Let’s call these companies climate change integrators. 

Maybe you like factory farms, corn, soy, biodigesters, biodiesel and ethanol. Maybe you like clearcutting trees, whether they’re fencerows between fields, along streams or in forests, for biofuel feedstock or clearance for solar arrays and wind turbines. Maybe you like mega wind and solar and the accompanying battery farms. Maybe you like pollinators, carbon sequestration and cover crops. Maybe you like renewable natural gas (RNG) produced by incinerating plastics and CAFO sewage biodigesters. Maybe you think carbon dioxide injection wells for storing captured CO2 from faraway industrial smokestacks and piped here are terrific. Or maybe you like some of these and dislike others. 

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That doesn’t matter to some of these companies. It’s their choice once they own or lease land. It can be a surprise to landowners (not to mention the neighbors) who consoled themselves about selling or leasing inherited land with visions of pollinator flowers blooming, bees buzzing “in perpetuity” to suddenly learn there’s going to be a mega solar installation or a battery farm or livestock waste on that newly cleared woodlot or extensively tiled farmland. 

It’s important to talk to an experienced lawyer about any arrangements. 

Once ownership of Michigan’s ever-shrinking, food-production-quality acreage is concentrated into a few hands, what happens to food prices? What happens to energy rates and reliability after this land ownership consolidation, and to promised community benefits should something go awry with their payments in lieu of taxes (PILTs) as it sometimes does? 

Michigan’s new renewable energy standard (P.A. 235) was written for climate change integrators and access to taxpayer largesse. It has little to do with climate change or environmental protection. If it did, it would be much different. The loss of local control over utility solar and wind siting was an extra kick. Some Michigan environmental groups aligned with fossil fuel companies, Michigan’s large utilities, solar and wind special interests and some Michigan Democrats to push this through. I didn’t foresee Democrats and environmentalists greasing the way for a private equity and investment fund farmland and energy takeover, but it’s a topsy-turvy world sometimes. 

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I remain on Team Local. I’ve watched the slow death of our small, rural towns over the past 50 years. We value our land, our renter’s family and kids who are newer farmers, and our neighbors’ quality of life. I hope voters will join me in choosing candidates who prioritize local people and healthy food production instead of boondoggles and self-dealing. 

— Pam Taylor is a retired Lenawee County teacher and an environmental activist. She can be reached at ptaylor001@msn.com. 



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Michigan football flips 3-star offensive tackle Tommy Fraumann

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Michigan football flips 3-star offensive tackle Tommy Fraumann


Michigan has added legacy Tommy Fraumann, a 6-foot-7 offensive tackle, to its 2026 class.

Fraumann, rated three stars, had been committed to Miami (Ohio). He announced his decision a day after three-star linebacker Aden Reeder flipped from Wisconsin to Michigan.

Fraumann, out of Wilmette (Illinois) Loyola Academy, is ranked 76th nationally at tackle. His father, Robert, lettered at Michigan in 2000.

Michigan now has 23 commits to the 2026 class. 

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It’s ‘stick view’ season at Michigan’s highest scenic drive

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It’s ‘stick view’ season at Michigan’s highest scenic drive


EAGLE HARBOR TOWNSHIP, MI – The leaves are falling, but the snow isn’t flying yet: It’s “stick view” season at Michigan’s highest scenic drive.

traces the spine of an ancient fault line as it rises 700 feet above the surface of Lake Superior, ending at the summit where epic fall color stretches in every direction.

The crown jewel of the state’s scenic drives, Brockway Mountain Drive traces the spine of an ancient fault line as it rises 720 feet above the surface of Lake Superior. At the summit, visitors find panoramic views of turbulent Great Lake and surrounding forestland. It’s the tallest scenic drive between the Rocky and Allegheny mountains.

When epic fall color fades and leaves drift the ground around Brockway Mountain Drive, what’s left is “stick season views.” Visit Keweenaw invites travelers to enjoy late fall’s unobstructed views before the snow flies and makes this route impassable.Visit Keweenaw

A month ago, epic fall color stretched out in every direction. Today, the color explosion has faded and russet leaves drifted to the ground leaving behind bare trees. Some refer to this time as “stick season.”

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This U.P. drive takes you 700 feet above Lake Superior, where epic fall color stretches out in every direction

The nine-mile route to the plateau is open from May to late fall; specifically, whenever snowfall makes it impassable. At that point, it closes to vehicles and opens to snowmobiles.

Visit Keweenaw makes the argument that the late fall “stick views” are worth the drive.

“As autumn’s leaves return to the earth’s surface, tree lines and outlooks see increased visibility,” said Jesse Weiderhold, managing director of Visit Keweenaw. “Peer through trees that would normally obstruct views for more open views of Lake Superior and the surrounding Keweenaw. See further in forests and enjoy fall’s last triumph before the snow falls.”

Gorgeous view can be seen from new overlook on Brockway Mountain trail

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Other activities to enjoy at the top of Brockway this time of year include wildlife observation and birdwatching, hiking and biking, and night sky watching.

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Michigan State University partially reverses policy on co-ed community bathrooms after complaint

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Michigan State University partially reverses policy on co-ed community bathrooms after complaint


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Michigan State University has partially reversed course on its decision to make all community bathrooms in its honors dorm co-ed, following complaints from students and parents who said the arrangement made them uncomfortable.

Officials placed new signs at Campbell Hall last week to label some bathrooms by gender, a shift that came after a formal complaint and survey results showing unease among residents about a $37.1 million renovation that turned all 20 community bathrooms into unisex facilities.

Parents were not notified beforehand that bathrooms would no longer be separated by gender — prompting at least one student to seek out other facilities, according to a parent’s letter.

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Michigan State University partially ended its co-ed community bathrooms in its honors dorm. (Istock/ AndreyPopov)

The facilities were the first co-ed community bathrooms of their kind at any of the institution’s 27 dorms. MSU said it moved to unisex community bathrooms at Campbell Hall to adapt to a future shift in student populations.

“Following review of the survey data, the decision was made to provide options for students,” MSU spokesperson Kat Cooper said in a statement to Bridge Michigan.

The honors dorm spans four floors and includes 20 shared bathrooms, along with five single-use restrooms. Cooper said she was unsure how many of the community bathrooms will remain unisex and how many will be assigned as male or female.

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Michigan State

The university did not notify parents that bathrooms would not be designated by gender. (Getty Images)

In an email to Campbell Hall residents, school officials said that bathrooms “will be configured as much as possible to the gender make-up of the community” on the ground and first floors, where there are two community bathrooms, and “gendered bathroom options” on the second and third floors of the dorm, where there are eight community bathrooms, as well as single-use restrooms.

“We wanted to ensure that no room moves were required as part of these changes,” the email reads. “The updates are intended to offer more choice and help residents feel more comfortable in their daily routines.”

Some members of the MSU Board of Trustees said this week that the university made the right call in responding to student and parent feedback.

Bathroom sign male and female

The dorm has four floors with 20 community bathrooms and five single-use bathrooms. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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“I’m happy that the university listens to the concerns of its students,” Trustee Mike Balow said.

“It’s important for our students to feel comfortable and to have options. This is the right move by the university,” Trustee Dennis Denno added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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