EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – The city of Okemos could have two local winners when it’s all said and done at the 46th Michigan Girls Junior State Amateur.

Wednesday, both rising Okemos senior Alena Li and rising eighth-grader Saisha Patil won quarterfinal match play rounds to move into Thursday’s semifinal rounds in their respective divisions.

Li, also a match play semifinalist a year ago, is into the Final Four in the ‘Overall Division”.

Patil, who’s 15-years-old, is the semifinalist in the “15-and-under Division”.

Li bounced rising Grand Ledge senior Isabel Kelly in Wednesday morning’s Round of 16 with a 6-and-5 winning score.

She then went on to play just 10 holes in the quarterfinal round, in which she birdied six of the holes, to dispatch of Petoskey’s Rachel Fay with a dominant 10-and-8 final score.

Li will take on stroke play runner-up, Traverse City’s Grace Slocum in Thursday’s semifinal at 8:10 a.m.

Patil, which won 5-and-4 in the quarterfinals, will play Grand Blanc’s Madilyn Sheerin Thursday morning with a tee time yet to be announced.

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According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), residents of the state set a new recycling rate for 2023.

Michigan residents recycled almost 70,000 tons of materials in 2023, which sets a new record for the state. The number of materials increases the state’s recycling rate to 23%, up from 21%, recycling 82,000 tons more than the previous year.

“Recycling is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos.

“We know Michiganders want to recycle the right way, and through our ‘Know It Before You Throw It’ campaign and recycling infrastructure investments, we are providing them with the tools to do just that.”

According to EGLE, Michigan is on pace to achieve its goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029.

Read the full article here.

From dreamy decor to top-notch amenities, Domino’s “Wish You Were Here” series is your first-class ticket to the most design-driven getaways around the world. Whether you’re looking to steal away for a few days or just steal a few ideas for back home (we encourage both, for the record), check out where we’re checking in.

I was born and raised in the Midwest (specifically outside of Chicago), which means I spent summers exploring Lake Michigan’s shores for family vacations. So when I pulled up to the newly renovated Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan, why did I feel like I was suddenly starring as an extra in an episode of Gilmore Girls?

That magic is partly due to the charming town but also thanks to Martin Horner and Shea Soucie of Soucie Horner, their Chicago-based design firm, who bought the 1937 home two years ago and turned it into a modern inn befitting of Stars Hollow.

Before the pair could make any cosmetic changes, they first had to consider the building’s history: Since the ’90s, the colonial structure was already a beloved inn run by adored cook Julee Rosso, author of The Silver Palate Cookbook. “When we bought the inn, we were very conscious of [Rosso’s popularity and returning guests], but we also had to make it our own,” Horner says. So instead of taking down walls and turning the 11-room property into a sleek Scandi hotel, they paid homage to the legendary former owner by working in details that were already there, like the art and furniture, which they reupholstered or repurposed. (The bathrooms however? Those were gutted and replaced with new tile and marble.) 

The rest of the inn’s “jewelry,” as Horner calls it—like the bamboo bed frame in the room I stayed in—came from epic vintage shopping trips, Facebook Marketplace hauls, and even Horner and Soucie’s own homes. In fact, no two guest rooms are exactly the same other than the lighting, bedding, and Waterworks faucets. To further keep consistency, they went with a soothing, neutral Benjamin Moore paint palette. (Fan favorite White Dove was their go-to in most areas.) New Vispring mattresses appear in each guest room, too. 

In the lobby and dining room, a fireplace and wood-paneled walls adorned with one of Rosso’s original tapestries, create cozy spaces in which to convene before a day spent exploring the area’s wineries and art galleries (prioritize Ox-Bow, trust me). Plus the backyard and screened-in gazebo are the perfect places to sip cocktails or indulge in the lobby’s complimentary chocolate chip cookies. 

The result almost feels delightfully non-Midwest, and certainly not beachy, even though the inn is just steps from the Kalamazoo River, where you can rent a candy-colored retro boat for an afternoon (highly recommend). Instead, the quiet luxury vibe paired with former Oprah Winfrey chef Rose Duong’s refined menu and the warm welcome from general manager Susan Michele make the whole experience decidedly Midwest. The only thing missing is Luke’s Diner.