The Gordie Howe Bridge will be opening…

Posted on by farlane

Gordie Gets Lit!! by Windsor Aerial Drone Photography

This Canadian Broadcasting Company article on issues surrounding the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge makes it pretty clear that the problem with opening the bridge is the problem with a whole of things these days:

For months, Canadian officials have maintained that the long-awaited opening of the $6.4 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ont., is dependent on various testing and commissioning tasks.

But fresh comments from a Canadian cabinet member as well as two top U.S. officials suggests there is a link between the current trade war and the new border crossing’s opening timeline. A White House official on Friday said the Trump administration “continues to engage with all of our trading partners to resolve longstanding unfair trade practices.”

…Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said in a statement Friday that “[d]iscussions on the Gordie Howe Bridge continue.” CBC News had asked his office similar questions about the bridge’s opening and whether it’s tied to broader trade talks. Earlier this month, Hoekstra reportedly said that Trump himself has to sign off on the opening. “There’s a lot of issues right now between the U.S. and Canada. The bridge is one more,” he told the Detroit News.

Windsor Aerial Drone Photography shared these photos & the video below from the first lighting of the Gordie Howe Bridge on September 18, 2025. Follow them on Facebook for their latest and view & purchase their work at windsoraerialdronephotography.com.

Lots more of the gorgeous Gordie Howe International Bridge on Michigan in Pictures!

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One Buck Chuck: New “one buck” rule for Michigan’s Lower Peninsula

Posted on by farlane
Best Buck by Beth Crawford

Best Buck by Beth Crawford

WKAR Public Media shares that the Natural Resources Commission is implementing a one-buck limit for deer hunters in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula:

The Natural Resources Commission met for 10 hours Wednesday to discuss the implementation of a one-buck rule for hunters in the 2027 hunting season. The goal is to incentivize the hunting of does, which would reduce Michigan’s deer overpopulation and balance out the doe-to-buck ratio.

More than 50 people spoke during the nearly five-hour-long public comment section 😱, and opinions on the one-buck ruling were varied.

…Commissioner David Nyberg said implementing the one-buck rule on the Lower Peninsula was a compromise among the commissions. “In an imperfect process this, this proposed amendment tries to get as close as possible to achieving what we’re hearing and what the science is showing that we can support Michigan,” he said.

Beth shares that to her amazement, this buck walked right up to her so of course she took the shot. See more in her Deer photo gallery on Flickr.

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Drones coming to the Great Lakes

Posted on by farlane
Saildrone Explorer by Navy Chief Petty Officer Roland Franklin

The US Coast Guard says that the USGS Great Lakes District will deploy autonomous drones to support Coast Guard missions on the Great Lakes from May to October this year:

The drones are wind- and solar-powered vessels the Coast Guard will use to monitor the Great Lakes, gather critical weather data for emergency response planning, track illicit activity and keep maritime borders safe.

The autonomous vessels are highly visible, equipped with radar, cameras and collision-avoidance artificial intelligence and monitored continuously by human operators who can take manual control if needed. Sail drones are equipped with sensors focused solely on maritime domain awareness, providing critical information on vessel activities, including vessels in distress or engaged in illegal operations.

Anyone else feeling nervous about the explosion of drones & datacenters we’ve seen over the last year or is that just me?

photo caption: A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel operates in the Arabian Gulf during Exercise Phantom Scope, Oct. 7, 2022. During the bilateral exercise between the United States and United Kingdom, USVs operated in conjunction with crewed ships and naval command centers in Bahrain. Credit: Navy Chief Petty Officer Roland Franklin

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Michigan Republicans propose luxury tax

Posted on by farlane
Luxury Lanes by Wes Booden

Luxury Lanes by Wes Booden

Bridge Michigan shares that Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall is proposing a 6% sales tax on luxury services to pay for a cumulative $5 billion dollar tax overhaul and utility rate rollback plan:

Among the services Hall, R-Richland Township, is proposing to tax: Limousines, country club memberships, tourist services, skiing, golf, artificial intelligence services, performing arts, private jets, environmental consulting, newspaper publishing, marinas and political ads.

Those proposed service taxes, as first reported by WLNS-TV in Lansing, could generate roughly $4.73 billion in state revenue, nearly offsetting $5 billion tax overhaul he proposed earlier this month, including elimination of the State Education Tax, real estate transfer tax and remaining personal property taxes.

You can click through to see if bowling is one of the included services.

Wes shared this photo of Luxury Lanes in Ferndale way back in 2009. See more in his Canon 30D gallery on Flickr.

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Cloudy future for the Gordie Howe International Bridge?

Posted on by farlane
Bridge in the Clouds by Scattered1

Bridge in the Clouds by Scattered1

The Detroit News shares that President Trump has threatened to block the opening of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor from opening until Canada treats the United States with what he described as “fairness and respect.”

Apparently, the fact that Canada has paid for 100% of the construction project isn’t fair enough. IMO, it is deeply embarrassing to become a nation whose word can’t be trusted. Your mileage may vary, but please remember that’s not my or anyone elses problem.

Scattered1 took this photo back in December when the clouds were so low that they couldn’t see the top of the bridge’s 722-foot towers. See more in their massive Michigan gallery on Flickr.

Here’s a shot of a cross border handshake from 2024 to help us remember that the United States has no ally as true and vital as Canada. ♥️ 🇨🇦 🤍

Cross Border Handshake

Lots more Gordie Howe Bridge on Michigan in Pictures!

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Saving whitefish in the Great Lakes

Posted on by farlane
Fishing in Michigan by Abigail Lynch

Fishing in Michigan by Abigail Lynch

“Since first arriving in the Great Lakes in the 1980s, invasive mussels have spread to all five lakes, and altered the ecosystem in profound ways. Today we understand that zebra and quagga mussels are an existential threat to the Great Lakes and without a coordinated response, they will continue to inflict harm on the environment, infrastructure, and critical species such as lake whitefish. Just as invasive sea lamprey require a coordinated, binational response for effective control, we must partner with national, state, provincial, Indigenous, regional, and local partners to find a solution to the mussel invasion. This bill makes that happen.” –Great Lakes Fishery Commission Chair Ethan Baker

Bridge Michigan shares that two Michigan lawmakers are set to unveil legislation to dramatically increase funding to prevent invasive mussels from wiping out whitefish in the lower Great Lakes:

US Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, and Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, want to increase funding for mussel control research more than fiftyfold to $500 million over the next 10 years. (EDITOR: They released it on Tuesday)

Otherwise, the “fish that we take for granted are going to just disappear,” Dingell told Bridge Michigan.

…The damage wrought by invasive mussels is among the biggest threats to the Great Lakes in history. Yet Bridge found that while the US government has spent mightily to combat other threats, the fight against mussels has received a comparative pittance.

The main funding program for Great Lakes science has devoted an average of less than $1 million annually to the cause since 2010, according to spending records analyzed by Bridge. The federal government spends about 20 times that amount to keep sea lamprey out of the Great Lakes and has promised 90 times as much to build a barrier against invasive carp.

Read on for much more & kudos to these two Representatives for working together to protect the livelihoods and meals of Michiganders!

The photos are from Michigan Sea Grant and the one of the boat moored was taken by Brandon Schroeder. Sea Grant is an excellent organization that works hard for Michigan waters and the Great Lakes as a whole!

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Michigan Food to the Rescue

Posted on by farlane
Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan

Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan

“In times like these, we have to look out to help one another. We have to have compassion for one another to see how can I help my brother.” – Reverend Aaron Hicks

Michigan Public shares that Michigan food pantries were swamped over the weekend with the news of SNAP benefits being cut. Bridge Michigan notes Governor Whitmer is sending $4.5 million in emergency funds to food banks & the Senate has passed a larger, $71 million dollar package.

The National SNAP participation map breaks things down at the conty level. In Michigan average of 14.2% of small town households, 16.1% of urban households, and 16.8% of rural households receive SNAP benefits, and Michigan spends $3 billion a year on food assistance for our 1.4 million SNAP recipients.

One of the many Michigan organizations working hard to keep food in the hands of hungry Michiganders is Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan who rescue, repack, and distribute over 2 million pounds of food every year to add to food pantry stores. Due to uncertainty with SNAP (food stamp) benefits, they are holding additional repacks – get all the details right here & feel welcome to share options you know of in the comments!!

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No Kings in Michigan

Posted on by farlane
No Kings Day, Ann Arbor by Dennis Sparks

No Kings Day, Ann Arbor by Dennis Sparks

Editor’s Note: the author of this blog is one of millions of Americans who feel that actions by President Trump & his Administration cross dangerous Constitutional and/or societal red lines including stopping people based on skin color, warrantless raids by masked police, “clawing back” duly appropriated Federal funds, directly threatening to turn the military on American citizens who oppose him, and refusing to seat a duly elected representative for almost a month because she will be the 218th vote to release the Epstein files. You may certainly disagree, but if you get nasty, you’re gone. No kings or tyrants in the USA, ever.

The second No Kings Day protests are scheduled across the state, nation, and even the world for this Saturday, October 18, 2025. You can check the map at NoKings.org or text #63033 for detailed information about protests near you. Also, they are asking that folks wear YELLOW because it is neither blue nor red

Dennis took these at the No Kings Day protests in Ann Arbor & Saline back in June. See more from the protests below, and more from these cities in his Ann Arbor Area gallery on Flickr.

PS: If you really really really want a Michigan king, can I interest you in King Strang of Beaver Island? ;)

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Michigan facing $16,000,000,000 fine for voting for Democrats?

Posted on by farlane
GM Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant

GM Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant by Tony Webster

The Michigan Advance shares that a $500 million grant to convert the General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly plant to electric vehicle production is being considered for cancellation by President Trump. The grant is one of over $16 billion in already awarded federal grants that could be clawed back, apparently because Michigan voted for Democrats, which honestly sounds insane:

The document, circulated on Capitol Hill, was first reported by The Detroit News (link) and reportedly includes more than $800 million in Michigan projects. Other Michigan-based recipients on the list include Ford Motor Company and Dow Chemical Company. (and Stellantis)

The proposed cancellations come after Trump administration officials last week defended the decision to cancel federal projects in regions of the country that have voted for Democrats, insisting it was in an effort to reduce the size and scope of government during the ongoing shutdown of the federal government. Democrats, however, said the cancellations further eroded Congress’ constitutional authority over spending by unilaterally canceling funding that lawmakers approved on a bipartisan basis.

The lawmakers definitely have a point. How can we expect companies to invest in industries of the future if we as a nation can’t honor our commitments?

The photo is from the Wikipedia for the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant which opened in 2001 and replaced the Lansing Car Assembly, Lansing Metal Center, and the Lansing Craft Center.

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Michigan’s roads of the future: paid for by cannabis

Posted on by farlane
Cannabis in the Mist by Grasshopper Farms

Cannabis in the Mist by Grasshopper Farms

Jordyn Hermani of Bridge Magazine shares that Michigan lawmakers passed the nearly $81 billion dollar budget early this morning. Highlights include almost $2 billion for roads, cuts of “ghost employees” in government jobs, and continued free meals for Michigan K-12 students. The key to the whole deal is a new 24% wholesale marijuana tax in January that is anticipated to bring in a conveniently estimated $420 million a year. The article is an excellent overview of the budget and says in part:

Marijuana industry advocates have decried the plan, arguing it will lead to higher prices for consumers, force companies out of business and benefit the illegal black market.

“This is going to drive Michigan customers out of the legal market,” said Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, who opposed the bill. “This is telling customers from other states, ‘Stop bringing your money to Michigan.’”

If you’re interested, this story has some thoughts from industry operators & additional comments from Senator Irwin on how this will feed the non-legal market & mirror California’s mistakes, and this one explores the impact on retailers & consumer prices.

...The budget will continue to make school meals free for all students, a top priority of Whitmer and Senate Democrats. It includes $201.6 million to cover meals for students who don’t qualify for no-cost programs through the federal government. The budget includes a record $10,050 in per-pupil funding for Michigan schools, up from $9,608 this year, and also provides full funding for cyber charter schools. Those changes will cost the state $593.5 million. It also adds $321 million for mental health and safety grants that are available to both public and private schools.

These photos are from one of my favorite companies in the Michigan cannabis industry, Grasshopper Farms. One of the reasons for this is how lovely their outdoor cannabis farm looks, and another huge one is how they work to be a part of their community in the Paw Paw area! Here are some more photos from the farm – follow them on Facebook & Instagram for more.

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