STATE

ROSCOMMON, Mich. - With fire danger extremely high across much of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula today, firefighters are working near Houghton Lake in Roscommon County to contain a wildfire burning since Sunday afternoon, Oct. 5, near the Roscommon State Forest Area.

The fire was reported early Sunday afternoon east of Old U.S. Highway 27, near the Clare–Roscommon county line. The cause remains under investigation.

The fire is estimated to be at approximately 85 acres in a marshy area of mixed pine and hardwood forest, where dry fuels and gusty winds have challenged firefighting efforts.

“Crews have been working through difficult terrain to contain the fire,” said Jeff Vasher, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Lower Peninsula resource protection manager. “High winds have made suppression challenging, but firefighters are holding the lines and continuing to reinforce containment.”

Resources on scene include DNR firefighters, local fire departments, bulldozers, fire engines and drone aircraft support being used for aerial mapping and situational awareness. The DNR urges the public to avoid the area while crews continue suppression operations.

Across northern Michigan, fire danger remains high to very high, driven by warm temperatures, low humidity and extremely dry vegetation. Open burning is not advised, and residents are asked to use extreme caution with any outdoor heat or spark sources.

“We are currently experiencing severe drought conditions across the mid-to-lower peninsula,” added Paul Rogers, DNR fire prevention specialist. “While there is some chance of rain tonight and tomorrow, expected rainfall amounts will not be enough to ease the drought or reduce the overall fire danger.”

Burn permits were suspended Friday, Oct. 3, to help prevent additional wildfires under these increasingly dry conditions. The DNR strongly urges residents to refrain from any outdoor burning until conditions improve.

For updates, fire safety information, and prevention tips, visit Michigan.gov/FireManagement.

-courtesy story

LANSING, Mich. –  Governor Whitmer Statement on Passage of Balanced, Bipartisan State Budget   

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the following statement after the Michigan Legislature passed a bipartisan state budget. The balanced budget, the seventh of the governor’s term, includes a sustainable, long-term road funding deal, tax breaks for seniors and working families, another record investment in students and schools, health care protections, and commonsense changes to make government work better.  

“Today’s balanced, bipartisan budget is a big win for Michiganders. We brought members on both sides of the aisle together to provide tax breaks to seniors and working families, protect access to affordable health care, feed every child free meals at school, help our students succeed academically, and ensure Michiganders are safe in their communities. 

“I ran for office in large part because I wanted to fix the damn roads. Over the past seven years, we’ve made historic progress, fixing 24,500 lane miles and 1,900 bridges. With this budget, we’re locking in a significant, bipartisan investment to fix state and local roads for decades to come, creating and protecting thousands of jobs in the process. I’m proud to deliver on my promise and look forward to driving on safer, smoother roads long after my time as governor. 

“I’m so grateful to Leader Brinks, Speaker Hall, and legislators on both sides of the aisle for coming together to get this done for Michiganders. Let’s keep moving Michigan forward.”

-courtesy story

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State Police (MSP) is excited to announce that registration is now open for the Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) program. 

Program Changes:

While the curriculum is still provided free of charge, emergency preparedness starter kits are no longer included due to funding constraints. However, this year we would like to feature one classroom per week on our new MSP Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (EMHSD) Facebook page. 

Please show us your preparedness in action through pictures! If you would like your class to participate, you will receive an email with the Facebook information after registration. 

About the Program:  

The STEP program educates students on emergencies and disasters common to their area and strategies for protecting themselves and their families, how to create a family emergency communication plan and assemble disaster supply kits at home.

STEP provides teachers with emergency preparedness materials at no cost to the school. These materials include an instructor guide and overview, an activity book, supplemental lessons and activities, videos, and printable resources. These materials are available online at MIREADY and contain up to eight hours of instruction. The STEP curriculum can be taught by teachers, school officials, first responders, or volunteers.

Since the start of STEP in 2011, Michigan educators have partnered with the MSP/EMHSD to educate more than 100,000 students on the importance of preparedness. For years, this partnership has been invaluable to our community, and we need you to help us keep it going. 

Thank you in advance and have a great year! 

If you have any questions about the STEP curriculum, please contact Jane Troutman. 

Registration will close on December 1.               

www.michigan.gov/STEP

Whitmer discussed importance of Michigan’s Relationship with Canada for U.S. Manufacturing, how China benefits from DC Republicans’ current tariffs strategy   

LANSING, Mich. -- Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the keynote address at the Empire Club of Canada, in partnership with AmCham Canada (American Chamber of Commerce in Canada), focusing on the harm current U.S. tariffs are doing to Michigan and our manufacturers, especially our auto industry. The event also included a fireside chat focusing on the relationship between Michigan and Canada, trade, supply chains, jobs, climate, and cross-border partnerships. 

Automakers and suppliers are put at risk because of tariffs, which also jeopardizes 1.2 million Michiganders who work in these communities. Canada is our biggest auto trading partner, with car parts crossing the border an average of eight times. An additional 25% tariff has been slapped on foreign made auto parts, including those from Canada. Auto companies are considering building cars and products entirely overseas to pay one tariff on one product. 

Click the link to view the speech. 

Please see below for her remarks as prepared for delivery.  

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Hello and bonjour! Thank you all for being here. Today, I want to talk about how Michigan and Canada can work together to lead the future of the auto industry. 

But first, to acknowledge the obvious, I know that U.S.-Canada relations are challenging today. The tone, insults and ignorance coming out of Washington, DC are unwise, unnecessary, and unjustified. But I want you all to know that the vast majority of Americans view Canada as our best friend, ally, and partner in the world. I know most governors—Democrats and Republicans—feel the same way too. 

Michigan, in particular, has a special relationship with Canada. 

• Governors John Swainson and Jennifer Granholm were born here. 
• Governor Jim Blanchard served as Ambassador to Canada in the 90s. 
• And former Governor George Romney owned a cottage in Ontario. 

In addition to our deep gubernatorial ties, our state and your country have a lot in common: 

• a proud manufacturing tradition, 
• a strong agricultural industry, 
• a fierce commitment to protecting the Great Lakes, 
• a love of hockey and craft beer, 
• a strong penchant for friendship, 
• and we each have our own famous Fords—we have the motor company and you have Premier Doug. Both are icons in their own right. 
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We also share a border. Detroit-Windsor is the busiest international border crossing in North America, driving more than a quarter of the $700 billion of annual trade between the US and Canada. More goods cross the Ambassador Bridge than the U.S. trades with France. Just think about that. This crossing is critical to protecting and defending our respective economies, and we must never take it for granted. 

I’m proud of the relationship we’ve built through agreements on cross-border electric vehicle testing, supply chains, and job creation. Since I took office, Canadian businesses have announced 42 projects in Michigan, creating over 7,800 jobs. Over that same time, Michigan businesses have moved on 33 projects in Canada, creating more than 10,000 jobs. 

It’s like Prime Minister Carney said, “Our strength lies in our resolve to work together.” That’s why I’m here today. Michigan and Canada are cousins. We may live a town over, but we always show up when it counts. If anyone tries to mess with our family, you can bet we’ll have your back. And we know you’ve got ours. 

Together, we’ve seen what a strong relationship can do for our economies. America’s largest trading partners are Canada and Mexico. Combined, we conduct nearly $1.8 trillion of trade under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. 

President Trump negotiated this deal during his first term, calling it “the best agreement we’ve ever made.” It’s benefited all three of our economies by creating millions of jobs, increasing investments, and making supply chains stronger. 

Now, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot with a chaotic national tariff policy. Over the past ten months, the federal administration has slapped tariffs on nearly every country, including yours. They have negotiated some deals, retracted others, and some fluctuate depending on the day, stoking uncertainty and sowing distrust. 

Most people don’t want these tariffs. 6 in 10 Canadians no longer trust America because of them. 60% of Americans think President Trump has gone too far with them. Even 1 in 4 Republicans don't want anything to do with them.  

I will say… Michiganders and Canadians understand the negative consequences of unfettered trade with other countries that don’t play fair. Decades of offshoring and outsourcing shipped good-paying, middle-class jobs overseas. The ripple effects were devastating. Fewer people, empty main streets, crumbling roads, and shrinking schools. 

Thanks to Washington DC Republicans’ latest tariffs, however, history is repeating itself. In the U.S., Google searches for “need help with mortgage” are the highest since 2008. Credit scores are dropping at the fastest rate since the Great Recession. Today, the top 10% of households are responsible for nearly 50% of consumer spending—the highest share since the 90s. 

Tariffs are putting the middle class in a tough spot. The folks doing well are doing even better and those who are struggling are falling even further behind. 

This shows up in people’s day-to-day as they: 

• Put groceries back on the shelf before checking out. 
• Hold out until the last possible mile to change their oil. 
• Move back home to save on rent. 

I’ve been very clear that I’m not opposed to tariffs outright, but we can’t treat them like a “one size fits all” solution. And we certainly shouldn’t use them to punish you, our closest trading partners.   

Canada supplies so much of what Americans use every single day. Canadian energy powers more than 5.6 million U.S. homes. Canadian aluminum and auto parts are in our cars. 

Canadian lumber and steel are in our apartment buildings, houses, offices, and more. The things so many Americans rely on and take for granted are supplied by some of the people in this room.  

Swinging the tariff hammer hurts us both, damaging supply chains, slowing production lines, and cutting jobs on both sides of the border. 

We’ve already seen what happens when our connection is severed. The blockade of the Ambassador Bridge in 2022 hit our auto and agriculture industries hard. Commerce stalled and workers lost a combined $144 million in wages. 

Tariffs are threatening to make that temporary nightmare a permanent reality. Consider this… more than 10,000 commercial vehicles carrying parts and materials across the Ambassador Bridge every weekday. Without a USMCA exemption, every auto part on every single one of those trucks is subject to a 25% tariff. 

This summer, duties on automotive goods entering the U.S. totaled around 17.4 billion. They’ve never exceeded $1 billion in any month since 2002. 

We’re already seeing the impacts of soaring costs. Auto companies in Canada and Michigan are stockpiling parts and laying off workers. Bonus checks for autoworkers are shrinking by thousands. Suppliers are facing higher costs and delaying expansions. The price of a new car could rise by $2,500. Businesses are considering moving operations entirely overseas to pay one tariff on one product. 

The only winner here is China. They’re coming for our auto industry. 

Ontario—along with Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois—have secured massive, multibillion-dollar investments from companies like GM, Ford, Stellantis, Honda, and LG. Together, the Great Lakes region is the largest hub for battery production in North America. But if we let cheap Chinese EVs enter the North American market or fail to develop new battery technology and take control of supply chains for critical minerals and components… it’s all at risk. 

Just look at Europe, where Chinese EVs and batteries are gobbling up market share. More than 12 million European direct and indirect auto industry jobs are at risk. And the iconic German brand, Volkswagen, was forced to shut down a plant for the first time in its 87-year history last year. 

We can’t ignore what’s happening across the ocean and in our own continent, down in Mexico. If we fail to act, that could be our future. One where companies subsidized by the Chinese government sell at a loss and crush the core of our manufacturing economies.   

We’re doing our part to shore up domestic production. Since I took office, automakers and suppliers have invested a combined $40 billion into Michigan. In Canada, automakers and suppliers have invested over $50 billion since 2020. 

Michigan remains the #1 U.S. state for: 

• Auto production, 
• EV and battery manufacturing, 
• Mobility R&D, 
• And engineering talent. 

But that’s not enough. Michigan and Canada must collaborate to win. We can face China, but only if we do it together. 

I can’t control the national tariff rate, but I can use my voice. I’ve taken this message to the White House. I’ve sat with President Trump and told him that when we say “no” to Canada, we say “yes” to China. 

A decline in trade between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada would cause massive job losses, widespread supply chain disruptions, and shortages of fuel, parts, and produce. 

China would love nothing more than to watch us cripple our own economies. We can’t afford to serve them the North American auto ecosystem on a silver platter. And we cannot turn our backs on each other, not now, not ever. We must keep talking and keep showing up for each other. We will get through this together. 

I really believe that… because it’s how I was raised… in a bipartisan household with a Democratic mom and Republican dad. They taught me decency, respect, and kindness. It’s how I’ve governed. When I took office in 2019, I inherited the Flint water crisis, crumbling infrastructure, and chronic underinvestment in schools, roads, and safety. People didn’t trust their government and the fundamentals were falling apart. 

7 years later, we’ve gotten a lot done by working together. I’ve signed over 1,500 bipartisan bills to fix our roads, feed our kids, and save families money on taxes, child care, and education. 

We’re keeping that momentum going this year. Right now, the Michigan Legislature is finalizing our next balanced state budget, which will be my seventh. With a lot of compromise and a little bit of elbow grease, Republicans and Democrats came together to get it done. 

I know the future is uncertain, but we have a chance to make a better one. Together, we will: 

• Protect workers to create and retain good-paying jobs. 
• Unleash innovation to foster an environment where people can explore and execute their big ideas. 
• And, of course, dominate manufacturing top to bottom to strengthen supply chains and bring good jobs back home. 
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We can do it all, but we can't do it alone. Sometime next year, we will dedicate the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. It will be a towering symbol of our successful partnership and bright future. 

Let’s continue to be a model to the rest of the world on how to work together to get things done. Thank you all so much for your time. 

-courtesy story