Welcome to December! The change of seasons can be jarring—but it doesn’t have to be bad. In today’s newsletter, we’ve got ideas for embracing winter in Michigan while also keeping seasonal affective disorder at bay.

Plus, if you’ve been following the news about Michigan’s new Reproductive Health Act but aren’t quite sure what it means for you, stick around—there’s an explainer below.

Karel here, with a quick sidebar. As local newsrooms across the state continue to dwindle, your financial support of The ‘Gander is more vital than ever. All Michiganders—like your neighbors, your family, and even that new couple who just moved to town—should have access to news without paywalls. Without it, they’re more susceptible to falling for conspiracy theories and false narratives.

Our mission is to provide fact-based, high-quality news free of charge. To do that, we fundraise—and right now, our goal is to raise $12,000 in two weeks.

Will you join our mission? Every dollar helps. Thank you so much for your support.

2 YEARS LATER: OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL (link): This week marked two years since a student opened fire at Oxford High School, killing four fellow students and injuring seven others. In a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, survivors and parents talked about how to prevent more mass shootings in Michigan. Students shared their harrowing experiences from that day, and community members highlighted the state’s new gun safety laws—along with a push for similar federal laws, like a ban on assault weapons.

Read more: New gun safety laws to curb gun violence in Michigan

NEW MI LAWS LET TEACHERS FOCUS ON TEACHING, NOT TESTING (link): Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed new laws in Michigan to give students a more personalized learning experience with teachers. The idea is to move away from the heavy reliance on standardized testing. Experts and lawmakers have long highlighted the importance of cutting the priority on testing and letting educators focus on teaching fundamentals. The new laws, set to take effect in February, significantly reduce the weight of test scores in teacher evaluations from 40% to a max of 20%.

THIS MICHIGAN ROAD CAN CHARGE ELECTRIC CARS AS THEY DRIVE (link): Michigan is charging ahead in electric vehicle innovation with the nation’s first wireless-charging public roadway—a street near downtown Detroit. Demonstrations took place this week at Michigan Central innovation district to demonstrate the technology, which allows electric vehicles to charge while driving, idling, or parking on the street. How does it work? In the simplest terms, as cars equipped with receivers pass over the charging segments, electricity transfers through a magnetic field to charge their batteries. The state is now exploring how to install the tech on nearby Michigan Avenue.

Also see: New clean energy laws cut utility bills for Michiganders

FEWER SURGEONS & OB-GYNS IN RURAL HOSPITALS (link): A new research letter from the University of Michigan warns that the state is losing surgeons in rural hospitals. When people need to travel longer distances for surgeries, they are less likely to do so—leading to worse health outcomes in rural populations. Although the research letter says more needs to be done to address these inequalities, it also found that recent hospital mergers are helping to boost the number of surgeries at rural hospitals. A similar story is unfolding in maternity wards throughout the state—26% of women in rural areas of Michigan live over 30 minutes from a birthing hospital.

Photo via Downtown Manistee on Facebook

The days are getting shorter and oh, so much colder. For many of us, this is about the time when we break out the electric blanket and decide to ride out the winter cozied up on our couch.

Unfortunately this is also the time that a lot of us are affected by seasonal affective disorder—better known as SAD. But research finds that even a short walk outside can greatly help alleviate that sour mood.

To give you some inspiration for where to wander this winter, writer Lisa Green has a roundup of 14 small towns across the Mitten to visit this season.

1.Tecumseh (Lenawee County)

Can’t-Miss Event for Winter: Annual Ice Sculpture Festival (Jan. 20–21, 2024)

2. Plymouth (Wayne County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: Walk of Trees (Nov. 24, 2023–Jan. 1, 2024); Plymouth Ice Festival (Feb. 2-4, 2024)

3. Rochester (Oakland County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: Big Bright Light Show (Nov. 20, 2023–Jan. 21, 2024); Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade (Dec. 3, 2023); Fire and Ice Festival (January 2024, dates TBD)

4. Marine City (St. Clair County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: Merrytime Christmas (Dec. 2, 2023); Fire, Ice and Spice (Feb. 10, 2024)

5. Marshall (Calhoun County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: Candlelight Walk (Dec. 9–10, 2023); Ice, Wine, Beer and Blues (Feb. 2–3, 2024)

6. Niles (Berrien and Cass counties)

Can’t-Miss Event for Winter: Hunter Ice Festival (January 2024)

7. Grand Haven (Ottawa County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: Spring Lake Sparkle (Nov. 25, 2023–Jan. 1, 2024); Grand Haven Winterfest (Jan. 25–28, 2024)

8. Ludington (Mason County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: New Year’s Eve Ball Drop (Dec. 31, 2023); Pure Ludington Brrrewfest (Jan. 27, 2024)

9. Owosso (Shiawassee County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: North Pole Express and the Village of Ashley Country Christmas (Nov. 18–Dec. 17, 2023)

10. Gaylord (Otsego County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: Michigan Snowmobile Festival (Feb. 2–3, 2024); Alpenfrost (Feb. 17, 2024)

11. Alpena (Alpena County)
Can’t-Miss Event for Winter: Alpena Ice Fest (Feb. 10, 2024)

12. Manistee (Manistee County)

Can’t-Miss Event for Winter: Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend (Nov. 30–Dec. 3, 2023)

13. Petoskey and Harbor Springs (Emmet County)

Can’t-Miss Events for Winter: The Enchanted Trail (Dec. 9, 2023–Feb. 25, 2024); Winter Wonderland Weekend (Feb. 16-19, 2024)

14. Houghton (Houghton County)

Can’t-Miss Event for Winter: Michigan Tech Winter Carnival (Feb. 7–10, 2024)

Ready for your winter adventure? See the full story here.

Also see: West MI’s best places for a wintry walk

Michiganders now have even more of a guarantee that their reproductive rights are safe in the Mitten. Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of laws called the Reproductive Health Act.

The laws will help more people—especially those in rural maternity deserts—have access to better reproductive health care. They also get rid of a requirement commonly referred to as “rape insurance,” which forced people to buy additional health insurance riders to cover abortion care.

There’s a small group of anti-abortion activists trying to drum up fear over the Reproductive Health Act, so let’s debunk one piece of misinformation they’re spreading right now: It does not allow minors to get abortions without parental consent. If you hear someone say that, tell them NO—that’s wrong.

If you want a simple breakdown of the RHA for yourself or to explain it to someone else, The ‘Gander’s Lucas Henkel has you covered.

Click here, or the image below to play the video.

Photo via Victorian Sleighbell Parade & Old Christmas Weekend on Facebook

Where: Manistee

When: Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m.

Price: FREE

Decembers in Michigan are chock full of Christmas events, but this one is truly unique. Hearkening back to its Victorian roots, many attendees at this Manistee event dress in Victorian attire to witness a parade of draft horses pulling a 30-foot Christmas tree. Although the main parade takes place Saturday, the Old Christmas Weekend features multiple days of holiday activities, and has already started.

This email is written by Karel Vega, community editor at The ‘Gander. Have a question or comment? Reply back to this email!