There’s no other way to put it, today’s cold is on another level.

While this newsletter is often focused on encouraging everyone to get outside and make the most of Michigan, even in the wintertime, today is the exception.

Stay inside. Stay warm.

Instead, today, The ’Gander’s Sophie Boudreau brings you a different way to appreciate our state by taking a look at several Michigan world records that will make you proud to call it home.

Plus: In honor of January being National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we’ll introduce you to 10 organizations making a difference in Michigan, and how you can help them.

Bills banning cellphones in schools head to Whitmer (The Detroit News): The Michigan Senate voted 34–1 to require public schools to ban student cellphone use during instructional time, sending the bipartisan legislation to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is expected to sign it. Under the bills, districts must adopt their own policies by next school year, with flexibility to go further than the state’s minimum ban.

Washtenaw officials ban ICE on county properties (MLive): Washtenaw County commissioners unanimously approved an “ICE-free zones” resolution barring US Immigration and Customs Enforcement from county buildings or property without a judicial warrant and opposing officers concealing their identities during civil enforcement. The measure also directs county staff not to voluntarily cooperate with ICE and calls for a formal policy developed with immigrant-rights experts.

Meijer piloting new bottle return machines (WZZM): Two Meijer stores in Michigan are piloting a high-speed bottle return machine that can count and sort plastic and aluminum cans all at once, paying out in seconds. The Tomra 1 machines—funded by a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy grant—aim to boost bottle returns after pandemic-era declines by making the process faster and easier. The pilot will help determine whether expanded investment in the state’s bottle deposit system could roll out similar machines more widely.

Searching for proof that Michigan is world-class? Look no further than our roundup of Guinness World Records held by Michiganders and the Mitten State itself. (rboed/Wikimedia Commons via CC BY 2.0 license)

By Sophie Boudreau

Michiganders don’t need official recognition to know that our state is special, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate some documented evidence of our awesomeness from time to time. And when it comes to recognition, it’s tough to beat the fun and prestige of earning a bona fide world record—whether that record is for an athletic feat, a large gathering of Michiganders united around a single passion, or even something as simple as a super-long front porch on our most famous island.

So while we don’t need proof that Michigan is the best state ever, we’re happy to celebrate some of our more official world-class designations. Read on to learn about nine world records held by Michigan (or people who call Michigan home).

1. World’s largest front porch

If you’ve ever been to Mackinac Island, you’ve almost certainly admired the size and sheer beauty of the Grand Hotel. This historic lodging spot has hosted countless celebrities and politicians over the years, but did you know that it also holds a world record?

That’s right: The Grand Hotel’s sprawling front porch, which stretches for an impressive 660 feet overlooking the Straits of Mackinac, is the longest of its kind in the world. Next time you’re on the island, sit back in one of the porch’s more than 600 rocking chairs and unwind.

2. World’s largest game of telephone

Anyone who attended a sleepover in the ’80s or ’90s surely remembers playing telephone. You know the drill: One person whispers a word, phrase, or silly sentence into their friend’s ear. That friend turns to the person next to them, repeats what they heard, and so on, usually with hilariously misheard results.

At a Detroit Tigers game this June, a group of more than 1,800 people participated in the world’s largest game of telephone as part of a promotion with McDonald’s. The phrase? “The Snack Wrap is coming back. Pass it on.”

3. World’s largest Christmas store

If you ask us, it’s never too early to decorate for the holidays. (Ken Lund/Flickr via CC BY-SA 2.0 license)

It’s always Christmas at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, which bills itself as the world’s largest Christmas store. If you’ve ever stepped inside, you’ll see what makes this place so special—and why it could even make Scrooge a fan of the holiday season.

There are more than five football fields worth of space here, totaling a whopping 320,000 square feet of indoor space. From ornaments to holiday lights to Christmas garb, you’ll find it here.

Human trafficking happens, even in our beautiful state of Michigan, but these homegrown organizations are fighting back. (AndriiKoval/Shutterstock)

By Chaunie Brusie

While it can be hard to imagine anything untoward happening in our beautiful home state of Michigan, the National Human Trafficking Association Hotline explains that human trafficking happens in every single state in the United States, including Michigan.

The 2024 Michigan Human Trafficking Commission Report notes that since the hotline’s inception in 2007, over 10,000 signals have been received. 6,200 victims have been identified in Michigan, a number, the report added, that is probably severely underreflective of the true scope of victims. Trafficking occurs in every state, but not every state is the same in how it fights back against the atrocity. Unfortunately, Shared Hope International, an international anti-trafficking organization, gave Michigan an “F” grade on how it identifies and serves victims.

That doesn’t mean Michigan can’t change. Many local and statewide organizations are working hard against the horrors of human trafficking. From official task forces to survivor-led networks to safe, transitional homes that house survivors and help them build new lives, here are 10 Michigan organizations fighting human trafficking to lend your support to.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories from Sophie Boudreau and Chaunie Brusie. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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