Why just read about Michigan history when you can time-travel through it?

From reimagined 19th-century streets to costumed knights and Civil War reenactors, the Motor City is packed with immersive ways to step into the past. Read on as The ‘Gander’s Ellery Weil takes us on a tour of Detroit’s living history hot spots.

Plus: Researchers are seeing an increase in the number of black bears in the Lower Peninsula. Read on for the details.

‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will cost MI budget $1.1B, says research group (MI Advance): The Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, says President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could blow a billion-dollar hole in the state’s budget by 2032. The group, which provides independent analysis of Michigan’s fiscal and policy issues, warns that looming federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP may force lawmakers to slash $1.1 billion from the state’s general fund starting next year.

MSP discovers $10M illegal cannabis grow (WZZM): While weed may be legal in the state now, here’s a reminder that there are still rules that need to be followed: Michigan State Police busted an illegal marijuana grow operation in Lake County this week, seizing over 13,000 plants and hundreds of pounds of dried cannabis it says is worth more than $10 million. The unlicensed operation was discovered in a massive former factory in Webber Township. The case is now under review by the state attorney general’s office.

Snack manufacturer to close GR plant (WOOD-TV): Snack maker Utz Brands says it will shut down its Grand Rapids facility by early 2026 as part of a broader effort to streamline operations. The move, part of a manufacturing consolidation strategy, comes just three years after Utz bought the Festida Foods plant for $41 million. The company says affected workers will be offered help relocating or finding new jobs.

The exterior of the pharmacy at the Detroit Historical Museum’s Streets of Old Detroit. (Image via Detroit Historical Society)

By Ellery Weil

While I was studying at the University of Michigan, my major was political science. But whenever the chance presented itself to take an elective in the history department, I seized it. This should probably have clued me in to the fact that my future studies—and future profession—would involve history. Only a few years after college, I went back to grad school to become a historian.

I was fascinated, as any budding historian would be, by everything I was reading. The only issue was, I wanted to actually see, feel, and even taste some of what I was studying. Imagine my delight when I learned that even if I couldn’t travel through time, I could come awfully close, thanks to the many living history attractions in and around Detroit!

Background on living history 

What’s living history, you may ask? For the unfamiliar, living history attractions are museums, events, and cultural attractions that allow visitors to physically experience aspects of a historical time period. If you’ve ever seen costumed performers act out a historic battle or visited a museum where you can try your hand at historic crafting techniques, you’ve experienced living history in person, and there’s more to enjoy where that came from. The Greater Detroit area is home to a wide variety of living history events and attractions, which span centuries of knowledge and can take you on a time-traveling journey.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out these Detroit-area living history attractions, and get ready for a trip to the past.

Photos of a black bear in Clinton County from summer 2024 were recently found on remote trail cameras. (Courtesy Jen Owen)

By Gray Longcore, Capital News Service

“There’s bears here?”

That was a common response this spring to the first public display of photos of a black bear taken from trail cameras just a half-hour drive from downtown Lansing.

The bear was photographed over the course of two months in summer 2024 at Michigan State University’s Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center in southeast Clinton County.

Those photos, shown for the first time at an April event at the research center, line up with a bear sighting reported nearby in Bath Township last summer.

The sightings are part of a recent southward push of black bears in Michigan.

The Department of Natural Resources has found a 37% increase in the number of bears in the Lower Peninsula since 2012.

The photos from last year remained undiscovered on remote cameras until Jen Owen, the research center’s director, checked the devices early this April.

“Seeing a bear on a camera is sort of confirmation that that’s what we should be doing,” said Owen, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. “We should be monitoring wildlife through these trail cameras because we would never have known that otherwise.”

Around 80% of Michigan’s bear population is found in the Upper Peninsula, said Cody Norton, a DNR bear biologist.

But black bears have been increasingly moving further south in the past 10-15 years.

An effort to restrict cellphones in schools recently failed to move through the Michigan House—though the bill’s sponsor vowed to reintroduce it. We asked ’Ganders for your thoughts on whether cellphones should be restricted during the school day and heard from hundreds of you. Here are some highlights:

“Cell phones should be put away during school so students can focus on academics. Phones are too much of a distraction. If they need to look something up for a school assignment, most schools have computers students can use. I don’t  think students being mentally, emotionally and physically tethered to their tech is healthy. It’s like an addiction.” — Isabell Florence

“They need to be able to carry their phones in case of an emergency, but should not have them out or in use during class.” — Mary Hanser

“Definitely. Phones are too big a distraction. Plus studies show kids should not have their own phone before the age of 13. Parents do not need 100% access to their kids. Schools are a safe place in a large majority of our Michigan schools. Why did Democrats not support this bill?” — Kelly O’Brien

“As a blanket policy, I would not support a Michigan-wide (Michigan law) banning cellphone use during the school day. Reasons why:
1. Some administrators will take the heavy-handed approach of confiscating phones.  Along with this, some go overboard and won’t just confiscate the phone for the day, but will keep the phone, believing they are the ultimate authority and beyond reproach and feel they are exempt from laws related to theft of personal property.
2. Along with #1, There are times when a student, or student’s family, has an emergency need for the student to have a phone during the school day.
3. Banning the phone during the school day, also bans the phones during lunch-time, study hall, library, and it’s possible the student is intending to use their phone for study and research purposes.
4. Along with #1 (heavy-handed administrators), there might be times when the teacher would welcome phones in the classroom for research purposes, and the administrator having confiscated phones will interfere with teaching and learning.” — John Lockard

“10 years ago I would’ve said yes, but now given all the school shootings and all the other horrible things that are happening I think kids should have a phone, and the phone should be on, but not used.” — PS Swan

Have a question you want me to ask our community? Feel free to send it my way. I might feature it in a future newsletter.

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