This weekend, The St. Clair River will become the setting for one of Michigan’s wildest summer traditions.

Thousands of people are expected to take part in the annual Float Down, drifting from Port Huron to Marysville on everything from kayaks to giant swans and even floating picnic tables.

Today, we’re bringing you what you need to know about the unsanctioned, but wildly popular, event.

Also in today’s newsletter:

U-M moves ahead with Ypsilanti data center plan (Bridge Michigan): The University of Michigan plans to move forward with a $1.2 billion computing center in Ypsilanti Township despite strong local opposition. The university says the facility will support cutting-edge research and create high-paying jobs, but township officials have spoken out against the project’s location and lack of transparency.

James announces gubernatorial running mate (Michigan Advance): US Rep. John James has selected state Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay) as his running mate in Michigan’s 2026 gubernatorial race. James cited DeBoyer’s government and business experience as the reason for his choice.

Michigan AG charges 5 noncitizens for voting (The Detroit News): Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has charged five noncitizens accused of illegally voting in the 2024 presidential election, along with a US citizen accused of registering her noncitizen spouse to vote. The cases are part of an investigation into 38 suspected instances of noncitizen voting or related conduct, with 22 cases still under review.

Participants take off during the unsanctioned Float Down in Port Huron Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (USA Today Network)

By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

Residents from around the Blue Water Area and visitors are preparing for one of the area’s oldest traditions.

The unsanctioned Float Down is set to begin Aug. 16, when residents and visitors take to the water in boats, kayaks, floaties, makeshift picnic tables, and anything else that can stay above water and carry them down the St. Clair River from Port Huron’s Lighthouse Beach to the Chrysler Beach in Marysville.

People show up at the beach throughout the day, sometimes in the thousands to take to the river and let the current carry them. Over the years it’s become tradition for some to do so in style, whether with a skeleton, in a giant swan, or as was seen last year, a floating picnic table.

Most participants join the float down with friends and set out around noon, though floaties can be seen traveling down the river all day. In the past, participants have described the Float Down as a chance to relax and let the current take them down the river. Alcohol has also been part of the appeal, though law enforcement says it shouldn’t be.

Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is famous as a bird migration route for fall fowl and is home to the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. (Anna King/Unsplash)

By Chaunie Brusie

Located just north of actual Paradise in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, you will find Whitefish Point, a cape on the eastern side of Lake Superior. Whitefish Point is not exactly known for being welcoming to ships crossing the treacherous waters of Lake Superior, but it is very much a paradise for one specific group: bird lovers.

Whitefish Point is one of the best spots in the entire country to catch the diverse (and feathery) show that is the fall bird migration season. Birds follow the coasts and capes of the Great Lakes, and Whitefish Point is a natural stop on their winter route to warmer air. Here is more information about why the Michigan cape serves as an annual stop for aerial fowl, where to go for the best bird views, and what to expect when you visit. 

I hate ticks, and you likely do too.

Unfortunately for us, experts say ticks are starting to become more common in areas they previously weren’t, like our backyards and local parks.

That’s why earlier this week, I asked readers:

What’s your worst—or strangest—tick encounter? Tell us your tick horror story.

Here’s what you had to say:

“I had never seen a tick before. I live in a normal residential neighborhood in Lansing. Back when I had pet rabbits, I would let them run around in the back yard. One day, I saw what appeared to be a strange growth on the nose of one of my rabbits. I asked the vet about it, and she laughed and said it was a tick. It was all swollen up with blood and didn’t even look like an insect, just a bulbous lump. This was many years ago, but apparently we already had ticks within the city limits.” — Karen, Lansing

“I had taken the dogs for a woods walk at Oakland University. Afterwards I had a chiropractor appointment. When I laid down in the adjustment table my chiropractor informed me that a tick was on the back of my knee and since he was freaked out by ticks I had to remove it myself, which wasn’t a big deal to me because it hadn’t yet broken my skin. On a different occasion, I was watching TV and noticed something crawling across our big screen TV… and yes, it was a tick! On a different occasion, I picked a tick off one of my dogs and put it in an old prescription bottle and left it in the work shed. Several months later I took a look in the bottle and while the tick was dead, there was a deposit of tick eggs in it. They are nasty and fascinating creatures.” — Dianne, Southfield

“I lived in northern Michigan several years ago and had never heard much about ticks. That all changed when sitting in a doctors office waiting room, I happened to look down and saw a tick on my pant leg. How could this be? I Suspected a patient had been sitting in the same seat before I arrived. Since then my wife and I check for ticks after being in the woods or gardening, we’ve caught 5 or so.” — Paul, Charlotte

And if you have a question you’d like me to ask our community, send it my way. I might feature it in a future newsletter.

*Responses may be edited for conciseness or clarity.

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

With the midterms approaching, we’ll keep you informed on what could affect your day-to-day life.

Interested?

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories from Chaunie Brusie and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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