Happy Halloween! I hope you have a scary good time. If you’re looking for something to do today or this weekend, I recommend checking out our map of events.

Now, on to today’s story: When most people hear “Coney Island,” they probably think New York.

In Michigan? We think hot dogs.

Michigan-style Coney dogs are a culinary tradition, born from Greek and Macedonian immigrants and perfected in Detroit, Kalamazoo, Flint, and beyond.

This week, The ’Gander’s Ellery Weil digs into the story behind Michigan’s famous Coney dogs, from their mysterious origins to the iconic eateries still serving them today.

Plus: Why Michigan’s bottle returns are on the decline.

GM lays off 1,700 workers (Associated Press): General Motors is cutting about 1,700 jobs in Michigan and Ohio as demand for electric vehicles slows. The layoffs include 1,200 workers at a Detroit-area EV plant and 550 at the Ultium Cells battery plant in Ohio, with more temporary cuts planned. GM says the move reflects slower EV adoption and regulatory shifts, but maintains it remains committed to US manufacturing.

MI Senate proposal would move primary to May (Votebeat Michigan): Michigan Senate Democrats are proposing to move the state’s August primary to May, with some May races potentially shifting to February, starting in 2027. The plan aims to improve turnout and reduce election costs, but municipal clerks prefer just two elections a year, while school districts want to keep three to better manage funding votes. Bipartisan support exists in the Senate, but the House and Republican leaders oppose changing the primary schedule before 2026.

Study: Fewer young people are getting vaccinated (Capital News Service): Michigan childhood and adolescent vaccination rates are declining, worsened by COVID-19 disruptions, economic barriers, and rising misinformation. Experts warn that this trend raises the risk of preventable disease outbreaks and stress the need for education and easier access to vaccines.

Coney Island may be in New York, but Coney Island hot dogs are a Michigan tradition. (Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock)

By Ellery Weil

In most states, if you say you’re going to Coney Island, people will assume you’re planning a trip to the historic amusement park in New York City. In Michigan, though, minds turn to something closer to hand: hot dogs! Specifically, Coney Island hot dogs, which, despite their name, don’t come from New York, and aren’t a brand of hot dog—they’re a way of preparing America’s most beloved sausage, which is heavy on toppings for a flavor bomb that runs serious risk of staining your clothes—but is so worth it.

There can be some argument about what, exactly, makes a proper Coney dog—and where you can find the best ones. But how did these rich, savory sausages become part of Michigan’s culinary legacy? Let’s grab some mustard and find out.

George Hall and his son, Cameron Hall, of West Bloomfield, take shopping carts full of bottles and cans into the Meijer store on Haggerty Road in Commerce Township early on June 15, 2020. (USA TODAY Network)

By USA Today Network

In Shea Carney’s house, those beverage bottles and cans eligible for a 10-cent deposit return have become more of a nuisance than a useful income boost.

“I used to take them in myself but now I commonly do delivery instead of in-store shopping because of the time efficiency,” the Milford Township resident said.

Carney has put the containers in her curbside recycling in the past, and now donates them to people or fund-raising organizations who can use the cash.

“I usually let a few bags accumulate, and my husband stores them in an extra trash can − but at some point says, ‘These need to go,’” she said with a laugh. “Especially glass bottles are more cumbersome because of their fragility.

“I think most people these days have easy access to recycling and with in-store shopping find it an extra chore to haul all those bottles and cans in.”

The numbers bear out Carney’s observation. Michigan’s so-called “Bottle Bill,” enacted by voter referendum in November 1976, once boasted redemption rates above 95%, its 10 cents per-can or bottle return the best in the country. But a dime doesn’t go as far as it did in the 1970s and ’80s. Redemption returns began to lag, then plummeted beginning in 2020 when Michigan became the only US state to completely shut down bottle and can deposit returns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The numbers haven’t bounced back post-pandemic. Bottle and can deposit redemption rates fell to just 70.4% in 2024, down 18.3% since 2019.

Researchers with the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, in a report released Thursday, Oct. 30, asked stakeholders all around the beverage container recycling process why they think the program is lagging and what should be done about it.

We are currently in prime cider mill season here in Michigan, but with so many to choose from across the state (a good problem to have), the choice on which one to visit can be harder than you’d think.

That’s why earlier this week, we asked:

What’s your favorite spot in Michigan for cider and donuts?

Here are some highlights:

“The best pumpkin donuts in the Universe are at Gallagher’s Farm Market on M-72 in Traverse City! Small, family-owned farm, only open until Halloween. — Karen McCarthy

“Uncle John’s Cider Mill in St Johns is the most family-friendly, fun cider mill, orchard, pumpkin patch, bakery, and wine tasting place. Something for all ages, kids, teens, and adults. Live music, wagon rides, gift shop. Fall fun galore!” — Barbara Winowiecki

“It’s Yates when downstate. It’s Phillips in Mid-MI (no sorry, not Uncle Johns). I was raised in SE MI, but moved to Mt Pleasant full-time in 2015, so I must pay homage to ‘now’. Uncle John‘s is the most familiar, but I prefer the smaller, more personal Phillips Cider Mill. I suppose it is the mill that is closer to you that may be a ‘favorite’.” — Bev Creswell

“Heritage Farms for the donuts, Farmhaus for the cider.” — Jason Ruiz

Do you have a question you’d like me to ask our community? Send it my way. I might feature it in a future newsletter.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories by The Associated Press, Capital News Service, Ellery Weil, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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