Grand Rapids Business Journal

FLINT — A new investigation of the Flint water disaster led to charges against nine people, including former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and key members of his administration, who are accused of various crimes in a calamitous plan that contaminated the community with lead and contributed to a fatal outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, authorities said Thursday.

The state of Michigan chose Meijer Inc. as an initial pharmacy partner to help administer COVID-19 vaccines. 

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday she hopes to let restaurants reopen for indoor dining Feb. 1, as her health department extended a two-month ban by an additional two weeks while letting noncontact sports resume this weekend.

FLINT — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they're being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, The Associated Press has learned.

LANSING — A state panel on Monday banned the open carry of guns in Michigan's Capitol, a week after an armed mob rioted in the U.S. Capitol and following a plot last year to storm the statehouse.

The Kent County board of commissioners unanimously selected Mandy Bolter (District 5) as chair and Stan Stek (District 6) as vice chair of the board of commissioners for the 2021-22 term.

The city of East Grand Rapids announced it selected Shea Charles as its new city manager.

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday strongly encouraged all K-12 schools in Michigan to offer in-person instruction by March 1 and earlier if possible, but she stopped short of requiring it, saying face-to-face classes should at least be an option.

Although no one really knows what the next 12 months may bring, there is one thing that Michiganders don’t have to speculate about: the increase in the minimum wage.

In the face of the pandemic and a historical staffing shortage, direct care workers have continued to answer the call and care for older adults and people with disabilities.

LANSING — A new statewide program aims to block COVID-19 from spreading through the air of Michigan’s school classrooms.

Grand Rapids City Comptroller Max Frantz announced he appointed Curt A. Reppuhn to serve as the city’s next deputy comptroller.

LANSING — Michigan will begin issuing coronavirus vaccines to seniors and frontline workers such as teachers and police next week, state officials said Wednesday while announcing accelerated access for people who are at least 65 years old.

Kent County Community Action will conduct a food distribution event Thursday in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and households experiencing food insecurity.

LANSING — Legislation that allows for alternatives to jail and aims to limit recidivism in Michigan were among the dozens of new laws Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Monday.

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a $106 million plan Tuesday that will provide relief to businesses and fund efforts to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus.

About 71,000 people have received the first of two rounds of coronavirus vaccinations in Michigan, where more than 483,000 virus cases have been confirmed.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne announced the promotion of Captain Kristen Rogers to deputy chief of police.

mplementing conservation practices in West Michigan is now a lot easier for landowners and agricultural producers in the Rogue River and Indian Mill Creek watersheds in Kent, Montcalm, Newaygo and Ottawa counties, courtesy of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Spectrum Health announced it received its first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on the morning of Dec. 14 and administered the vaccine to its first string of team members

TRAVERSE CITY — A program that has pumped $2.7 billion into healing long-term injuries to the Great Lakes environment has received authorization from Congress to continue another five years.

The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce and Greater Muskegon Economic Development are cobranding their organizations to create a larger impact along the Muskegon lakeshore.

LANSING — Water shutoffs will be banned through March under legislation signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

DETROIT — A judge said Monday that she'll wait until January before deciding whether to give preliminary approval to a $641 million settlement in a lawsuit by Flint residents who were exposed to water contaminated with lead and bacteria.

LANSING — The Legislature approved changes last week to Michigan's sex offender registry after federal courts declared the current policy unconstitutional.