Natural gas leaks prompt evacuation in Kent County
KENT COUNTY, MI — Multiple underground natural gas leaks have prompted an evacuation request for residents and businesses in Oakfield Township, along 14 Mile Road NE, between Lappley Avenue and Wabasis Avenue. The evacuation was requested by the fire department after two houses caught fire, sparked when lightning struck a gas line, according to a statement from Kent County Emergency Management. DTE is on scene, and 14 Mile Road remains closed in the area. More on MLiveMichigan’s Father’s Day weekend weather goes from cool to perfect temps, one shot of rainStolen vehicles found in apparent chop shop operation in Calhoun CountyMichigan family heading to Pictured Rocks drives 200 millionth vehicle across Mackinac Bridge
mlive.comWayne County families clean up after powerful afternoon storms
A lot of cleaning up to do after straight-line winds blew through Dearborn Heights, parts of Westland, Inkster, Garden City, and Detroit, bringing down large trees and power lines. DTE is reporting about 23,000 customers are still without power.
Man who sexually assaulted woman in middle seat of Delta flight to Detroit claims he was asleep, feds say
A man who was caught sexually assaulting the 19-year-old woman sitting in the middle seat next to him on a Delta flight to Detroit blamed it on his hands moving while he slept, according to authorities.
High winds knock out power to thousands across mid-Michigan
MID-MICHIGAN—Parts of mid-Michigan are without power Thursday, March 31, and restoration times could vary as Consumers Energy and DTE crews battle high winds blowing across the state. More than 3,500 Consumers Energy customers in Genesee County are without power as of 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the Consumers Energy outage map. Restoration times could be adjusted as our crews work to safely restore your power,” a message on the Consumers Energy outage map reads. Many of the outages were reported late Thursday morning and no estimated restoration times or causes have been determined. Read more on MLive:High winds causing power outages across Midland, Bay and Saginaw countiesJury convicts Flint man in 2019 shooting that left woman paralyzedLarge fire underway at Midland County plastics company
mlive.comProgram aims to match young Detroiters with summer jobs
Before 2015, before Grow Detroit’s Youth Talent program, young adults would have to search for a summer job at each company individually to apply for a summer job. But now the city has made it real easy bringing all of the companies together with thousands of opportunities available.
Crews work to restore power to remaining 37K customers in Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – About 37,000 utility customers in Michigan remain without power Monday, Dec. 13, after wind gusts over the weekend reached 70 mph and damaged power lines. DTE also expected to have power restored to 23,000 customers on the east side of the state by Monday evening. Consumers has restored power to 137,000 customers after Saturday’s wind storm, with the highest gusts along the Lake Michigan shore. Read more:As wind storm blows across Michigan, power outages approach 200,000No power? Consumers Energy is giving away free pizza in 4 Michigan communitiesAbout 120,000 Michiganders still without power after day of strong wind gusts
mlive.comAbout 120,000 Michiganders still without power after day of strong wind gusts
Related: As wind storm blows across Michigan, power outages approach 200,000Consumers crews restored power to about 84,000 of its more than 150,000 affected homes overnight, according to a 6:30 a.m. news release. Wind gusts of about 70 mph hit the Lake Michigan shore Saturday, according to the Grand Rapids National Weather Service. Related: Recap on strongest wind gusts across Michigan; 72 mph tops the listIndiana Michigan Power has fewer than 1,000 outages remaining among its Michigan customers as of 10 a.m., according to its website. The company reported a peak of more than 15,000 total customers affected Saturday morning. Report downed power lines by calling 911 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
mlive.comWind gusts reaching 58 mph cause scattered power outages across Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Nearly 8,000 utility customers across Michigan are without power Monday, Nov. 22, after strong winds damaged power equipment. Consumers Energy reported nearly 7,000 outages while DTE reported 800 outages scattered across the east side of the state. The outages followed a windstorm Sunday night that brought gusts reaching 58 mph along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Muskegon pier had 58 mph gusts while gusts at the South Haven pier reached 56 mph, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids reported. Others with high gusts were Holland harbor, 55 mph, Big Sable Point Lighthouse near Ludington, 54 mph, Battle Creek and Grand Rapids, 49 mph, and Ionia, 45 mph.
mlive.comUtility worker electrocuted to death while repairing wire in Livingston County
LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MI - A utility worker repairing a wire on the ground died by electrocution Sunday morning in Livingston County, police said. Troopers responded to investigate a possible electrocution around 10:30 a.m., Oct. 17 in Brighton Township, said Michigan State Police’s Brighton Post. Investigators determined a utility worker, a 41-year-old South Lyon man, was repairing a wire on the ground when he suffered a fatal injury, police said. MSP was assisted at the scene by Livingston County EMS, both Brighton and Howell fire departments and the Livingston County Sheriff Department. If you spot a grounded wire, you can report them to 911, Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 or DTE online here.
mlive.com46K DTE customers remain without power after winds, drenching storm
ANN ARBOR, MI – About 46,000 DTE customers remain without power Friday, Sept. 24, after storms this week brought damaging winds and heavy rain. The outages primarily extend north and east of Ann Arbor, with the Lake Huron shoreline particularly hard hit. DTE expected power restored by 10 p.m. Friday for 95% of its customers impacted by the storm but there are some areas with no restoration estimates. Here is a view of the DTE outage map that includes the estimated time for power to be restored. DTE reported 77,125 customers without power on Thursday, Sept. 23.
mlive.com88K without power in Michigan after storms bring rain, wind and cold
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Over 88,000 customers are without power, particularly along the east side of Michigan, after rain and high winds. Bloomfield Hills in Oakland County reported 5.55 inches of rain over the last two days. Romulus in Wayne County reported 4.26 inches of rain. Rain is expected to continue on the east side through Saturday morning before pleasant weather returns in the afternoon. The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids said early Thursday: “Expect a cool, blustery fall morning with rain showers as you head out for the day.
mlive.comRep. Rashida Tlaib on Southeast Michigan’s Failing Infrastructure
In Southeast Michigan, hardly a week goes by lately without having to contend with the disastrous implications caused by infrastructural issues of this region. More than a week ago, the area around Fort and Dearborn streets in Southwest Detroit was closed to traffic after roads buckled about 8 feet upwards. And according to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, not enough is being done to stop it. Listen: Rep. Tlaib on the urgent need to tackle and update Michigan’s aging energy grid. GuestRep. Rashida Tlaib is a Democrat from Detroit representing Michigan’s 13th District.
wdet.orgHow Utilities Can and Should Adapt to More Extreme Weather
This summer has brought with it some of the worst weather events we’ve seen in Michigan in a long time. We just can’t we can’t let up.” —Dan Scripps, Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC)The growing threat of climate change seems to have caught Michigan utilities flat-footed, despite years of warnings that our infrastructure is not prepared for this kind of weather. Now, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) are looking into utilities’ resilience measures to make sure they’re doing the things necessary to prevent these issues. Listen: Michigan Public Service Commission Chair Dan Scripps talks about how utilities should better prepare for extreme weather. GuestDan Scripps is chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates public utilities in Michigan.
wdet.org11K still without power in Michigan after thunderstorm
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Electricity should be restored by Thursday, Sept. 9, for most of those who lost power in Tuesday’s thunderstorm. Consumers Energy reported 4,419 customers were still without power Thursday morning. Hundreds were out of power in Bay, Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Lake counties, Consumers Energy reported. About 140,000 residences and businesses lost power. The abortion fight is no differentViral video showing Black man’s arrest spurs Grand Rapids police internal affairs review
mlive.comAs crews work, power still out for 76K still after thunderstorms, hail, wind sweeps across Michigan
People are regaining power after thunderstorms and hail knocked out power for more than 140,000 homes and businesses Tuesday. Roughly 76,939 customers are still without power across the state of Michigan as of 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8. DTE has 37,278 customers without power, while Consumers Energy has 36,404 customers. Related: 95K remain without power after strong storms, with gusts to 70 mph, race across MichiganThe power outages come as thunderstorms moved across Michigan on Tuesday afternoon and night. Consumers estimates power restoration between 3 p.m., Sept. 8 and 11:45 a.m., Sept. 9, per outage map.
mlive.comHOMES brewery and riverfront development in Ann Arbor get $870K in state funds for projects
ANN ARBOR, MI -- Two Ann Arbor developments have acquired grant funding to help them environmentally restore properties for planned projects. Ann Arbor brewpub HOMES Brewery has received a grant of $370,000 to address contamination issues at 78 Jackson Plaza in Ann Arbor. The state also awarded a brownfield grant to Lower Town Partners LLC, which is overseeing a riverfront development at 841 Broadway Street in Ann Arbor, at the old DTE site. Major development would start in 2022 or 2023, with the public area set to open by 2023. Read more from The Ann Arbor News:5 biggest population climbers, fallers in U.S. Census for Washtenaw, Livingston countiesBomb threats prompt updated security check of Mackinac BridgeMichigan man charged with stabbing murder of live-in girlfriend
mlive.com‘Mother Nature packed a punch,’ Consumers Energy CEO says of storm damage
CEO and President Garrick Rochow was in Hillsdale County on Friday, surveying the damage and the ongoing work to restore power. The majority of the remaining 135,000 Consumers Energy outages are in Hillsdale and Branch counties in southern Michigan, per the Consumers outage map. View the up-to-date Consumers’ outage map here. There are an additional 2,500 customers without power in Three Rivers, the Indiana Michigan Power Company said Friday. “We want to make sure we’re reducing the number of interruptions to our customers,” Rochow said.
mlive.comMore than 820,000 still without power across Michigan
Two days after a series of storms swept across the state, electric utilities in Michigan report more than 820,000 customers remain without power. There are now about 229,000 Consumers customers without power as of 3 p.m. Thursday. There are roughly 536 line crews throughout the state working 16-hour shifts to restore power, Packard said. There are 172 Consumers crews, just over 300 contract crews and there are 26 mutual assistance crews from other states. No customers have reported injuries related to downed power lines to Consumers, Packard said.
mlive.comConsumers, DTE work to restore electricity after ‘historic storms’
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Consumers Energy expects to restore electricity to another 100,000 customers in the next 24 hours after intense thunderstorms knocked out power to 350,000 customers. Power has been restored to 110,000 homes and businesses that lost power in storms on Tuesday, Aug. 10, and Wednesday, Aug. 11. Consumers said the outages resulted from “historic storms” across the state. “This event is our way of thanking customers for their patience and cooperation as our crews work as quickly and safely as possible to restore electric service to Newaygo County residents following this week’s severe storms,” Consumers said in a statement. DTE and Consumers customers may be eligible for $25 creditMichigan attorney general warns to watch out for disaster cleanup scamsWhy I-196 closure for construction will be headache for Grand Rapids commuters even longer than expected
mlive.comAbout 760K without power in Michigan after 2 days of thunderstorms, strong winds
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Utility workers from several states are responding to Michigan after two days of strong thunderstorms left 762,000 without power. Consumers Energy crews are working to restore power after storms knocked out power to 300,000 Michigan homes and businesses. Workers from seven states are working with Consumers crews to restore power. “This is around-the-clock work, and we won’t stop until we restore power to our fellow Michiganders,” Packard said. Consumers urged residents to be aware of possible downed power lines and to call 911 or Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 if downed lines are found.
mlive.comMore than 200K without power across Michigan following overnight thunderstorms
More than 200,000 Michigan power customers woke up without electricity Wednesday morning after fast-moving storms wreaked havoc across the state overnight. Consumers Energy reported nearly 186,000 customers remained without power around 8 a.m. Aug. 11 after winds as high as 70 mph toppled trees, limbs and power lines. DTE reported 6,436 customers without power Wednesday, Aug. 11, primarily in the metro Detroit area and Thumb. Storms that hit Southwest Michigan Monday night left more than 12,000 customers of Indiana Michigan Power without power near the time Tuesday’s storms hit, the utility reported. Indiana Michigan Power reports its outages at www.indianamichiganpower.com/outages.
mlive.comAugust concerts in Michigan return in big numbers not seen since before COVID
Oct. 10: Omarion, Bow Wow, Ashanti, Soulja Boy and more at Little Caesars Arena. Nov. 20: Kane Brown at Little Caesars Arena. Nov. 29: Genesis with Phil Collins at Little Caesars Arena. Feb. 28, 2022: Tyler, The Creator at Little Caesars Arena. 28, 2022: 2CELLOS at Little Caesars Arena.
mlive.comMore than 12K without power in Genesee, Lapeer counties after Tuesday storms
A strong line of storms that ripped through Genesee and Lapeer counties Tuesday afternoon has left more than 12,000 Consumers Energy and DTE customers without power. There were 9,745 Genesee County customers without power as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, according to the Consumers Energy power outage map. Most of the power outages are in the southern area of the county, around Linden, Fenton, Grand Blanc and Goodrich. Genesee County 911 has reported multiple locations where powerlines and trees are down in Fenton, Goodrich and Atlas Township. Estimated restoration times in Genesee County vary from 6:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, per the Consumers outage map, and from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in Lapeer County.
mlive.com70 huge concert tours and festivals coming to Michigan in 2021 with no attendance restrictions
Nov. 20: Kane Brown at Little Caesars Arena. Nov. 29: Genesis with Phil Collins at Little Caesars Arena. Dec. 3: Dan + Shay at Little Caesars Arena. Dec. 5: Andrea Bocelli at Little Caesars Arena. Dec. 11: Evanescence + Halestorm at Little Caesars Arena.
mlive.comWhitmer commits to all renewable energy for state facilities by 2025
Gretchen Whitmer announced state-owned facilities would aim to utilize 100% renewable energy by 2025. The state has partnered with three Michigan utilities, DTE, Consumers Energy, and the Lansing Board of Water and Light. In the Thursday announcement, Whitmer’s office noted that the energy purchased will expand the utilities’ renewable portfolio in Michigan, rather than simply rerouting existing renewable energy that is already being generated. In a statement, Whitmer said the initiative will also attract more clean energy jobs to the state. Both actions support a state plan to achieve a 28% reduction below 1990 levels in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
mlive.comMonroe County mulls cuts amid COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly having a severe negative impact on global, national and local economies, County Administrator Michael Bosanac said. Our community is not immune from these impacts but the revenue impact at this point is very manageable. He said the last recession hit counties especially hard in 2008-2010, but he did not expect tax revenues to fall as sharply as then. The county reserved funds to cover the expected loss of these tax revenues in the current year, he said. from 2019 collections and revise the 2020 property tax revenue lower by the same amount, he said.
monroenews.comCOVID-19 outbreak sparked Fermi work stand down
The revelation of a large group of confirmed COVID-19 cases at Fermi comes at the same time that Monroe County as a whole has experienced a severe spike in daily confirmed cases. The recent safety stand down that postponed maintenance work at DTE's Fermi 2 nuclear power plant occurred due to an outbreak in positive COVID-19 tests among a work group at the facility, according to DTE spokesperson Stephen Tait. The stand down was instituted May 1, at which point DTE began conducting large-scale testing of employees at the facility. Tait said that all Fermi employees and supplemental staff - a workforce of more than 2,000 individuals - was tested over a three-day span. "... We did see positive cases, which is expected when you test any large population of people," Tait said.
monroenews.comWhitmer to reengage the economy based on sector, geography, and coronavirus data
Gretchen Whitmer and Gerry Anderson, executive chairman of DTE, at a press conference Monday. There is no hard and fast timeline, Whitmer said at a news conference Monday. Because of that, some areas may see restrictions lifted sooner than others, Whitmer said.As were making decisions, it has to be data-driven, Whitmer said at a news conference. Its a rigorous process designed to save lives.Whitmer gave no more indications about when other sectors would reopen. "There is an incredible amount of work that goes into assessing risk," Whitmer said.
metrotimes.comAtomic board grants CRAFT hearing
The phone hearing regarding Fermi 2 is set for 10 a.m. June 10. The phone hearing is set for 10 a.m. June 10. DTE committed to removing all the Boraflex and replacing it with Boral, a better performing NAM, said CRAFT. Things are missing from DTEs arguments, and we need a public hearing to find out what is missing. It could change the outcome.The general public will be able to call into a listen-only line.
monroenews.comMark Farris: Allowing the world to be run by greedy psychopaths
We can roll along with change and adapt, or you can struggle to force change and try to avoid unintended consequences. The current economic bailout package will serve as a life preserver for many faltering domestic energy producers. I believe a glut of domestic energy will only set up further economic turmoil down the road. The domestic oil industry complains corn-based ethanol is an incursion into their profits and coal wants to retain as big a chunk of market share as they can. Shame on us for allowing the world to be run by a handful of greedy psychopaths.
monroenews.comLabor Park gets new lighting, overhaul on schedule
The City of Monroe's overhaul of Labor Park continues as scheduled. But at Labor Park the poles will be black rather than green to better fit within the color scheme of the rest of the planned enhancements. Lewis said that he and the rest of the project team decided that 12 lights should provide ample lighting for the roughly one-block footprint of the park. Councilwoman Kellie Vining, a proponent of the park project since the beginning, expressed enthusiasm about seeing another piece of the puzzle fall in place. "I'm very excited about the forward movement with the Labor Park project," she said.
monroenews.comDTE eagle tour sign-ups due Friday
A limited number of people are allowed to take the annual tour sponsored by DTE and the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance. People who want a chance to see eagles that make their homes near DTE Energys Monroe Power Plant have until Friday to sign up for the lottery for the guided tour. The tour is planned for Jan. 25. A limited number of people are allowed to take the annual tour sponsored by DTE and the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance. Tour times are 9 to 11 a.m. or 1 to 3 p.m. People can make a choice when they register or note that they dont have a preference.
monroenews.comDTE wants more of your money again even though its rate hikes are among largest in US
The energy company filed a request with the Michigan Public Service Commission to raise its rates for the second time in three months. DTE claims the price hikes are to better service, though the increases are some of the largest in the country for some of the worst reliability. In comparison to Consumers Energy, the second-largest energy provider in the state, DTE, the largest, falls flat. According to The Detroit Free Press, while the average power restoration time for DTE was 765 minutes, it was only 462 minutes for Consumer Energy customers. Months after it received a rate increase from MPSC, DTE shows it is completely unconcerned about the savings accounts of its consumers," Nessel said.
metrotimes.comSummer bugs next Monroe tot lot theme
For more information on activities and when they will take place, visit the neighborhood tot lot. Next week is Summer Creatures week for Monroe tot lots, with a focus on our summer friends, the bugs. All kinds of summer creatures will come to life, including munching caterpillars, handprint spiders, pom pom creatures, paper tube bugs, love bugs, egg carton critters, sand art bugs, stained glass butterflies, leaf bugs, bug magnets, bug book marks and paper plate lady bugs, organizers said. Despite the heat, children came out to the tot lots to participate in Spirit Week last week. Although active play was a little less active due to the high temperatures, there was no lack of creativity, tot lot organizers said.
monroenews.com