Michigan averages more than 200 wildfires per year. The Department of Natural Resources says fires burned almost 1,500 acres statewide in 2024.

Most happen in the spring. Trees, grass, brush and leaves that dried out over the winter can catch fire easily. Warm temperatures, high winds and low humidity can turn small fires into big ones.

The DNR has more than 60 full-time firefighters and lots of heavy equipment to contain the flames.

Jeff Vasher is the department’s resource protection manager for the Lower Peninsula. He says training starts before the snow melts.

“Last year, we were fighting fires in late February,” he says. “We’re always doing something to prepare for the wildfire season, because, once it starts, it’s a long two or three months until it greens up.”

Fighting fire with fire

One method the state uses to prevent and control wildfires is “prescribed burning.” Vasher says the DNR selects a certain number of acres to burn each year.

“Last year, we did over 100 burns and over 10,000 acres,” he says.

Vasher says prescribed burns help control invasive species and improve wildlife habitats. They also minimize the risk of major wildfires like the ones that ravaged the Los Angeles area.

“You’re cutting down on fuel so it can’t burn like you see with the big fires out west,” he says.

Related: DNR warns ice storms can damage trees

Partnerships are critical

The DNR doesn’t work alone. It gets help from local fire departments as well as the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Michigan is also part of the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact.

The Trump administration has been slashing jobs and funding throughout the federal government. Vasher says he’s not a “budget guy,” but adds that the DNR still has a job to do regardless of how much support it gets from Washington.

“When COVID happened, we still had fires, and we still put them out,” he says.

Only you?

DNR statistics show that humans cause most wildfires, usually due to carelessness while burning debris. Vasher says knowing how to burn safely can reduce the danger.

“If you’re going to burn, make sure you’ve got a hose with you and burn small piles,” he says. “Don’t burn on windy days.”

The DNR says campers should be careful, too. Vasher says they need to use plenty of water and be sure their campfires are completely out before they leave.

“We’ve had lots of fires start up where they thought the fire was out and then the wind picks up, there’s an ember still burning, and it takes off,” he says. “We always tell them to make it a muddy mess, like soup.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills last week to raise Michigan’s minimum wage and guarantee sick leave for workers.

The hourly rate will rise to $15 in 2027 for everyone except people who earn tips. They will get 38% of the minimum wage in 2025. That will grow to 50% in 2031 and then be capped at that rate. If their combined wages and tips don’t add up to $15/hour, their employers will make up the difference.

More: Michigan House passes minimum wage bill

A companion law guarantees all workers paid sick leave. How much they earn depends on how many hours they work and the size of their employer. Workers at large companies will get 72 hours of paid sick leave. Those who work at small firms will receive 40 hours.

Bipartisan deal comes together at the last minute

Michigan’s divided Legislature worked together to enact the new policies. Senate Democrats and House Republicans compromised to ensure bipartisan support.

Had they not acted by Feb. 21, a Michigan Supreme Court order would have implemented a 2018 ballot petition. That proposal raised the minimum wage for all workers to almost $15/hour, including those who earn tips. It also would have guaranteed everyone the same amount of paid leave.

The Republican-led Legislature adopted the petition but then weakened it in a way justices ruled was illegal.

Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown Twp.) voted for the compromise.

“I do support a higher minimum wage,” she said. “It’s very hard to expect that a minimum wage job is going to support a family.”

But Thompson also says those jobs were never meant to support families.

“I feel like they were intended for students or people working toward getting a better job.”

She also says many companies already pay workers more than the minimum wage.

“I know a lot of single moms out there that are raising kids on their own,” she said. “They would never be able to pay their bills and not be homeless if they were just working less than 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job.”

Thompson also says it was important to preserve a lower wage for tipped workers.

“We can get them making a little more hourly money, but they still keep their tips and business owners don’t go under,” she said.

Business groups who opposed the higher minimum wage argued before the vote that it would kill jobs and cause small enterprises to close. Years of economic research don’t support that claim, as shown here, here, and here.

Do new lawmakers relate to workers?

Republican support for raising the minimum wage reflects a policy shift within the party. Rep. Thompson says many newer GOP lawmakers are more sympathetic to working people.

“A lot more everyday citizens have gotten involved in politics because they’ve seen how the legislation is actually affecting their family, their business, their children,” she said. “We understand how hard it is to raise a family.”

Thompson was elected to the state House in 2022 and won a second term in 2024.

A backyard poultry farm in Monroe County is the latest Michigan flock hit by the highly pathogenic Avian influenza. 

Hundreds of thousands of turkeys at a commercial farm in Ottawa County had to be euthanized at the end of last year because of the bird flu outbreak. 

But the disease isn’t only affecting turkeys and chickens. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources estimates the virus has killed more than 300 wild birds in five counties since Jan. 1, 2025.

Mitch Marcus, a wildlife health supervisor at the DNR, says the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is also affecting waterfowl and birds of prey.

“Think ducks, geese, swans,” he said. “Also scavenging birds and raptors, so think eagles and owls.”

People who found dead birds in the wild alerted the DNR. Marcus says scientists at Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab test tissue samples for the virus.

“If HPAI is suspect from those results, the samples get sent on to the national vet services laboratory for confirmation,” he said.

The DNR encourages people who find at least six dead birds in one area to report the discovery through its “eyes in the field” tool.

Marcus says it’s best to avoid direct contact with a dead bird in the wild. If someone finds one on their property, he recommends caution.

“If they’re in a situation where they have to get that carcass removed, I would suggest that they utilize some personal protective equipment,” he said.

Read more: Avian flu outbreak forces major layoffs at Michigan’s largest poultry farm

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also offers advice for pet owners concerned about bird flu.

“A good general precaution is just keep your pets away from any sick or dead wild animals,” Marcus said.

The DNR says HPAI has infected some feral and domestic cats in the U.S., but so far, it has not affected dogs.

The state has detected the virus at large commercial poultry farms in western Michigan as well as backyard flocks in Wayne, Oakland, and Monroe counties.

The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to begin the final phase of its Restore the Reuther project on March 1, 2025.

Crews started working on the Walter P. Reuther Freeway (I-696) in 2019. MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross says they expect to finish rebuilding the entire road in 2027.

“We will rebuild that last stretch between roughly M-10 out to I-75,” she says. “And then in 2027, there’s a stretch between 75 and Dequindre that we’re going to do some major patching work.”

To prepare for this, MDOT will close westbound 696 between I-75 and M-10 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Feb. 21 and 22, 2025.

“Then, come March 1, we are going to close 696 from M-10 to 75, and we will detour that traffic for two years,” she says.

Getting around it

That detour will be about 25 miles long.

“Traffic will go southbound on M-10, all the way down to M-8 (Davison), then northbound on I-75 back to 696,” she says.

Cross says it’ll take time for drivers to adjust to the closure.

“We fully acknowledge that a lot of people are not going to take that (detour),” she says. “Which means drivers in Oakland County are going to see much heavier traffic on any of the eastbound mile roads for the next couple of years.”

Other roads will see heavier traffic

How much time will this add to someone’s commute? Cross says there’s no one answer.

“They might try our detour one day, the next day they might say ‘I’m going to take Eight Mile,’” she says. “Then they might say, ‘No, I’m going to go up 14 Mile Road, so I need to leave a half-hour earlier than I thought.’”

Related: MDOT aims to end Fort Street train delays Downriver

Cross says the I-696 service drives will remain open, allowing people to reach local businesses near the freeway.

“Whenever we have construction projects, some areas suddenly get more traffic, then they get more customers,” she says.

MDOT will hold an open house for anyone who wants to learn more about the project. It’s happening at the Fitzgerald Recreation Center in Warren on March 24 at 6 p.m.

Drivers can also get a project overview at drivingoakland.com.

Before President Joe Biden left the White House, the Federal Railroad Administration approved almost $74 million to fix a recurring traffic problem in Trenton.

The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to use the money to separate the railroad tracks from the pavement on Fort Street (M-85) north of Van Horn Road.

Why is this happening?

Adam Penzenstadler manages MDOT’s Transportation Services Center in Taylor. He says about a dozen trains cross Fort Street daily, often delaying traffic.

“You have a lot of folks who live and work in that area,” he says. “Eliminating those delays will be a huge benefit to the community.”

Penzenstadler says the project would also ensure that trains don’t stop emergency vehicles trying to reach Corewell Health’s Level 2 trauma center in Trenton.

“Having this grade separation will improve emergency services in the area and greatly improve response times,” he says.

More: Wayne County prepares to end train delays on Allen Road

What’s the plan?

MDOT has two options: Build a bridge over the tracks or run the highway under them.

Penzenstadler says community leaders and residents will have a say in the project.

“We’re going to study it and see what is the best option for this site, what makes the most sense and what has the most benefits to the area,” he says.

Penzenstadler says it would take about four years to design, build and complete the project.

MDOT has done this kind of work before. Spokesperson Michael Frezell says the state separated two crossings on Farm Lane near Michigan State University.

“You had stadiums where you’d have football and basketball games, so the trains going through there would cause delays for people getting across campus,” Frezell says.

Will the money be there?

Since MDOT secured the money before President Donald Trump’s second term began, Frezell says it’s too early to say whether the FRA will rescind it.

Trump’s new Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, has said the federal government will prioritize projects in areas with high birth and marriage rates.

The U.S. Census Bureau says Trenton’s marriage and married couple household rates are slightly higher than the national averages. The city’s average family size is almost 3 people.

It’s tax season. The Internal Revenue Service began accepting 2024 returns on January 27, 2025. 

IRS spokesperson Luis Garcia says Americans will file more than 140 million individual returns by the April 15 deadline. 

This year, taxpayers can claim higher standard deductions whether they’re filing separately or jointly with a spouse.

Garcia says the higher deduction means most filers shouldn’t have to itemize their deductions.

“Unless you have a lot of medical bills, unless you have a lot of mileage, it’s probably not going to rise to the level of that standard deduction,” he says.

Families could be eligible for certain credits

The IRS is also increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit for low- to moderate-income families with at least three children who qualify.

Garcia says in Michigan, about 20% of EITC-eligible taxpayers don’t apply for the credit.

Read more: Detroit coalition spreads word on tax credits

“A lot of times, it’s families in transition,” he says. “A spouse has passed away or there’s a divorce. And they forget to claim it.”

Some of those families might also be eligible to file their taxes at no cost.

There’s free, then there’s “free”

The IRS offers free filing on its website for individuals who earned less than $78,000 in 2024.

Garcia says the agency works with tax software providers to help people calculate how much they owe the government or how big a refund they’re getting.

But he cautions those who file on their own using third-party tax software could end up paying hidden fees.

“What they’re going to do is put ‘free file’ into a search engine, and then they’re going to click on one of the first entries they get back,” he says. “At the end of that process, after you’ve spent a couple hours inputting all your information, you’ll find out the software is free, but there’s a filing fee or some other charge.”

Garcia says more than half the people who file their 2024 taxes will hire a tax professional. He says they should ask the preparer about any fees upfront, so they’re not surprised at the end of the process.

A tax pro will help people figure out whether they’re getting a refund — and how much — or if they owe money to the IRS. Garcia says in the latter case, they should not hide it from Uncle Sam. 

If you owe, don’t fudge

He says the government offers options to people who can’t afford to pay their taxes, such as payment plans and filing extensions. He also says the IRS sometimes works with taxpayers to reduce their debt.

“Let’s say you owe $10 and we know that within five years, you’re never going to be able to pay it back,” Garcia offers. “What we’ll do is we’ll say, ‘Well, you can pay back $5 and we’ll reduce the amount you owe in total.’”

Garcia says people can visit the IRS website to see what credits they can claim, file online and download forms to print.

English speaking media are not the only news sources fighting the rising tide of misinformation and disinformation infiltrating American politics. Spanish language outlets have also been targets.

Journalist Martina Guzman has reported on news and events affecting Detroit’s Hispanic community for many years. She also directs the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative at the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights. It’s part of Wayne State University’s Law School.

Guzman says a credible source gave her a tip that Russian agents were buying airtime on Spanish language radio stations across the U.S. before the 2024 election.

“I was alarmed that it was happening, and more alarmed at how pervasive it was,” she said.

So, she decided to investigate. She discovered that a small handful of people knew what was happening because they were listening. She was, too, and wanted to make other journalists aware of it.

“I was convinced there was a tool that would allow you to listen, and that would make it easy for journalists to find out what was happening,” Guzman said.

To her surprise, there wasn’t. So, she set out to create one. Working with Public Data Works, Guzman and design engineers built “VERDAD,” which means “truth” in Spanish.

VERDAD “listens” to Spanish language broadcasts and begins recording as soon as it “hears” certain words that Guzman and the designers entered into the system. Then it transcribes the broadcast and translates it into English.

“American journalists who don’t speak Spanish now have an entire way of monitoring disinformation so they can see it in English,” she said.

Guzman added that journalists are monitoring Arabic, French, Creole, and Vietnamese broadcasts for misinformation, as well as Russia’s Sputnik propaganda channel.

“Once the tool is built, it can be applied to multiple languages at the same time,” she said.

If you resolved to beef up your vocabulary in 2025, Wayne State University’s Word Warriors are here to help.

Each year, the group invites people to submit words that have fallen out of use over time. The Word Warriors sift through the entries and choose the ones they believe deserve to be revived.

Chris Williams works with words daily. He’s the assistant director of editorial services in WSU’s Marketing and Communications Office. He also curates the Word Warriors list.

Williams says people submit words every week.

“We’ll look them over and we’ll see if we think they cut the mustard,” he says.

The group adds new words to its Facebook page. Williams says the more users like certain words, the more likely they’ll make the annual top ten list.

“Some of these words are just really fun, and we want to encourage people to use this in their writing or conversation,” he said.

This year’s words (and definitions) include:

• ensorcelled (enchanted, bewitched)
• honeyfuggle (to ingratiate oneself by deceit)
• hurkle-durkle (to lounge in bed long after it’s time to get up)
• inure (to accustom someone to something, especially something unpleasant)
• scaramouch (a cowardly buffoon)
• shackbaggerly (in a loose or disorderly manner)
• sonsy (having an attractive and healthy appearance)
• syzygy (the nearly straight-line configuration of at least three celestial bodies in a gravitational system, such as an eclipse)
• tiffin (a light meal, often lunch)
• vesper (evening)

Williams says the Word Warriors list makes a good counterpoint to Lake Superior State University’s annual list of “banished” words and phrases.

Related: Lake Superior State University shares Banished Words list for 2025

“They want to take some words out of the English language, we want to bring some back, and maybe that provides some balance,” Williams said.

He invites people to submit for next year’s list at the Word Warriors website.

If certain words and phrases make you cringe, you’ll appreciate Lake Superior State University’s Banished Words List for 2025.

It’s a tradition that started almost 50 years ago, when members of the school’s public relations staff began collecting misused, overused, or generally useless terms.

Today, people from around the world nominate their least favorites for inclusion on the tongue-in-cheek list. Dr. David Travis, president of the university, shared with WDET who decides what entries make the cut.

“We have a committee that even I as president don’t know who makes that committee up. It’s some of our professors and other individuals on campus, and they meet in secrecy. They review all the submissions. And we get them from all over the world, typically in the 1,000s and they go through the list, they look for the most popularly submitted ones,” he said. “I think they add probably a little bit of their own opinion on some things, and then a decision is made at the top 10.”

The list includes terms like “cringe,” which has evolved into a noun and verb, and “game changer,” overused beyond its sports context. “Era” is included due to its misuse in self-descriptive contexts, while “dropped” is overused in music and TV. “If you know, you know” is popular but often unclear. “Sorry, not sorry” and “utilize” are overused, and “skibity” is a global term — associated with skibity toilet videos on YouTube — that the committee aims to prevent from spreading.

“I’ve got a whole list of pet peeves myself, of words, and I will say, as president of the university that oversees the banished words list, I submitted several myself,” Travis said. “None of them made the list.”