Agriculture
The Spoonville Peninsula and archaeological site along the Grand River in Ottawa County.

Abandoned food caches offer evidence of Native American survival strategies

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CACHES: You have to look hard to spot the Spoonville Peninsula on a map of Southwest Michigan, but it was an important location for native peoples for centuries before European contact — and may contain the largest collection of cache pits ever excavated in the Upper Great Lakes. Researchers from a Williamston archaeological firm and MSU undertook the project near the mouth of the Grand River in Ottawa County, finding important evidence about how these caches were used to store food as a “risk management strategy” to improve their capacity for survival “in the difficult environment of the region,” according to a new study. By Eric Freedman. FOR STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, HOLLAND, BAY MILLS, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture

Advocates look to labs for replacements for farm-raised meats

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MEAT REPLACEMENT: The food industry may be getting closer to introducing lab-grown, or cultured meat created by feeding nutrients to animal cells taken from poultry or livestock. Advocates see it as a possible solution to the environmental impacts of raising animals for meat. We hear from an MSU food expert and a vegetarian. For news and food sections. By Jonus Cottrell. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy

Stay-at-home Michigan residents used 5% less juice in 2020

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ELECTRICITY USE: Meetings at home, virtual classes, computers running, lights on, heat or air conditioning cranked up, it may feel like 2020 was the year of using more energy. But Michigan’s total energy consumption dropped 5% compared to 2019, 1% more than the national average decline, the Energy Information Administration reports. Because people stayed home during the pandemic, residential energy consumption increased 7%, but industrial consumption dropped 16% and commercial dropped 6%. The Public Service Commission chair and Consumers Energy discuss. By Taylor Haelterman. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP! AND ALL POINTS.

Autos & Manufacturing

Michigan offers funds for alternative energy vehicles

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CLEAN VEHICLES: Michigan is spending $30 million to help public agencies and private businesses buy low-emission freight trucks, buses, tugboats and cargo handling equipment. Beneficiaries of the program can choose electric, alternative fuel or new diesel models. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Clean Fuels Michigan based in Lansing and Mass Transportation Authority of Flint and Genesee County and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority.explain. By Kyle Davidson. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, DETROIT, CORP! AND ALL POINTS.

News

Overdose surveillance system helps fight opiod deaths, experts say.

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OPIOIDS: A 2-year-old surveillance system is tracking opioid overdose incidents and deaths in Michigan so health professionals can work to mitigate the problem in high-risk areas. The hardest-hit counties are Calhoun, Wayne, Ingham, Genesee and Muskegon. We hear from U-M and Health & Human Services experts and the Detroit Recovery Project. By Brandon Chew. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy
Eradajere Oleita displays a sleeping bag made of snack chip bags.

Chip Bag Project turns snack wrappers into sleeping bags

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CHIP PROJECT: A 25-year-old immigrant from Nigeria has launched a project in Detroit that makes sleeping bags from foil-lined snack chip bags and gives them to people who live outdoors. Each sleeping bag requires at least150 chip bags and can take up to four hours to complete. Eradajere Oleita’s project has expanded into a team of millennials who collect donations and create more sleeping bags. By Asha Dawsey. FOR ALL POINTS.

Arts & Entertainment

Despite last year’s cancellations, county fairs are coming back

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COUNTY FAIRS: After a devastating 2020, county fair officials are planning to resume at least some activities this year, but don’t expect the usual array of crowded grandstand shows. We talk to officials of the Cass County and Ingham County fairs. By Kirsten Rintelmann. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE, FOWLERVILLE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, SURGIS, THREE RIVERS AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy

Mass layoffs reveal need for guaranteed severance, advocates say

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GUARANTEED SEVERANCE PACKAGE: Large employers that lay off their employees would be liable for severance pay under legislation to be introduced by a Dearborn lawmaker. The proposal comes in the wake of mass layoffs by Art Van Furniture, which had been acquired by an equity firm, and Toys R Us. We talk to affected ex-employees from Warren and Ypsilanti. For news and business pages. By Kristia Postema. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP!, DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Arts & Entertainment
East Kentwood High School students compete in the first round of the 2019 StateChamps! Esports Tournament at Lawrence Tech University.

Schools give video games new legitimacy with growing esports leagues

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ESPORTS: With interest buoyed during the pandemic, a growing number of high schools are getting in on the fun of esports, giving more legitimacy to video games. More than 50 are registered with the Michigan High School Esports Federation, joining over 170 U.S. colleges and universities with varsity esports programs – including 18 in the state. We talk to leaders from the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance in Freeland, Lawrence Tech and Detroit Catholic Central High School. By Nora Mougharbel. FOR DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.