LANSING, Mich. — Michigan mail-ballot returns were running ahead of the comparable point in the 2022 general election as of Oct. 6, according to the Michigan Department of State. The department reported that 2,047,983 voters had requested a mail ballot for the 2026 general election and that 201,909 ballots had been returned as of 7 a.m. Oct. 6. State officials said the return total was about 30% higher than at the comparable point in 2022. The Michigan Voting Dashboard is bei

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State Police Grants and Community Services Division will begin accepting applications for fiscal year 2027 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funding at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. The federal Byrne JAG program supports state and local criminal-justice initiatives. In Michigan, eligible program areas include community relations, indigent defense, multijurisdictional drug task forces, priority-population drug courts and victim services. MSP will host a

A rendering of Project Cannoli, a proposed data center in Van Buren Township. (Photo via Van Buren Township) A 1-gigawatt Google data center is moving closer to reality in Michigan, roughly 80 miles by road from Lansing, after state regulators unanimously approved the electricity contracts between Google and DTE Energy. And while “Google is paying for its electricity” sounds pretty straightforward, the details are where this gets interesting. The proposed facility, known as P

Courtesy Photo: Abdul El-Sayed candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan As Michigan voters prepare to choose their next United States senator, Abdul El-Sayed is asking them to consider not only what government does, but who it ultimately works for. The Democratic nominee has built his campaign around an argument that families are paying too much for health care, housing and everyday necessities while wealthy corporations and powerful political interests wield too much influence

Courtesy Photo: Harold A. Pope, candidate for Michigan’s 74th House District Harold A. Pope is asking voters in Michigan's 74th House District to see his candidacy as an extension of a lifetime spent in service, advocacy and community leadership. Raised by a single mother in Albany, New York, Pope says the values that continue to shape him were formed early through family, discipline and a close view of civic engagement. His mother, Anne M. Pope, served for years as president

LANSING, Mich. — The City of Lansing has been selected to join Love Your Block, a national initiative led by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University that supports resident-led neighborhood improvement projects. Lansing is one of 25 local governments from 20 states chosen for the latest round of the program. The city will receive $70,000 to support projects that can include clearing vacant lots, reclaiming public spaces and other community-led im

Courtesy Photo: George B. Page, Candidate for Jackson Community College Board of Trustees George B. Page has lived in the Jackson area since 1991 and currently resides in Summit Township with his wife, Mary Lu Angelilli. He has owned and operated Page Engineering, Inc. since 1994. Page currently serves as a trustee of Jackson College after being appointed by the Board of Trustees in February 2026. His prior board service includes serving as board chair and a board member of t

Courtesy Photo: Candice Mushatt, Flint City Council 7th Ward Incumbent seeking re-election. FLINT, Mich. — Candice Mushatt is seeking to continue representing Flint’s 7th Ward on the Flint City Council. Mushatt was appointed by the City Council in 2023 to serve the remainder of the ward’s term and moved into a council leadership position within five months, according to her campaign biography. Mushatt serves as director of the Flint Community Water Lab, where she works with F

Kyle Richard, a teacher and housing advocate running for Lansing School Board, outlines a Housing First approach connecting stable housing, student success and public accountability.

Courtesy Photo: Attorney Ashley Prew Candidate for Probate Court Judge Genesee County Michigan. Genesee County, Michigan – With a passion for service and giving back to her community, Attorney Ashley Prew decided in early 2026 to use her decade of probate law experience and her candidacy for Genesee County Probate Judge as an opportunity to bring awareness to county residents about the probate court, what it is, what it does, and what steps people can take to avoid probate co

Courtesy Photo: Dr.Caitlin Cornell candidate for Lansing School Board Lansing, MI, October 1, 2026 - Caitlin Cornell (Ph.D., Michigan State University), Lansing native and graduate of the Lansing School District, has filed to run for a full-term seat on the Lansing School District Board of Education. Dr. Cornell is running to help rebuild trust, refocus on equity, and prioritize accessibility for Lansing School District students, families, and educators. Hailing from a long l

Downtown Jackson, Michigan. A new partnership between Accelerate Jackson County and the Jackson County Land Bank Authority is focused on redevelopment, neighborhood investment and returning vacant or tax-foreclosed properties to productive use. Photo Credit: Phillip L. Hofmeister / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. JACKSON COUNTY, Mich. — A new partnership between Accelerate Jackson County and the Jackson County Land Bank Authority is aimed at speeding up neighborhood revitalizat

Jackson City Hall in downtown Jackson, Michigan. The city’s online payment portal allows residents to pay utility bills, property taxes, building department fees and other municipal invoices online. Photo Credit: DontCallMeLateForDinner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. JACKSON, Mich. — City of Jackson residents have a newer way to pay municipal bills online, with an upgraded payment portal designed to provide more payment options and stronger account security. The system, p

Detroit residents who completed the Detroit Land Bank Authority’s Buy Back Program are recognized during the 10th annual ceremony celebrating 67 Detroiters who received deeds to their homes. Photo credit Detroit Land Bank Authority The Detroit Land Bank Authority, joined by Mayor Mary Sheffield, celebrated 67 Detroit residents who successfully completed the Buy Back program and received deeds to homes previously lost to tax foreclosure or deed fraud. The 10th annual celebrati

Courtesy Photo: Congressman Tom Barrett is running for reelection in Michigan’s 7th District. Tom Barrett represents Michigan’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes all of Ingham, Clinton, Shiawassee and Livingston counties, most of Eaton County, and portions of Oakland and Genesee counties. Barrett is serving his first term in Congress after previously serving four years in the Michigan House and four years in the Michigan Se

Sponsored candidate profile: William Lawrence outlines campaign priorities on affordability, housing, labor rights, environmental protection, government reform and economic security in Michigan’s 7th District.

A history of racial exclusion, repeated police use-of-force controversies and new data on racial disparities revive an old question. Downtown East Lansing after dark. The city’s history, recent police use-of-force controversies and racial disparities have renewed questions about how Black residents and visitors experience the community at night. Photo via Pexels For generations, the term “sundown town” described American communities that intentionally excluded Black people an

Submitted by the Shannon Dare Wayne campaign Courtesy Photo: Shannon Dare Wayne, candidate Michigan House District 31 Milan City Council Member Shannon Dare Wayne Launches Campaign for Michigan House District 31, Receives Endorsement of Rep. Reggie Miller MILAN, Mich. — Milan City Councilmember Shannon Dare Wayne today announced her candidacy for Michigan House District 31 with the endorsement of current Rep. Reggie Miller. The campaign described the race as a key contest as

By Chelsea Wooton By mid-November, Lansing's city government is expected to begin moving into its new headquarters at 425 S. Grand Ave., across from the CATA Transportation Center. Getting there took years, several proposals and one very consequential 4-4 vote. The city considered renovating its 1950s-era City Hall. It considered buying the historic Masonic Temple on Capitol Avenue. Instead, Lansing is building new while leaving two downtown buildings with very different futu

Bay City and Flint are helping drive Michigan’s record-high 26% recycling rate, with both communities reporting major gains in household recycling.