Overview:
- Michigan's fall colors will peak from late September in the Upper Peninsula through late October in the Southern Lower Peninsula.
- Detroit settles with a landlord over 299 blighted properties for $460,000, drawing criticism that only 19% of his managed properties are code-compliant.
- Juvenile silver carp were found 80 miles from Lake Michigan, the closest to the Great Lakes in 16 years, as a federal barrier project remains stalled.
➡️ Michigan’s fall colors are coming — when and where to see them Michigan’s fall foliage will begin changing color in mid-to-late September, starting in the Upper Peninsula and moving southward through early October, according to Explore Fall’s 2026 forecast, reported by the Detroit Free Press. Eastern Upper Peninsula colors start Sept. 16, peaking Sept. 30, while the Southern Lower Peninsula starts Oct. 2 and peaks Oct. 29. The Old Farmer’s Almanac offers a similar timeline, with leaves falling by late October in the north and early November in the south. Tree species like maples, oaks, and hickories each produce distinct color patterns. 📌 Source: Detroit Free Press
➡️ Detroit settles with landlord over 299 blighted properties, some council members cry foul Detroit City Council approved a 6-3 settlement requiring landlord Gaston Muñoz to repair 299 rental properties tied to roughly $460,000 in blight tickets, with fines halved if he fixes 10 properties monthly, The Detroit News reports. Critics call the deal too lenient, noting only 19% of his managed properties are code-compliant. Tenants endure deplorable conditions— roaches, feces, collapsing fixtures—while fearing retaliation for speaking out. The case highlights broader struggles with Detroit’s largely noncompliant rental market, where just 14% of properties citywide are certified. 📌 Source: The Detroit News
➡️ Late summer COVID wave builds, experts say it’s milder than last year COVID-19 cases are rising across all 50 states, with the WastewaterSCAN program showing a 106% increase since July, concentrated in the South and West, TODAY reports. The dominant XFG.1.1 variant, along with BA.3.2 (“Cicada”), are driving the wave, though experts say it’s milder than last year’s surge. Transmission is expected to peak in early September as back-to-school season begins. Updated vaccines targeting XFG aren’t yet available but are anticipated in September. 📌 Source: TODAY
➡️ From 9 to over 1,300: How scientists saved tiny Michigan butterfly Michigan State University researchers and the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids have helped rescue the poweshiek skipperling butterfly from near-extinction, Michigan Public reports. From just nine wild individuals in 2022, a captive breeding partnership has grown the population to over 1,300, with wild numbers now surpassing captive ones. Insecticide use and habitat loss drove the decline, researcher Nick Haddad said. The team plans to apply similar conservation methods to the endangered Mitchell’s Satyr butterfly next. 📌 Source: Michigan Public
➡️ Young silver carp found closer than ever to Lake Michigan Hundreds of juvenile silver carp were found 80 miles from Lake Michigan in the Illinois River’s Marseilles Pool, the farthest upriver small carp have been detected in 16 years of monitoring. The discovery coincides with a stalled federal barrier project at Brandon Road, halted since a July 24 stop work order with no explanation given. Conservation advocates are urging the Army Corps to resume construction, warning that continued delays risk allowing invasive carp to reach the Great Lakes. 📌 Source: MLive
➡️ Nine days later, Gary remains in the dark Northwest Indiana residents are enduring a ninth day without electricity following an Aug. 11 storm, with roughly 68,000 NIPSCO customers still affected, mostly in Lake County, according to NPR. Gary schools remain closed, food and supplies are running low, and experts warn of health risks from spoiled food and generator misuse. Full power restoration in Gary isn’t expected until Tuesday. In central Ohio, Columbus saw flash flooding in Columbus, and crews rescued stranded motorists and a 12-year-old swept off a bridge. 📌 Source: NPR
➡️ Coal plant’s costs climb as Nessel pushes back against federal orders Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is challenging the Department of Energy’s sixth order forcing Consumers Energy’s J.H. Campbell coal plant to keep running through Nov. 14, over a year past its scheduled retirement, WWMT-TV reports. Nessel argues the DOE hasn’t proven an actual energy emergency justifying the extension. The delayed retirement has cost $295 million so far, which Consumers Energy seeks to recover from ratepayers, undermining projected savings of nearly $600 million from the plant’s planned closure. 📌 Source: WWMT-TV