Eric Gaertner

Even in an election year where Michigan is a key state in national politics, data centers became the most significant and widely discussed topic in the state. “Hyperscale” data centers are being proposed in nearly every region in Michigan. Opponents are fiercely active at local government meetings and proponents are behind the scenes touting their economic development potential. MLive reporters have been there every step of the way.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The police fatal shooting of a Black motorist that thrust Grand Rapids into the national conversation about policing of minority communities and a call for police reforms was front and center again this week. MLive/The Grand Rapids Press provided comprehensive coverage this week of the preliminary examination hearing on the second-degree murder charge against police officer Christopher Schurr, who has since been fired.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The ongoing debate over books with certain themes and passages on the shelves in public libraries is more than just a Jamestown Township issue. While the “defunding” of Patmos Library over LGBTQ books in the growing Ottawa County community certainly grabbed national headlines, the broader topic of requesting to remove specific books from library shelves is popping up in West Michigan and beyond.