The month of April kicked off with an exciting visit to the FIRST Robotics state competition. It was a joy to visit the large number of teams from our district, talk with their parents, mentors, and teachers, and to see the robots in action.

A lot of hard work paid off with an exciting day in Saginaw. This program is so impressive and will no doubt lead many kids into important careers in manufacturing and various other STEM-related industries. Our future is in good hands with this type of education taking place.

Thank you also to Consumers Energy, Hemlock Semiconductor, DTE and all of the other sponsors for making this program so successful around the state! A special thank you to the TC Titans for taking a pause for this picture!

One of the highlights of the month in Lansing was the opportunity to honor Tammie Budrow from Traverse City as she was recognized with the 2024 Hometown Health Hero Award. Tammie is the founder of the Chill Out for Winter Safety kids’ program, which provides helmets, helmet fittings, and education about winter safety to students and parents across Northern Michigan free of charge.

Tammie’s story is truly inspiring, beginning this important initiative after she lost her own daughter to a tragic winter accident. Thank you, Tammie, for all that you have done and continue to do to protect our kids!

This month was filled with travel across the district, and many days were spent traveling from below the bridge to the U.P., and back again!

One visit to highlight was the dedication of the new Ross Freeman Science and Technology Wing at Engadine Consolidated Schools. Ross was the inventor of the field programmable gate array, a computer chip that revolutionized programming as we know it. Ross was a proud U.P. resident, and his contributions to science will live on for generations through the students who learn in this new science center.

As an added bonus, I was lucky to catch the Engadine Music and Band Spring Concert!

My family and I couldn’t resist traveling downstate for the NFL Draft in Detroit! The city did a tremendous job preparing and executing this incredible event. This event was huge for Michigan and makes me proud to be a co-chair of the Senate Hospitality and Tourism Caucus. It was great to see Detroit showcase its revival to the whole country, and I can’t wait to see more national attention on the state of Michigan.

My youngest son, Henry, was particularly excited to see the action!

A pair of nesting peregrine falcons have settled into a nesting box on the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge and have laid three eggs.

Since 2010, when the nest boxes were first installed, 39 falcon chicks have been hatched on the International Bridge. Last year, a pair of peregrine falcons hatched four chicks in a box on the Canadian side of the bridge. This year’s eggs were laid in a box on the U.S. side. It is not yet known if it is the same pair that has nested on the bridge for years.

Michigan’s peregrine falcon population disappeared in the 1960s and 1970s due to the use of DDT and other environmental contaminants. However, since conservation efforts started in the mid-1980s, the number of peregrines has increased. The birds are still included on the list of threatened and endangered species in Michigan and are protected by state and federal law.

A live video stream of the Michigan nest box is viewable at SaultBridge.com/falcam.

Michigan’s 37th Senate District includes Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Leelanau counties and portions of Mackinac and Chippewa counties.