As students head back to school, it is a great time to review bus safety tips. If your students ride the bus, make sure they are familiar with the proper safety procedures for getting on and off the bus. The Michigan State Police offer these safety tips for students:

It is even more important that drivers know how to safely share the road with school buses. When encountering a school bus, drivers should always:

After the passage of Proposal A in 1994, there was a gap in the per-student funding each school received. In 2021, that gap was finally closed, and now all Michigan public schools receive the same minimum amount of per-pupil funding — regardless if they live in a rural, urban or suburban district.

Under the leadership of legislative Republicans, per-student funding has gone up every year for more than a decade.

The fiscal year 2024 budget increased the minimum per-student funding by $458. This year, schools will receive $9,608 per student, which will provide more educational resources and opportunities for Michigan students.

Two new species have been added to Michigan’s invasive species watch list, the mountain pine beetle and the water-primrose.

The mountain pine beetle is a deadly threat to pine trees. It is an aggressive, persistent, and destructive bark beetle and is native to western North America, ranging from Northern Mexico to Canada and eastward to the Black Hills of South Dakota. The beetle can be transported on infested trees, logs, lumber, firewood or plant parts, and poses an immediate threat to Michigan’s natural resources and forest products industry.

If you find suspected signs of mountain pine beetle on pine trees, note the location and take photos. Report your findings to either the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development via email at [email protected] or the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network using its online reporting tool.

Invasive water-primrose is a non-native plant that is invasive in a wetland ecosystem. The species can survive and thrive in Michigan’s climate and can be very difficult to remove, making early detection critical. Water-primrose species are aquatic plants that can thrive and spread in shallow water areas, including wetlands and shorelines. Water-primrose will grow quickly, crowding out important native vegetation. Suspected water-primrose sightings can be reported through the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network online reporting tool.

Each year, the DNR publishes regulation guides for hunting and fishing in Michigan. The Michigan hunting and fishing guides provide a condensed collection of the rules and regulations, including the boundaries of each of the management units for individual species. Guides are available for general hunting and fishing or game-specific guides for games like bear, elk, and turkey, and can be downloaded to your mobile device.

A hunting and fishing app is also available for download. The Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app provides access to licenses, permits, regulations, map drawing results, along with outdoor recreation updates.