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Income tax returns due in a month

State individual income tax returns must be filed electronically or postmarked through the U.S. Postal Service by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, April 15. For more information about e-filing, go to www.mifastfile.org. “We are just about at the halfway point of the filing season,” said Deputy State Treasurer Kavita Kale, who oversees Treasury’s Revenue Services programs. “Taxpayers still have plenty of time to file their state individual income tax returns. For the most accurate returns, consider electronic filing or using a reputable preparer. Taking time out of your ...

Railway Safety Act proposal anything but

The White House is calling on Congress to include a railroad regulation bill as part of a larger transportation funding package this year. It’s not the first time President Donald Trump has supported it, and the legislative branch would be wise to ignore his counsel again. The Railway Safety Act was first introduced in 2023 after the train accident in East Palestine, Ohio, where chemicals were vented and burned, causing environmental damage and horrific visuals. Then-Sen. JD Vance was among the bipartisan group of legislators who introduced the bill. Trump, then campaigning for ...

A day to mark the work of conservation officers

From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources: In honor of the 250 Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers who swore under oath to faithfully enforce the laws of Michigan and the rules and regulations of the DNR, and who patrol all 83 counties, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed Sunday as Conservation Officer Appreciation Day. As fully licensed law enforcement officers who serve a unique role in Michigan’s law enforcement community, DNR conservation officers consistently and honorably demonstrate their value to our state in a job that is anything but ...

How to adjust when the bears begin waking up

As spring approaches and Michigan’s estimated 12,450 black bears emerge from their dens — many with new cubs in tow — the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has offered some advice to avoid an unpleasant encounter. Bears have an extraordinary sense of smell and memory. They can smell food from a mile away and remember food locations for years, including that backyard bird feeder or grease-spattered grill. When bears get used to human-associated food sources, they are more apt to roam neighborhoods, not flee when harassed by people and even break into homes and outbuildings ...

Iran war has no defined goal, no end in sight

There will be no quick or easy wins – even on U.S. and Israeli terms. They have celebrated assassinating Iran’s supreme leader; their offensive has also killed more than 1,000 civilians so far, including scores of children, according to a U.S.-based rights group. As Iran retaliates, hoping America’s allies will try to rein it back, it is targeting U.S. bases and civilian sites across the region – even in Oman, which was at the forefront of efforts to stave off the war. Gulf powers are increasingly irate, though wary of acting on threats to go beyond defensive action. Israel has ...

It takes a village to reach these heights

Sometimes an expression is used and/or overused to the point that its original meaning, no matter how pertinent, turns the expression into a cliche. Such is the case with the phrase that begins “It takes a village …” The original phase, which comes from Nigeria, translates to “It takes a village (community) to raise a child.” The meaning of course is that everyone in a community is responsible for our children’s education and upbringing. Over the years the expression has been co-oped by organizations, religions, political causes and much more. But no matter how much the ...