Two men with ties to anti-government militias are campaigning for office this election season
In today's newsletter, how political extremism is becoming mainstream, Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Michigan and the FBI is reopening a 1987 cold case of a missing woman who was last seen in Michigan. |
Check out these festivals kicking off across Michigan this week |
It's festival season in Michigan, making it the perfect time to get out and enjoy one of the many events for art, food, music, fishing and more. Indigo Lavender Farms in Imlay City is welcoming the public to stop and smell the lavender at their upcoming festival on July 19-21. Try a lavender lemonade, scone, or flavored crepes while you are there. If you're headed to Washtenaw County, here's what you need to know about attending the 2024 Ann Arbor Art Fair that kicks off today. Speaking of festivals, the Michigan Brown Trout Festival returns this week to the Alpena Marina. The longest running fishing tournament on the Great Lakes will feature music, food, contests and more, according to officials. |
|
|
Patrons browse booths along Liberty Street during Art Fair in Ann Arbor on Friday, July 21, 2023. (Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com) |
|
|
| Acquitted in Whitmer kidnap plot and running for office: How extremism is going mainstream |
In the running: They were accused of trying to tear down the government. Now they want to join it. Two men with ties to anti-government militias who were charged (and acquitted) in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are campaigning for office this election season. Political experts say it’s part of a growing trend of anti-government, conspiracy politics at the local level, whether it be Joe Moss and his devoutly religious Ottawa Impact, a conservative group that usurped power in Ottawa County or Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, who’s conducted a four-year investigation into alleged widespread – but unproven – 2020 election fraud conspiracies. Related:Now Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf himself is in the middle of an election, running against more contenders than he has during two decades in office. |
|
|
Kamala Harris arrives in Michigan for first campaign event since Trump shot at rally |
Speaking out: Vice President Kamala Harris decried political violence in a campaign visit to Portage on Wednesday, July 17, in the first Biden-Harris campaign event since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania last weekend. Looking at history: Over the course of U.S. history, there have been a handful of assassination attempts on American presidents and presidential candidates. Here are five things to know about Michigan’s only president and Grand Rapids native Gerald R. Ford's two survived attempts. Michigan Democrats are pushing back on a new lawsuit filed by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign over using federal offices to expand voter registration in the state. House Elections Committee Chair state Rep. Penelope Tsenoglou, D-East Lansing, called the lawsuit “a blatant attempt to disenfranchise Michigan voters ahead of the upcoming elections.” |
|
|
How rare this week's U.P. tornado warning actually was |
Uncommon: As severe thunderstorms raced across much of the Midwest Monday evening, places near Chicago and Indianapolis got hit the hardest. Areas as far north as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula even got in on the action as the National Weather Service in Marquette issued a rare tornado warning—a first for the area since July 1, 2022. Warming up: We are seeing how an extremely warm winter and very little Great Lakes’ ice can translate into warmer waters in the summer. Now the surface water temperatures around the Great Lakes are generally showing up as the warmest for July 16 since 2020. Also in weather: Now that the severe storms from earlier this week have passed, the National Weather Service in Chicago said it planned to send out six survey teams to look at the 29 possible damage paths to see how many of those areas may have been caused by tornado touchdowns. |
|
|
FBI reopens cold case into woman last seen in Michigan in 1987 |
What we know: The FBI has reopened a cold case involving a woman who went missing while traveling in Michigan in the summer of 1987. Cassandra Durham was 19 years old when she went missing while traveling with her boyfriend from Baltimore to Roscommon to visit the boyfriend’s grandparents. When her boyfriend returned to Maryland, Durham was not with him. In custody: Police arrested a man after finding him in possession of 21 guns inside a travel trailer in Southwest Michigan, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports. In court: The boyfriend of a Portage woman who went missing in December 2022 was arraigned this week on one count of open murder. |
|
|
Take a guided tour of Echo Lake preserve, one of the U.P.'s secret spots |
Adventures: The Nature Conservancy will offer a guided hike of the Echo Lake Nature Preserve this weekend on Saturday, July 20. With its cliff-top views and high rock ponds, this 480-acre property has stunning scenery and is known as one of the Marquette area’s best-kept secrets for nature lovers. Going to the beach: Ludington Beach has a special way to skip the entry line and enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Michigan and the dunes. Escape the crowds and enjoy three miles of roadside parking along M-116 south of its entry booth. An anniversary: The Wickwood Inn landed a nomination for Best Bed and Breakfast 2024 for the USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. This puts little Saugatuck in direct competition with Napa, California and Holualoa, Hawaii among other top vacation spots. |
|
|
We're one day closer to the weekend |
I hope that your Thursday goes well and that you experience something joyful. As always, you can catch the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber. See you bright and early tomorrow morning! — Cara Hackett |
|
|
Subscribe today to get exclusive insights and bonus content from Detroit Lions writers Kyle Meinke, Benjamin Raven and Kory Woods. Dungeon of Doom is your home for entertaining and informative analysis and discussion of the Lions. Get your 14-day free trial and then keep the conversation going for only $4.99 per month. |
|
|
WANT TO SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WITH A FRIEND? |
Did someone share this newsletter with you? Click here to never miss a day! |
|
|
To contact the newsrooms for any of our publications regarding technical support, news tips, classified ads and other inquiries, please click here. |
|
|
Unlimited Digital Access. |
|
|
$5 for first month (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
$5 for first month (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING
OR SPONSORING OUR NEWSLETTERS? |
|
|
You received this email because you opted in to the newsletter. To ensure receipt of our emails, please add [email protected] to your address book or safe sender list. MLive Media Group 169 Monroe NW #100Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Contact us | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy |
|
|
|
