Morning Briefing: 193 pounds?!? That's a big fish!

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Morning Briefing

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023

In today's newsletter, a U.P. church was cheated out of $96K, even colder air is coming to Michigan and Gov. Whitmer signs the first spending bill of her second term.

Let's start February out with a good laugh.

I'm not a parent. Maybe that is why I find the following situation so funny. A 6-year-old Michigan boy got ahold of his father's phone and went on a GrubHub shopping spree to the tune $1,000.
His dad didn't know whether to laugh or cry as the doorbell continued to ring with delivery drivers dropping off piping hot food of all sorts. His son inquired, "Dad, did the pepperoni pizzas come yet?" You just have to read this story. It's a fun way to start the month. Well, unless you are Keith Stonehouse of Chesterfield Township. But I'm confident it will one day be the kind of story that whole family chuckles about around the dinner table.
Need more positive news for this winter Wednesday? How about Leland being recognized as one of the 20 most beautiful small towns in the U.S.? Good job, Fishtown!

Curated by Jessica Shepherd

A dwarf umbrella tree bonsai on display in the Conservatory at Matthei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor. Read more about bonsai at the botanical garden here. (Photo by Jacob Hamilton | MLive)

The biggest fish caught in Michigan was 193 pounds. Here's a look at all the record-holders.

A real 'big fish' story: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources keeps track of the biggest fish caught in Michigan for each species. Michigan’s current record-holder? A 193-pound lake sturgeon, caught in 1974 in Cheboygan’s Mullet Lake. The fish was 88 inches long.

All the record-breaking fish: None of the other species even come close to that massive sturgeon, but these are still some incredibly impressive specimen. Here's our chart with the size of each record fish.

For those who like fishing: If fishing is of interest to you (specifically ice fishing), you might want to check out the shortest fishing season of the year in Cheboygan County, scheduled to start on Saturday. Or maybe you are in Bay County and would consider attending the Bay City Ice Jam.

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This Michigan church was cheated out of $96K and its 'heart and soul.'

A hole where the music was: For almost seven years there has been a hole at the front of the sanctuary in the historic Marquette Hope Church. The church is missing its pipe organ, the massive instrument at the center of its services and synonymous with religious tradition.

Where did it go? Launching a long and frustrating saga for the church, Michigan organ builder, Shawn Patrick Keith, removed the organ in 2015. He agreed in August 2017 to rebuild, refurbish and update the 1929 Wangerin pipe organ for $137,410, according to a contract. As of January, he was yet to follow-through on the promise, though the church paid him nearly $100K. Read the full story here.

ICYMI: In other church-related news, the new Emmaus Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor aims to be a place where people are "seen, heard and loved."

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The winter air is going to get even colder. Yes, really.

You thought that was cold? Yes, it was very cold yesterday. But that's not the worst of it. An Arctic cold front is coming through tomorrow and will bring with it bitter cold temperatures, which will get the worst on Friday. Luckily, it isn't expected to stick around long. Read Mark's full report here. Then you can read another story from Mark about some incoming warmer-than-average temps.

A very cold day in the U.P.: If you were complaining about temps in the Lower Peninsula, that was nothing compared to what they had going on in the U.P. Yoopers are a strong, brave bunch, as we all know. And Tuesday delivered our northern peninsula friends temps colder than 20 below. 🥶

Winter art: The upside of cold weather is that your lawn sharks will remain frozen! OK, if you don't know what I'm going on about, here's a story on the snow art I mentioned yesterday in the newsletter info.

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs her first spending bill of her second term.

A big bill:Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders convened Tuesday to sign the first bill crafted under Democratic control into law, adding $1.1 billion of additional spending to the current year’s budget largely by funding projects through federal COVID-19 relief dollars.

What's included? The spending will go toward a potpourri of projects, the largest of which is a $200 million deposit into an economic development fund, which is expected to be paid to a paper mill in Escanaba in order to ensure the facility stays open in Michigan.

More news out of Lansing:To implement new voting methods, protect election workers and fight misinformation, lawmakers should budget as much as $50 million, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Tuesday.

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A Michigan college could dump its 'Pioneers' nickname, fearing it's offensive. There's pushback.

A nickname from six decades ago: When Delta College first opened in 1962, it was on its own in the region. So, at the time, it made sense to pick a name that fit its role pioneering postsecondary opportunities in the region. But the Bay County college might soon ditch the "Pioneers" name.

Opinions are split: The college’s leaders in 2023 appear prepared to drop the school nickname in favor of something new. That project — and some of the motivations driving it — has some Delta graduates and retirees scratching their heads, including its former president.

In other higher education news: The University of Michigan Medical School will no longer provide data to participate in U.S. News & World Report rankings.

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February is off to a great start.

That's because you kicked it off here with the Morning Briefing.

All month long, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. And if you are looking for a creative Valentine's Day gift, I suggest an MLive subscription.
Cara will be here in your inbox tomorrow morning.

— Jessica Shepherd

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