Morning Briefing: Michigan service workers, stressed by erratic schedules, seek stability

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Morning Briefing

FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023

In today's newsletter, Michigan service workers, stressed by erratic schedules, seek stability, severe thunderstorms are rolling in Friday, and multiple Michigan chefs are finalists for the prestigious James Beard Award.

West Michigan soldier surprises his kids at school with ‘beyond magical’ moment

After spending 46 weeks in Kuwait, his longest deployment ever, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Kyle Greenway is back at home on Michigan soil. When he and his wife, Amy, found out he was returning to Holland, they decided to plan a big surprise for their children Bailey and Brody.

Under the guise of talking to her little brother’s class about what life is like in high school on Thursday, March 30, ninth-grader Bailey was already at West Ottawa Public Schools’ Macatawa Bay Middle School with her little brother Brody, an eighth-grader, when their dad suddenly joined their class for a surprise reunion.

“I missed these guys unbelievably in the last year,” Greenway told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. “I had to brace for impact with Bailey and then Brody hit me pretty hard too. The appreciation from everybody just was amazing. It meant a lot.”

Curated by Cara Hackett

De Zwaan the authentic Dutch windmill is seen amongst tulips on Windmill Island during ‘Tulip Time’ in Holland, Michigan on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. De Zwaan, which is Dutch for “The Swan” or “Graceful Birds” was built in the 1770s and was moved to Windmill Island from the Netherlands in 1964. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)

Michigan service workers, stressed by erratic schedules, seek stability

Shaky scheduling and paychecks: A recent Harvard University study sheds light on how erratic scheduling is common but detrimental for Michigan’s restaurant and retail workers – 13% of the state’s workforce. For many workers, the unstable hours mean unstable incomes and child care.

The study found 42% of service workers with unpredictable schedules reported “frequent phycological distress” – double those with stable schedules. More than three-quarters said they get poor or fair sleep. And nearly half reported being unhappy.

Making the grade: Michigan is a step closer to removing A-F letter grading for schools after House lawmakers voted to drop the system designed to rate the academic performance of the state’s K-12 public institutions.

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Michigan to repay student loans for behavioral health providers

In public interest: Michigan is offering to repay up to $300,000 of student debt for behavioral health professionals who provide mental health services at nonprofit organizations across the state.

Expanding child care in West Michigan: The Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (ISD) has received a $150,000 state grant to help expand access to child care for families in the region. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the 16 statewide recipients of the Regional Child Care Planning Grant on March 10.

Taking a stand: The Graduate Employees' Organization at the University of Michigan began its strike Wednesday, March 29, to seek higher pay and multiple other measures. The strike began at 10:24 a.m., choosing the time to represent the “walk away from $24K,” referring to the roughly annual salary for GEO members if they teach 20 hours a week during both fall and winter semesters, union officials said.

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Weekend starts with strong storm system that brings our first T-storms, more snow

Grab the umbrella: A powerful storm will be moving across all of Michigan Friday and Friday night. We'll get a chilly blast of cold air on Saturday as the storm wraps up. The air will turn cold enough that the rain showers and thunderstorms from Friday will turn to snow showers on Saturday.

Be careful, spring-breakers: What definitely looks to be a powerful storm system is going to peak in intensity Friday and Saturday right over Michigan. Tornadoes and dangerous winds are possible for spring break travelers to and from Michigan.

If you have a green thumb: Your garden seedling transplants are hopefully poking out of the soil already. Rebecca Finneran, senior horticulture educator at Michigan State University and MLive's Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa share expert tips to keep your seedlings healthy before transplanting time.

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How much will it cost to attend Tigers games at Comerica Park in 2023?

Play ball: Baseball has returned! Fans across the country will soon be heading to the ballpark to cheer on their favorite teams. But how much will games cost for a family of four? Bookies.com crunched the numbers and found that game day at Detroit's Comerica Park would cost around $147.50.

Dungeon of Doom: Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell covered a lot of ground during their media sessions at the NFL owners meetings. And MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast is back to break down what it all means for the Detroit Lions.

Turn up the music: Stephen Wasson, professionally known as Hi Def Stef, almost bypassed the Detroit Pistons talent search for performers and DJs in 2021. However, at the encouragement of a close friend, he participated, and instantly became a favorite within the organization, and with fans who attend Cruise and Pistons home games.

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Multiple Michigan chefs named finalists for the prestigious James Beard Award

The winner goes to...: Multiple Michigan chefs and restaurants have been announced as finalists for the prestigious 2023 James Beard Awards. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on Monday, June 5 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

Keep on peddling: The annual Ride the Keweenaw festival is inviting mountain bike enthusiasts to spend Memorial Day weekend exploring some of Michigan’s most rugged and unique mountain bike trails — including into the subterranean layers of a historic copper mine.

Firework fun: Tulip Time, which celebrates Holland, MI's Dutch heritage, has partnered with Holland-based Latin Americans United for Progress, or LAUP, for the annual firework show on Saturday, May 13. This year's Tulip Time is scheduled from May 6-14 and features parades, art, activities, Dutch dancing and thousands upon thousands of tulips.

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We'll see you here on Monday.

You've made it to the end of another week.

The Morning Briefing won't be back until Monday, but you can still catch headlines from across the state all weekend long. Stay in the know with the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. If you value the work of our journalists, consider becoming a MLive subscriber.
Jamie will be here on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!

— Cara Hackett

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