Morning Briefing

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023

In today's newsletter, Michigan utilities will need to restore power faster under proposed state rules, snowfall totals in Northern Michigan, and a ‘Barbie Dream House’ in Ann Arbor can be yours for $315K.

Start Thursday with an unusual pet adoption story.

There are some stories that will make you go, "did I just read that correctly?" That same question popped into mind when I scrolled across this headline of a battle between a West Michigan influencer and a Muskegon animal shelter over a $900 cat.

The influencer, Chloe Mitchell, an Aquinas College student from Spring Lake, is quite the TikTok star with over three million followers. Mitchell said she visited six shelters before she found the perfect cat to adopt through the Noah Project. Her preferred furry face? A "super rare" African Savannah cat that cost $900. Mitchell took to social media to complain about the cost and felt like her limited knowledge of cat breeds "made her the perfect person to take advantage of."

The Noah Project said the price of the cat is unrelated to its breed, and comes from the animal's medical expenses. Noah Project Director Mashele Garrett-Arndt told MLive that Mitchell isn’t telling the truth about the situation and feels that this was a social media stunt. Talk about a cat fight.

Curated by Cara Hackett

Lillian (Lily) Pawlanta, 10, and her family found out her dream to go to Disney World was granted by Make-A-Wish Michigan on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, where she is being treated for a seizure disorder. (Drew Travis | MLive.com)

Michigan utilities will need to restore power faster under proposed state rules

Cracking down: New rules for Michigan's utility companies are expected this week following years of lengthy power outages caused by damaging storms that left hundreds of thousands of Michiganders in the dark. The state's electrical grid will also be audited to study whether the aging grid or business choices lead to lengthy outages.

Not the first time: Large swaths of Lower Michigan were left in the dark for days on end after powerful thunderstorms in August 2021 and August 2022. It happened again with back-to-back ice storms in February that knocked out power and heat to thousands more during freezing winter conditions.

A fourth Michigan State University student who was injured in a mass shooting on campus last month was released from Sparrow Hospital.

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Beagle Brigade: Michigan farmers back paw patrols that sniff out illegal foods

Super smellers: A newly proposed federal bill is calling on the sensitive noses of dogs to sniff out illegal fruits, vegetables and meats at airports. Under The Beagle Brigade Act, the National Detector Dog Training Center would be authorized to train dogs, mostly beagles, to track down items that could carry dangerous plant pests or animal diseases into the United States.

Over the past decade, around 14 workers have been killed every year in Michigan road construction zones. If made law, a bipartisan bill to would allow Michigan State Police and the Department of Transportation to implement automated speeding cameras in work zones.

Finer details: Under House Bills 4132 and 4133, drivers would be ticketed when caught going 10 miles over the speed limit while workers are near the roadway and not protected by a guardrail or barrier.

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Northern Michigan’s snowfall has one U.P. city well over 200 inches

Piling up the snow: It may seem like Jack Frost took it easy on Northern Michigan this winter, but over 200 inches of snow fell across the region. Marquette stands at 210.8 inches of snow this winter—more than 40 inches above normal. Here's a look at how much snow blanketed the area this winter.

Safety through the storms: It's Severe Weather Awareness week in Michigan and MLive's Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa has tips to you and your family safe during tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

Heating up: Southwest Michigan’s winter of 2022-23 will go down in the record books as a Top 10 warmest winter ever.

Read more

A 10-year-old girl battling a seizure disorder longtime dream of going to Disney World with her family is about to come true.

What dreams are made of: Lillian (Lily) Pawlanta, of Pewano in Ionia County, was surprised Wednesday, March 22 at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital with the news that the family is headed to Disney World in Orlando, next week thanks to Make-A-Wish Michigan.

Princess for a day: Pawlanta was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy — a rare form of epilepsy resistant to multiple lines of medications — at birth. “I’m most excited to become a Disney princess,” she told MLive/Grand Rapids Press after she received the replica dress of her favorite Disney princess, Belle.

On the silver screen: Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and University of Michigan Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh premiered in a documentary film about literacy in the United States at UM-Flint. The documentary tackles the issues of literacy from multiple angles, including racial divides, socioeconomic status, K-12 curriculum, issues within teaching literacy and more.

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A ‘Barbie Dream House’ in Ann Arbor can be yours for $315K

Living in a Barbie world: This pink paradise condo in Ann Arbor is getting national attention for itsBarbie doll style interior.The 1,300-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-full bathroom and two-half-bathroom condo also features a Scarface-inspired living room and a Valentine’s Day bathroom covered in hearts.

We all scream for ice cream: Frosty Boy on Grand Rapids' Northeast side opened up for the season on Tuesday, and some waited in line for more than an hour for their tasty treat. “It was our busiest opening day to date,” said Alyssa Naumann who purchased Frosty Boy with her husband Kyle in 2015.

Look toward the sky: A dwarf planet once believed to be an asteroid is visible in our night skies month, and it shares a namesake with a common breakfast. The tiny planet Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain crops — the same name from which the word “cereal” derives. The planet is bright and close enough to spot with the help of binoculars or a telescope.

Read more

That's all for now.

You're all caught up. Keep hanging in there, only one day stands between us and the weekend.

To stay up to date with the latest Michigan news, head over to MLive.com. If you support the work of our journalists, consider becoming a MLive subscriber.

Be kind to yourself and others today.

— Cara Hackett

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