Morning Briefing

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2025

In today's newsletter, Michigan’s weekend weather looking quite nice, Michigan’s maple syrup farms suffered ‘unimaginable’ damage during ice storm, and the WMU Broncos are going to their first-ever NCAA championship game.

Meijer Gardens drops 2025 summer concert lineup

Concert lovers, it's your time to shine. Whether you like rock, R&B, pop, or country music, the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park concert series has something in store for every one.

The popular summertime series—which runs from May 30 through Sept. 14—is back with 34 shows in its lineup. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 19, for members and Saturday, April 26 for the general public.

Save the date for the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Organizers recently announced its 2025 Movies by Moonlight series, happening from June 15-29 during Top of the Park, which runs from June 13-29.

Curated by Cara Hackett

From priciest concerts to changes to the ticketing system, here’s everything you need to to know about the Meijer Gardens 2025 summer concert series. (Photo provided by Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park)

Republican bill requiring voters’ proof of citizenship passes US House, slammed for making it harder for women to vote

Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act: The House passed one of Republicans’ signature issues for the year on Thursday, approving legislation to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections, one of President Donald Trump’s top election-related priorities. Nearly all Democrats lined up against the bill and warned that it risks disenfranchising millions of Americans who do not have ready access to the proper documents.

Court decision: Nineteen and 20-year-olds who commit first-degree murder cannot automatically be sentenced to life in prison, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The decision applies retroactively, the court said, meaning close to 600 people sentenced for crimes committed in young adulthood will be eligible for resentencing.

In litigation: Michigan is joining more than a dozen states in filing a lawsuit against federal education authorities over the rollback of extensions for local schools to spend millions in pandemic-era funds, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday.

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Michigan’s weekend weather is really looking quite nice, finally

Weekend forecast: It’s going to be a weekend without a major storm system roaring through Michigan. This means sun, fairly light winds and warmer temperatures are on the way. It won’t be entirely dry however. Our next storm system will bring Michigan off-and-on precipitation Sunday night and Monday. Prior to the main part of this next storm system we will have just a few quick passing showers Sunday.

Clean up: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources updated its closure page and released a list of five state forest campgrounds they expect will have a delayed opening as crews work through storm damage. These state forest campgrounds will have a “a phased reopening over the next several weeks," according to the DNR. However, a “majority” of affected state parks will be able to reopen their campgrounds on schedule in April and May.

Garden talk: If you have sparse grass in parts of your lawn, spring is a great time to plant additional grass seed. Getting thin parts of your lawn thickened up not only looks nice, but thick lawns help with weed control. One lawn expert says the third week of April is typically a great time to overseed the thin areas in your lawn here in Michigan.

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Michigan’s maple syrup farms suffered ‘unimaginable’ damage in tree-toppling ice storm: 25% of crop lost

The damage to maple syrup farms in the path of Michigan’s recent catastrophic ice storm is “unimaginable.” That’s how it’s described by David Noonan, president of the Michigan Maple Syrup Association. More than 100,000 sap-producing sugar maples snapped under the weight of ice, he said. The state’s annual maple syrup production will likely be down 25% or more, about 50,000 gallons, this year.

Hunting changes: Michigan may walk back controversial changes to early deer hunting seasons reserved for youth and hunters with disabilities before they take effect. A new order introduced on Thursday, April 10, would lift the restrictions on two special hunts—one for youth 16 and under and another for adults with qualifying disabilities—before they were set to go into effect this fall.

In the U.P.: The USDA Forest Service Upper Peninsula Fire and Aviation Management Unit is preparing for prescribed fire operations on the Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests. The burn areas will encompass more than 10,000 acres between the two forests, according to the U.S. Forest Service notice.

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Frozen Four magic! Michaels’ 2OT game-winner sends WMU hockey to first NCAA final

WMU hockey makes history: Owen Michaels' double-overtime goal propelled Western Michigan to a 3-2 victory over Denver in the Frozen Four, sending the Broncos to their first-ever NCAA championship game. The No. 1-ranked Broncos built a 2-0 lead before the defending champion Pioneers rallied to force overtime. Matthew Ehler reports WMU will play for the national title Saturday against either Boston University or Penn State.

Pistons surge past Knicks: Cade Cunningham scored 36 points as Detroit erased a 13-point deficit to defeat New York 115-106 on Thursday night. Six Pistons scored in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding a double-double (18 points, 13 rebounds). Kory Woods reports the Pistons took their first lead since the opening quarter early in the fourth and never looked back, outscoring the Knicks 30-21 in the final period.

Michigan recruiting: Michigan football has hosted 70-80 recruits this spring, but hasn't secured any new commitments since February. Despite visits from top prospects including the nation's #1 recruit, the Wolverines' 2026 class currently ranks just 50th nationally. Ryan Zuke reports that coach Sherrone Moore considers these visits "huge" for showcasing practice intensity and team culture, though NIL considerations may be affecting recruitment success.

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Crystal Mountain still has snow, launches April Avalanche event with tubing + golf

Springtime fun: The regular ski season might be over, but Crystal Mountain still has snow - and they don’t want to waste it. The resort near Traverse City has come up with a recipe for weekend fun that pulls in the best of winter and spring: Combining snow tubing with some early spring golf. These two activities and more are on the list for this weekend’s April Avalanche event.

More options: The Muskegon City Commission approved two free services to transport people on Tuesday, April 8, partnering with the Muskegon Area Transportation System and Pioneer Resources. A beach shuttle will take people between downtown Muskegon to the Pere Marquette Beach and a beach circulator that will cycle around five parks along Lake Michigan will begin operating on Friday, May 23.

Shut down: A dog-friendly area at an Oakland County park has been permanently closed. Oakland County Parks said this week that the dog dock and beach at Orion Oaks County Park is closed due to consistently unsafe E. coli levels in the water.

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Let's get the weekend started.

Another week is in the books. I hope that you have something fun lined up this weekend!

As always, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber.

Have a great weekend!

- Cara Hackett

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