May 31, 2025

Dr Deborah Birx, COVID-19 response coordinator for The White House, has announced plans to retire.

Read more on “Dr Birx is to retire after ‘overwhelming’ backlash over her out-of-state Thanksgiving trip: ‘Hypocrite’ COVID expert to step down after ignoring her own travel warning” by Associated Press and Megan Sheets for Daily Mail, December 22, 2020.

via Lifeway Research (February 22, 2022)— "Most Open to Spiritual Conversations, Few Christians Speaking," by Aaron Earls: Americans are curious about the religious devotion of others and are willing to discuss the topic, but most say they rarely have conversations about faith with their Christian friends .... Half of Americans (51%)…

– March 20, 2022
via Baptist Beacon (April 1, 2022)— "Fusion Camp for 2nd-6th graders," by Rachel LaBelle, Resurrection Church, Lincoln Park Michigan: ... At camp, we get a short window to replace the busyness of their daily lives and invite them to a safe place where they can focus on Christ. Some would…

– April 24, 2022
via Lifeway Research (April 5, 2021)— "Americans Most Want to Avoid Fear and Anxiety, Gain Freedom and Safety," by Aaron Earls: After what was a scary year for many, more Americans say they want to avoid fear. According to a study from Lifeway Research, when asked which feeling they seek to…

– January 2, 2022
via Baptist Beacon (February 2, 2022)— "Words without wisdom," by Coye L Bouyer, founding pastor of Kingdom Life Church, in Lansing, Michigan: A life-giving tongue creates a positive environment, and even brings joy to a community. However, too often many of us choose conversation that is callous and criticizes as opposed…

– February 27, 2022
via Baptist Beacon (February 2, 2022)— "Treasures in the darkness," by Karen Blanchard, women's life group leader with Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township, Michigan: Having been in this pandemic for two years now, we face days that seem uncertain and difficult to navigate. Yet through all the darkness and confusion,…

– March 6, 2022
via Baptist Beacon (June 1, 2022)— "A small church serves as a large witness in the wake of Taylor tornado," by Mike Durbin, State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan: An EF3 tornado ripped through Gaylord tragically taking the lives of two people and injuring more than…

– June 5, 2022
re United States Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v Bremerton School District— On April 4, 2022, Compelling Truth revisited the question, "What is the separation of church and state?" Noting that this "is not foundation and is not found in the US Constitution," this assessment went on to assert that…

– June 27, 2022
via Lifeway Research (September 1, 2021)— "Most Americans Know and Trust Their Neighbors," by Aaron Earls: Despite quarantines and social distancing keeping people in their homes during the pandemic, Americans still say they know their neighbors. Almost 7 in 10 U.S. adults (68%) say they trust the people who live in…

– January 17, 2022
via Jesus Calling (2004), by Sarah Young— "I am with you, watching over you constantly ...." Matthew 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" [King James Version] Psalm 34:5…

– May 29, 2022

Too many “community calendars” are so focused on indulging pitches that they lose their community readers

October 7, 2019

From the Editor— I seldom read so-called community calendars more than once, or at best, once in a blue moon. Bet most people reading this are the same way. [1] Years ago, in the days before we all began to rely upon the Internet so heavily for information, Ann Arbor Observer was the highly anticipated go-to for identifying date-specific things to do, places to go, and don’t-miss opportunities from which content for filling the pages ....

Russ Climie, professional photographer, Tiberius Images

“31 Day October 2020 Photo Challenge!” offers a number of great opportunities to present the case for Saline

October 1, 2020

During a March 7 session at the 2019 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Courtney Sheffer of West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) shared details from the experience of her organization in its effort to attract attention for her constituent destinations. [1,2] In her position as marketing director for WMTA, she faced the same challenges that destinations such as Saline, as well as their venue advocates including the A2Y Regional Chamber are facing in the wake ....

What Cities Need to Know about Consumer Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles

March 30, 2018

Last month, Wired magazine published its “Guide to Self-Driving Cars.” If that article doesn’t make this subject just that simple and straightforward, it must go a long way to reinforcing the idea that autonomous vehicles are mainstream and inevitable. This is important subject matter for Saline. As a municipality, the bifurcation of downtown by US-12 makes us a likely prospect for this tech. As home to NAVYA and the greater Mcity infrastructure, Saline is part ....

Former local Congresswoman offered practical overview of Presidential impeachment during “Free College Day”

September 30, 2019

Congressional efforts to launch impeachment procedings against Donald Trump started well before he entered office as the 45th President of the United States. The 116th Congress convened earlier this year with key Democrats, including Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib, promising to make this Constitutional step a priority. [1-7] Last Tuesday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced “that the House would initiate a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump ….” [8,9] As if having accessed a crystal ball for ....

“October 2021 – 31 Day Photo Challenge!” topics announced with eye to month rich in brilliant colors and intense monochromes

October 1, 2021

October is “Photographer Appreciation Month” — although most practitioners of the craft would rather see that expressed through appreciation of their photographs. To that end, it’s hard to imagine a better time of year here in Michigan to test the limits of that. Following along as this season transitions, our State website features an up-to-date “Fall Color Tours” page with detailed links to venues throughout. For those with interests that lean decidely darker, there’s the ....