Ignoring our observation plane circling above the frozen Lake Superior wilderness, the eight gray wolves seemed as harmless as pooches cavorting in the yard. They nipped and pawed each other, pausing occasionally to roll in the snow.

But then the alpha male and female moved away from the shore. They passed through a clearing and plunged into thick woods, the others strung out behind.

They had eaten little for three days. Now they needed to hunt.

A mile northwest, a moose calf lumbered amid evergreen stands, unaware that the pack was closing in.

Continue reading: examiner.com detroit

As Americans become more health- and environment-conscious, they are increasingly turning to organic foods and other organic products. According to the Organic Trade Association, the leading trade group for the U.S. organic industry, organic food sales have grown by nearly 20 percent yearly since 1997, reaching $16.7 billion in 2006 and accounting for 2.8 percent of total food sales. Sixty-six percent of Americans say they use organic products, at least occasionally.

And many have decided to incorporate organic methods into their home gardening. Organic gardening allows people to feel more connected to nature and more in control of what they feed their families. And it’s “greener,” eliminating transportation costs.

Continue reading: mLive.com

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake that appeared to rival the strongest recorded in the region rocked people up to 450 miles away early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful Midwest temblor.

The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., and 66 miles from Evansville, Ind. It was felt in such distant cities as Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and Des Moines, Iowa, 450 miles northwest of the epicenter, but there were no early reports of injuries or significant damage.

Continue reading: LSJ.com

Also see: Quake felt in West Michigan in the Muskegon Chronicle at mLive.com

ed. note The Freep.com reports the Earthquake as a 5.2 magnitude quake

It’s rare to receive the finalized ACC/Big Ten Challenge schedule so distant from the beginning of an NCAA basketball season. This year is an exception.

And MSU men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo couldn’t be more excited — discovering Tuesday afternoon his team would battle North Carolina on Dec. 3 at Ford Field in Detroit for the 10th annual challenge.

Continue reading: StateNews.com

Cleaning up the Great Lakes would generate billions of dollars in economic benefits for metropolitan Detroit and the wider ecosystem, a new study reported today.

The analysis released by the Washington, D.C., think tank Brookings Institution showed metro Detroit would reap $3.7 billion to $7 billion in economic benefits, second only to the Chicago area’s $7.4-$13.3 billion. The areas around Cleveland and Milwaukee would also be big winners, as would the Great Lakes area in general.

Continue reading: Freep.com

Laura Kasischke’s writing life has made a circle of sorts, starting in the halls of East Grand Rapids High School, where she was inspired to write by her creative writing teacher.

She returns to high school once again, thanks to the movie “The Life Before Her Eyes,” based on Kasischke’s novel by the same name. It will be released Friday in Los Angeles and New York.

Continue reading: The Grand Rapids Press at mLive.com

For Michigan’s new movie tax incentive, the first taker likely will be “The Fifth.”

A gangster drama starring Joe Mantegna dubbed “The Fifth Mafia” is to begin shooting in Grand Rapids this summer, the first to take advantage of a new state bill, signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm this month, offering a 42 percent refundable business tax credit for movie production costs incurred in Michigan.

Continue Reading: The Grand Rapids Press at mLive.com

If a field of dandelions sprouts in your yard over the next few weeks, you might want to call Maria Gajewski. She has scaled back her food budget this month — to $30.

She will be foraging for edible plants, working on the family farm for payment in eggs and eating lots of brown rice and lentils, all to call attention to the hardship of eating nutritiously on a limited budget.

The remainder of the approximately $250 she usually spends on food and beverage for 30 days will go to her favorite nonprofit: Blandford Nature Center & Mixed Greens in Grand Rapids.

Source: The Grand Rapids Press at mLive.com

Since January, the township has coordinated with lighthouse officials across the bay to solicit volunteers to work at the 19th century structure when it opens to the public for the first time in May, said Fred Stoye, chairman of the township park board.

“There are very few places in Michigan that allow you to live in a lighthouse,” said Grand Traverse Lighthouse director Stef Staley, who’s accepting applications for the Mission Point program.

“I think the biggest benefit is the fact that people get to help us restore and preserve the lighthouse and surrounding property.”

Source: Traverse City Record Eagle

Few cities in America understand Detroit’s economic pain better than the former steel town of Pittsburgh. But empathy isn’t all it has to offer.

Pittsburgh knows what it takes to survive a massive loss of manufacturing jobs. Two decades after most of its steel mills shut down, the city has transformed itself into a diversified, service-oriented economy, albeit with a smaller population.

Its efforts to remake itself provide plenty of lessons for southeast Michigan and other areas grappling with these issues.

Source: Freep.com