Clerks Miss Absentee Ballot Deadline

Voters in Antrim and Presque Isle counties were still waiting on absentee ballots Tuesday after clerks missed the state’s Sept. 24 mailing deadline.

State law requires absentee ballots to be sent to voters at least 40 days before the Nov. 3 election, and more than 1.9 million voters are on Michigan’s permanent mail ballot list. Waterford Township, Grayling, Farmington Hills, and several other communities also missed the mailing deadline but have since mailed their ballots.

Clerks blamed printers and a tight turnaround after the August primary. “I don’t know how, honestly, to get it out any faster,” said Antrim County Deputy Clerk Annette Marcus.

In Mason County, Hamlin Township is reprinting its ballots after a trustee facing a recall died, and plans to start mailing them Oct. 1. State officials say counties typically face no penalty if they have a plan to get ballots to voters as soon as possible.

Michigan LIFT Targets Factory Suppliers

Ford, JPMorganChase, and the state launched Michigan LIFT Tuesday, a partnership that pairs manufacturing suppliers with big buyers, financing, and state support.

Over the next decade, Ford aims to award up to $1 billion in business to suppliers through the platform, and JPMorganChase aims to provide up to $1 billion in financing. Michigan Central, Newlab, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation aim to attract more buyers representing over $1 billion in annual demand by 2036.

Participating companies will also get financing, workforce support, and other resources to grow. “Michigan has always been a state that builds,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.

Alongside the launch, Ford Philanthropy and JPMorganChase announced $550,000 in joint support for Focus: HOPE, a Detroit nonprofit that trains workers in welding, robotics, and other manufacturing skills.

Isle Royale Wolves Likely to Last

The wolves relocated to Isle Royale have a better than 80% chance of persisting for the next 20 years, a newly published study found.

Park officials and researchers moved 19 wolves to the Lake Superior island in 2018 and 2019, after the population dwindled to a single inbred pair. The newcomers came from Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula, and Ontario.

The catch is inbreeding: a brother and sister from Ontario’s Michipicoten Island paired up soon after arriving and founded one of the island’s three packs. Researchers suspect every pup born during the study traced back to that family, according to the paper in Conservation Science and Practice.

A Michigan Tech survey estimated 37 wolves on the island last winter. Moose fell to 524, down about 75% since 2019, and no calves were counted on survey plots.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Statewide: Republican gubernatorial nominee John James called for suspending both the 18-cent federal and 52.4-cent state gas taxes as prices near $4.60 a gallon. Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson backs a federal pause but warns a state suspension would hurt road funding. (See Details)

➤ Also Statewide: The Libertarian Party of Michigan disavowed its own gubernatorial nominee, Anthony Hudson, saying his positions oppose free speech and freedom of religion. Hudson, who left the GOP in February, said he disavows the “party insiders,” and his name will stay on the November ballot. (More)

➤ Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan dropped a plan to replace letter grades with pass/fail for first-semester students in its College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. President Domenico Grasso cited “misconceptions” and said students could be unfairly portrayed as coddled. (More)

➤ Detroit: A former Detroit Fire Department dispatcher is accused of tipping off her family to a March 2025 raid on her brother’s home, then lying to the FBI about it. Stephanie Steen retired in March, and the department said it cooperated fully with investigators. (More)

➤ Livonia: Detroit Fire Battalion Chief Thomas Suchora was placed on unpaid leave after being charged with misdemeanor assault and battery and property destruction. A motorcyclist says Suchora struck him and damaged his belongings during a road-rage incident. (More)

➤ Lansing: Federal agents say LEGO bricks were packed in shipments to hide Glock switch conversion devices sold to undercover agents. Alfred Thomas and Alijah Bailey-Thomas face separate federal machine gun possession charges over 14 devices. (More)

➤ Soo Locks: The final phase of the $3.2 billion new lock is 50% complete, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday. More than 600 people are working on the project, which will take about 400,000 cubic yards of concrete and is on track for 2030. (More)

➤ PWHL Detroit, the city’s new women’s pro hockey team, added Hall of Famer Danielle Goyette as assistant coach and former Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard as goaltending coach. Howard won 246 games and a 2008 Stanley Cup in Detroit. (More)

➤ The Detroit Tigers are reportedly parting ways with first base coach Anthony Sanders and assistant pitching coach Juan Nieves after a 76-86 season. (See Details)

➤ Michigan State lost running back Cam Edwards for the season to a knee injury against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The UConn transfer led the team with 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA | Soccer

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Skip the guesswork. The Hume Body Pod gives you real fat, muscle, and metabolism numbers in seconds. No gym, no lab, no nonsense. Right now Flyover readers get 50% off with code LOOT50. If you’re serious about getting healthier, this is the tool that actually tracks it.

➤ Michigan liquor stores are adjusting to a U.S. ban on Canadian alcohol imports that took effect Tuesday and covers brands like Crown Royal and Seagram’s V.O. An East Lansing owner said Canadian brands make up 5% to 10% of his whiskey sales, though bottles already stateside aren’t affected. (More)

➤ Consumers Energy fielded questions Tuesday about a proposed natural gas plant in Genesee County’s Thetford Township that would produce more than 900 megawatts at peak demand. Residents raised concerns about noise, groundwater, and property values, and the utility hopes to open it by December 2030. (More)

➤ Upper Peninsula tourism businesses are seeing an early bump in visitors as fall colors arrive, with peak color still a week or two away in Munising. Travel Marquette’s CEO credited USA Today for naming the U.P. the nation’s top fall color destination. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The IRS loves when you pass down cash to your kids or grandkids. Bank accounts and brokerage statements are reported. Easy to track. Easy to tax. But certain gold coins are classified as non-reportable under IRS rules—no tax forms, no CPAs, nobody notified when you sell. These assets sit outside the banking system. Yet… you can buy them using your retirement account, tax-deferred and penalty-free. The Quiet Wealth Playbook reveals which coins qualify and how to get started.

Flying together with our sponsor

One Test. 710,000+ Genetic Markers.

Instead of relying entirely on trial and error, The Pep Report gives you a more personalized place to start. Your DNA sample is collected with a simple at-home cheek swab, then analyzed to provide insights based on your unique genetics.

If you’re already researching peptides, or simply curious about what your genetics may reveal, this could help you ask better questions before deciding what to try.

The Flyover readers get 10% off automatically. Get your pep report here.

➤ Archery deer season opens today statewide and runs through Nov. 14. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging hunters to wear as much hunter orange as possible and use a full-body harness in tree stands. (More)

➤ The Keweenaw Peninsula was named the Midwest’s best fall road trip by Travel + Leisure, thanks to drives like the M-26 shoreline and the Copper Country Scenic Byway along U.S. 41. (More)

➤ Marquette Mountain’s Cheese Roll returns Oct. 11, with racers chasing a giant wheel of cheese downhill for a chance to win the cheese and bragging rights. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Statins May Be Helping… and Hurting. Statins are meant to protect your heart—but they can also block something your body desperately needs. CoQ10 fuels every cell, from your brain to your muscles. As you age, or if you take statins, your CoQ10 levels can plummet up to 40%—leaving you tired, foggy, and drained. Click here to discover the right form of CoQ10 you need to support your today. Learn More

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Two retirement destination rankings crown completely different winners, and one snubs Florida entirely. (See Top 10)

➤ Surgeons at an Ohio hospital are accused of amputating the wrong appendage of a 74-year-old Army veteran. (Hear Details)

➤ Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in more than 200 years was halted about an hour before it began. (Listen Now)

Would you chase a wheel of cheese down Marquette Mountain?

1. Sign me up
2. Only if I can keep the cheese
3. I’ll cheer from the bottom
4. Not a chance

Yesterday’s Results:

When you’re shopping for a vehicle, what matters most to you?

1. Reliability: 37%
2. Price: 27%
3. Size and capability: 21%
4. Looks: 8%
5. Fuel economy: 4%
6. Other: 3%

Isle Royale is the largest island in Lake Superior, and Siskiwit Lake is the largest lake on Isle Royale. What’s the name of the largest island in Siskiwit Lake?

Show me the answer