Today on Stateside, how have communities across Michigan fared in the nearly 10 years since the official end of the Great Recession? Plus, a conversation with a chef from Detroit who’s elevating the art of cannabis edibles beyond the usual pot brownie.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.
Too many cities and towns are being left behind financially, says MSU economist
- It’s been nearly 10 years since the official end of the Great Recession, but cities and towns across Michigan are still struggling with their finances. Eric Scorsone is an associate professor at Michigan State University, where he directs the Extension Center for Local Government Finance and Policy. Scorsone joined Stateside to talk about the main causes of financial distress faced by Michigan cities, and what our communities could look like if these problems are left unaddressed.
The weird beauty and magic of snow
- Tamar Charney is the managing editor of NPR One, and she writes about all-things Michigan. She dropped us a postcard celebrating the very thing Michiganders love to complain about: snow.
Proposed mid-Michigan eel farm raises questions about environmental impact
- A proposed eel farm in St. Johns has some worrying about the possibility of introducing an invasive species into Michigan's inland lakes. Eric Freedman reported this story for the Capital News Service. Freedman breaks down the proposal behind the eel farm, what kinds of economic benefits it could bring to the area, and what the state Department of Natural Resources has said about the risk of these eels getting out of the farm and into the the state's waters.
Cooking with cannabis has come a long way since your mom’s pot brownies
- Smoking isn't the only way to partake in cannabis. And those seeking edible versions of the now-legal drug aren't limited to pot brownies and gummies anymore. Gigi Diaz is a long-time chef, and she’s been making cannabis-infused meals for years now. Diaz runs a business called Cannabis Concepts that does regular pop-ups of THC- and CBD-infused foods around Detroit. Diaz tells us how she got into the art of cannabis cuisine, what kinds of food she makes, and what she thinks legalized marijuana will mean for her company.
Tribal peacemaker honored for work on one-of-a-kind court in Washtenaw County
- This month, the Michigan Supreme Court honored Peacemaker Patrick Wilson of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Tribal Court for his help in starting the Washtenaw County Peacemaking Court. The court opened in 2013 with a very different approach from the typically adversarial courtroom. Instead, it focuses on helping people resolve conflict with an eye toward rebuilding relationships.
How residents from one Detroit neighborhood learned to tell their own stories
- MorningSide 48224 is a project that provided a platform for residents of Detroit’s MorningSide neighborhood to tell their own stories in podcast form. After nine months and eight episodes, that project is wrapping up.
- Michigan Radio's Imani Mixon is MorningSide 48224’s podcast producer and trainer, and Jonathan “JG” Galloway is a resident of MorningSide and the founder of Audio Wave Network. They joined us to talk about the role podcasts can play in shaping the future of a community.
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