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State Adopt-A-Highway crews to do roadside cleanup this month

It’s again time for groups of volunteers to walk along Michigan’s highways, graciously picking up the trash and other discarded items thoughtlessly left behind by others. Beginning Saturday, motorists should be on the lookout for bright yellow-green vests as Adopt-A-Highway volunteers fan out across Michigan for the second of three scheduled collections in 2026. The statewide pickup will continue through Sunday, July 19. Adopt-A-Highway is a Michigan Department of Transportation program designed to help keep the state’s roadsides and ditches clean and attractive. Participants ...

Candidates advised of rules for political sign placements

During this election season, the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Dickinson County Road Commission remind all candidates that campaign signs can interfere with motorist and pedestrian vision along streets and highways. Signage at intersections and other places in the right-of-way can also be problematic for maintenance operations. Candidates are advised of MDOT’s sign placement criteria: — Political candidates are responsible for obtaining approval from the adjacent property owner to place the signs. — Signs must be more than 30 feet from the edge of the ...

Federal waste of office space stifles economies at many levels

The federal government is the largest owner of U.S. real estate, including more than half a billion square feet of office space. That is far more than it needs, and the cost of maintaining it has ballooned to unsustainable levels. The Public Buildings Reform Board recently identified 26 buildings across 15 states — totaling more than 7.3 million square feet — as potential candidates for the government to dispose of due to poor usage and high maintenance costs. It’s the third set of disposal recommendations since Congress created the board in 2016. That’s a great start, but the ...