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Take steps to stop spread of oak wilt

It’s time to leave those oak trees alone. Due to the possibility of beetles spreading oak wilt fungus from tree to tree, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources advises homeowners and landowners not to trim or prune any oak trees from mid-April to mid-July. Sap-feeding nitidulid beetles are most active during this period and can transfer spores from infected trees to healthy trees through wounds, the DNR states in a news release. Recent research at Michigan State University indicates that in Michigan, oak wilt infection risk peaks in May and June. The DNR recommends that ...

Check for restrictions, be careful if burning

With the snow mostly gone and longer sunny days drying everything out, spring fire season has arrived — that dangerous period before enough new greenery grows to make the brown grasses and bare branches less vulnerable to a stray spark or ember. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds the public to check fire danger and burn permit restrictions before conducting outdoor burning activities, as recent storms have increased the amount of debris on the landscape across much of Wisconsin. Even with recent heavy rainfalls and severe weather, Wisconsin last week had 50 ...

State should step up on compulsive gambling

With the state of Michigan, according to its own records, raking in a veritable mountain of cash each year from legalized online gambling, it is not at all clear why Lansing isn’t doing more to provide resources to deal with the inevitable result of all that betting: Compulsive gambling. According to a recent story from the authoritative Bridge Michigan that was reprinted by The Mining Journal, Michigan received a failing grade from an advocacy group for its efforts to protect gamblers. The state pulled in $624.6 million off online gambling last year, including $27.1 million in taxes ...