Shaggy’s Skis: Growing its custom-ski business in Michigan
The company has gained a cult following in ski communities around the globe.
Latest stories
Hidden in Plain Sight: The effort to save the markers of an Old Indian Trail in Northern Michigan
A project refurbishing more than a dozen 1940s-era trail markers is breathing new life into an old Native American pathway.
How one local environmental expert helps protect Michigan’s aquatic systems
As an environmental quality analyst with the state and a volunteer with the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, Blake Cahill blends science, service, and community engagement to safeguard native ecosystems and reconnect people with the natural world around them.
Little Ortonville goes big for small business
Home to 1,351 residents, village measuring one square mile has a thriving downtown.
Spring Lake’s shared public DPW model shows power of trust
For a decade, Spring Lake village and township have shared a public works department built on trust, improving efficiency, stretching tax dollars, and delivering better services without raising costs.
Northwest Michigan workforce organization aims to be a friend to those in recovery
“Our Recovery Friendly Workplace designation is about more than policy – it’s about people,” says Jessica Willis, director of Northwest Michigan Works!
CMU becomes first public university in Michigan to guarantee jobs after graduation
CMU announces The Central Career Guarantee, becoming the first public university in Michigan to guarantee a job or graduate school after graduation.
New Life in Old Halls: Transforming Finlandia University’s former buildings for a vibrant future
Most of the university’s buildings have been sold. Some are being renovated into apartments and commercial space. Others will become event venues and a community hub.
Roscommon’s park overhaul features a rare paved “pump track”
An $820,000 grant from the state’s Land and Water Conservation Fund to the Roscommon Area Recreation Authority funded upgrades to the former Metro Park.
Rural radio station becomes lifeline for West Michigan’s performing arts
Broadcasting from the woods, Blue Lake Radio connects listeners, orchestras, and venues while navigating financial challenges and a shift away from news programming.
Port Huron Historian turns family roots into community action
For more than a decade, David Brooks, president of Friends of the Fort Gratiot Light has helped preserve one of St. Clair County’s most iconic landmarks through volunteer work, fundraising, and hands-on restoration.
Boyne Mountain debuts authentic snow and ice bar
The structure is a genuine feat of winter architecture: a handcrafted igloo carved from a massive snow mound.
A publication of
Issue Media Group is a multi-local network of digital news outlets focused on community transformation through solutions journalism. We highlight the people and projects tackling challenges and driving change. Through its national, regional and local publications, IMG connects communities, shares impactful solutions, and inspires progress.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. Have a question? Contact us or review our privacy policy for more information.
Solutions that work, from communities like yours. Explore innovative stories from across our network showcasing how neighborhoods are solving today’s challenges together.
- Hope Starts Here stabilizing early childhood services in wake of policy changes
- الإطار العملي “الأمل يبدأ من هنا” يعزّز القدرة على الصمود في مواجهة التحديات
- Apprenticeships growing Michigan’s health care workforce
- Little Ortonville goes big for small business
- El modelo de Hope Starts Here promueve la resiliencia ante los desafíos
- Can volunteer walk audits fix data gaps for accessibile pedestrain infustructure?
- ECIC guides Michigan’s early childhood strategy
- LifeWays: Why Infant Mental Health Matters
- Workforce development program for young adults nurtures confidence, direction, purpose
- The early childhood models in other states inspiring Michigan policy advocates
Top 5 Articles
1
New Life in Old Halls: Transforming Finlandia University’s former buildings for a vibrant future
2
Rural radio station becomes lifeline for West Michigan’s performing arts
3
Port Huron Historian turns family roots into community action
4
Little Ortonville goes big for small business
5
Grant to township secures Riverside Park preserve along Kalamazoo River
Support independent journalism in Rural Michigan
Rural Innovation Exchange is a local digital media outlet covering neighborhoods, small business and entrepreneurship, arts and culture, health, sustainability, talent, and social innovation.
