Michigan’s school counselors spread thin, not able to help students enough

LANSINGMichigan has the secondworst student-to-counselor ratio in the country, according to the American School Counselor Association.The ratio of students to counselors was 573-to-one during the 2023-24 school year, more than double the 250-to-one ratio that the association recommends.

Lawmakers move to muffle nuisance noise lawsuits near racetracks

LANSINGAnew bipartisan Senate bill would prevent nearby neighbors of raceways from filing nuisance claims against track owners.The bill would prevent residents within a 5-mile radius of a track’s perimeter from suing the owner if they purchased the property after the track was built.

Does Trump need a portrait of James K. Polk?

Donald Trump has a painting of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office, but as he tries to browbeat Denmark into coughing up Greenland, maybe he should add a portrait of a Jackson acolyte -- James K. Polk.

Praises to all

To the Editor:Two of the most important Presidents of the United States of America are two February boys: George Washington (1789-1797) and Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865).

EDITOR’S INBOX

To the Editor:Hopefully, like myself many of you watched the video of the Dec. 15, 2025 Gladwin City Council meeting. I see that it has already been removed from online viewing. During the public comments session.

Dangerous items in mental health units

It defies belief that these things could have been allowed to happen: The mental health units at a VA facility were loaded up with items that could be used in suicides.

Finding help this year

Now that we have our new Social Security benefit amount and see, after the Medicare Part B deduction, just how little it’s going to be, many of us are on the edge of panic -- or at least very worried. We barely made it through last year, month by month.

EDITOR’S INBOX

To the Editor:As we move on into 2026, I want to send greetings, yes, greetings to each and every one of our 15 townships. Two cities, two public school districts, Skeels Christian, Mid Michigan College, and the Clare-Gladwin RESD!

Thanks

To the Editor:The Gladwin Goodfellows would like to thank all who made Distribution Day 2025 a success.It takes many hands and much preparation to buy, load, sort, load again and distribute the 100 boxes of food just in time for the Christmas holidays.

Yes, revive the Monroe Doctrine

President Trump likes putting his name on things, so maybe it was inevitable he’d get his own corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.