A Belated Happy Veterans Day, Free License Plates for Disabled Veterans, Congrats to UP University Athletes, & Rural Regions Losing Population

– INFORMED BREVITY –

This Week in Rural Insights

On Wednesday we will be publishing “Beyond the Bubble: Perceptions of Drug Crime in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula” by Tristin Smith, a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP).

Tristin explores the prevalence of drug crime in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, highlighting how isolation contributes to the issue and calling for greater awareness, local action, and support for at-risk communities.

A Belated Happy Veterans Day

We thought it might be a good idea to this week to review some important issues and data related to Veterans:

The United States has more than 13 million living veterans according to Pew Research Center.

• That 13 million is about 6% of the US population.
• 13% of the US adults experiencing homelessness are veterans.
• The suicide rate among veterans is 1.5 times higher than that of the non-US Veteran population.

So in addition to saying if you want to “thank you for your service,” think about talking to your federal, state and local officials about increasing funding and programs to help with the homelessness and suicide rates among veterans.

They risked their lives to defend the US Constitution and serve their nation so they deserve our help and support when they return to civilian life.

We would love to hear your thoughts on all of this. Drop us a note with your thoughts.

Free License Plates for Disabled Veterans

Here is a program to help veterans in Michigan. Michigan says that in 2025 veterans that have a VA rating of 50% or more are eligible for fee-free disabled veterans license plates. Currently the VA rating to be eligible for free plates for disabled veterans is 100%, so this is a new program that will reach many more veterans.

Contact the Secretary of State office near you to get your free plates if you qualify for the program which will be available after January 1, 2025. Hat tip to Mike Rutledge at NMU.

Congratulations to All the University Athletes in the Upper Peninsula

As we get to the close of the Fall university athletic season we should congratulate all the young women and men who gave their time, skills and efforts to compete in the various sports. Some are having “championship” seasons and some are not, but they are all trying their best while also trying to do their best in their academic studies during the semester. These students don’t deserve any criticism, they deserve our congratulations and thanks.

So, to student athletes at NMU, MTU and LSSU: thank you and congratulations. Keep on keeping on and doing your best.

Rural Regions Losing Population

This brief article by Victor Woodell at the Capital News Service has some very interesting information about the UP and other rural areas that we felt you would find interesting, so we are republishing it here:

 “The number of young people moving to small towns and rural areas across America has been increasing, but not so in Michigan, where populations in rural areas are shrinking and aging, according to a recent report by the Census Bureau.

This national trend reverses a pattern since the 1980s in which more people moved from rural areas to urban centers.

In Michigan, however, both urban centers like Detroit as well as rural areas continue to lose people under 45, Census data shows.

According to the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, the state is experiencing slow overall population growth, but that is due to immigration, not the birthrate, which is declining because an increasing proportion of residents is becoming older.

While births have declined, deaths have been increasing, and the state’s overall population is expected to begin decreasing in the next 10 years, the center says.

These trends are especially pronounced in the Upper Peninsula and other rural areas.

Among all counties in the U.P., only Houghton County gained in population in the last 10 years. The others declined by a total of 3.1%, according to a report by Rural Insights, a research center affiliated with Northern Michigan University.

As a result, the U.P.’s political power in state and federal elections and policymaking will decline compared to the rest of the state, according to an article by Rural Insights Institute Director David Haynes, a former president of Northern Michigan University.”

Quotes

“Truth is the glue that holds government together, not only our government, but civilization itself.” President Gerald R. Ford.

“It’s easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they’ve been fooled.” Mark Twain.

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Rural Insights connects policy, information, news and culture to raise topics and stories/information you might have not seen or overlooked. We bring you original writing from Rural Insights and other researchers, change makers, and storytellers, as well as our latest research and analysis.

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