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To learn more about Michigan and to provide facts you may not (or maybe you do) know about this state, I have made a list, because really, who doesn’t like lists?
I will number them, but not in order of importance, as well as give the source for each of my facts, although I refuse to cite Wikipedia as a reliable resource for anything.
Katie’s Top 14 Mostly Fun Facts About Michigan:
1. Michigan ranks first in state boat registrations. (50states.com)
2. Michigan has 267 colleges, universities, technical and vocational schools. (U.S. College Search)
3. Although Michigan is often called the “Wolverine State,” there are no longer any wolverines in Michigan. (50states.com)
4. In 2000, Michigan had 2.02 million Catholics, 1.08 million evangelical Protestants and 784,000 mainline Protestants. 5.78 million were “unclaimed.” (Association of Religion Data Archives)
5. State law requires that most items on store shelves be clearly marked with a price tag (even at Wal-Mart – I checked). (michigan.gov)
6. Restaurants represent 10 percent of total employment. In 2007, there were 16,565 eating and drinking places. Michigan ranks 39th in the nation in restaurants per capita; Washington D.C. ranked No. 1. OK, I cheated on this one – those were many facts. (National Restaurant Association)
7. Michigan has 175 people per square mile; the U.S. average is 79.6. (U.S. Census Bureau)
8. Ninety percent of the Upper Peninsula is forested. (michigan.org)
9. For the first six months of 2009, violent crime increased 1 percent; two of the four offenses in the violent crime category reported increases – murder and aggravated assault. The three offenses in the property crime category decreased 14 percent. The number of reported arson offenses decreased 12 percent. (Michigan Department of State Police)
10. The mean travel time to work for those ages 16 and over in 2000 was 20 minutes in Berrien County and 24.1 minutes in Michigan overall. (U.S. Census Bureau)
11. The average high temperature in Niles for November is 48 degrees; the average low is 34 degrees. (countrystudies.us)
12. Of all fatal crashes in 2008, 32.5 percent involved at least one drinking operator, bicyclist or pedestrian; 24.8 involved drinking but not drugs; 6.6 percent involved drugs but not drinking; and 7.7 percent involved both drinking and drugs. (michigantrafficcrash facts.org)
13. The University of Michigan was the first university established by any of the states, in 1817. (50states.com)
14. Standing anywhere in the state, a person is within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes. (50states.com)
My observations:
No matter where you live, you will always find elderly men who drink coffee and read the paper at the convenience store, even at 5:30 a.m. Thanks, by the way, for reading the newspaper, anonymous elderly man I saw today.
Also, the likelihood of a deer hurling itself at your unsuspecting vehicle is still a threat as long as there are cornfields and rows of trees for them to lurk in. Arm yourself against these ruthless beasts with deer whistles! (Do they even have those here? I will find out.)
Today is Veterans Day:
I would also like to say thank you to all veterans today, and everyday. I have two grandfathers who fought in World War II; one was injured and received a Purple Heart.
Most of us will never fully understand what members of the military experience or have experienced just to do their jobs.
Happy Veterans Day.
Katie Johnson is managing editor of the Niles Daily Star, Edwardsburg Argus and Cassopolis Vigilant. She can be reached at (269) 687-7713 or katie.john son@leader pub.com.
Actually, wolverines have been spotted in Michigan as recently as 2004. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4374309 I’m sure they’re still out there, but I’d never want to run into one!
No, Wolverines are NOT in Michigan. One only has to venture to Ann Arbor to become acutely aware of that.