Tiny Owl Rescued, Flu Cases Surging, and New Jobs Report

Wednesday, January 7th, 2026

Good morning! Welcome to The Mitten, where we provide you a 5-minute rundown of statewide Michigan news every morning at 5 a.m., directly in your inbox!

Video captured by a local wildlife reguge shows a tiny gray phase eastern screech owl that was rescued by a Saint Charles police officer on Sunday. You can see the incredible video here and read more in Top Stories.

Today’s featured brand is Shinola—Detroit’s iconic watchmaker. Enjoy free shipping on orders over $125 today, and read more on the brand below

State Releases Sluggish Jobs Report

A new jobs report was released by the state Tuesday that rendered underwhelming results through November.

The state’s unemployment rate dropped one tenth of one percent from September to November, but the state also saw a reduction of 13,000 in labor force in that same time.

Michigan lagged behind national employment by 2.2 percent, as the state lost 0.6% of total employment through November, while the country gained 1.6%.

You can see the full jobs report here.

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Thanks to your feedback, we’re excited to announce the addition of The Goodie Bag, a new section at the bottom of The Mitten featuring fun stories on Mondays and Wednesdays! Check it out below 😎

Joe

Saint Charles Officer Rescues Tiny Owl

Video was published showing video a tiny injured owl a Saint Charles police officer rescued a on Sunday afternoon.

The officer discovered a male gray phase eastern screech owl, the second smallest owl species in the state, with broken bones injured on a bridge.

The officer handed over the owl to a wildlife rehab facility, the Association of Rescue Kritter. According to the association, the owl will need to undergo surgery to fix its broken wing before being released into the wild.

You can see a video of the owl’s wings here.

Michigan Flu Activity Among Highest in Nation

If you were feeling icky over the holiday season—you were not alone.

According to the CDC, Michigan has the highest flu activity rating possible. But, Michigan is not alone, either. The Mitten joins 17 other states in having the highest possible flu activity rating.

11.3% of Michigan’s outpatient health care visits in late December were for flu-like illnesses, outpacing the national average of 8.2%, according to reports.

You can see the national map of flu activity here.

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🗺️ Around the Mitten

Statewide: The federal government revoked multiple Biden-era childcare rules that will require states to verify service rendered before payments are sent. (More)
Romulus: A 44-year-old man opened fire after attempting to break into Romulus Middle School with a gun. (More)
Gwinn: Eight newborn puppies were among 23 dogs handed over to an animal shelter after a 13-hour hostage situation. (Read Story)
Chippewa County: The Bay Mills Casino’s main floor reopened after a partial roof collapse at the resort’s Sacy’s Restaurant on Tuesday. (More)
Royal Oak: Chick-fil-A is opening a new location at the former Wahlburger’s restaurant building at Woodward and 13 Mile Road. (More)
Burton: A portion of the roof at Bendon Middle School collapsed on Tuesday evening due to reported snow and ice accumulation. (More)

🏈 Sports

Former Michigan State star Paul Davis apologized Tuesday after getting ejected from Monday night’s game. (See Video)
The Lions fired Offensive Coordinator John Morton after one season with the team. (More)
Multiple Michigan Football players announced their return to next year’s Team 147, including star Wide Receiver Andrew Marsh, according to reports. (More)
Guard L.J. Cason’s 14 points off the bench helped No. 2 Michigan basketball survive in a nail biter against Penn State, 74-72. (See Box Score)
Tigers play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti is reported to be the leading candidate for NBC’s No. 1 play-by-play voice. (More)

👜 The Goodie Bag

The Detroit Auto Show announced the 41 brands that will be featured in this year’s event. (See Lineup)
Total snowfall for the Keweenaw Peninsula is already closing in on 120 inches of snow, according to new data. (See Data)
Michigan’s population showed signs of stabilization according to a new report from U-Haul, with the state climbing two spots to 41st on the growth index. (See Report)

Have you caught the flu yet?

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Thank you for reading Wednesday’s edition of The Mitten! We hope you enjoyed today’s stories. We always welcome any reader feedback by simply responding to this email.

Founder of The Mitten — Joe S.