Bay City

Fire officials in the Tri-Cities and Great Lakes Bay Region are urging safety ahead of the Fourth of July, reminding residents of local fireworks laws, potential fines and where to watch shows in Midland, Saginaw and Bay City.

The 35th state Senate district has been vacant since the beginning of the year. A special election could shift the balance of power in the chamber, with Democrats only holding a one-seat majority.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told WCMU recently that there will be a special election to fill the open 35th District State Senate Seat, which includes representation for Midland, Bay City and Saginaw.

Last Wednesday, the mayor of Bay City vetoed a resolution, that would have banned deputizing local cops for federal immigration enforcement.

"Making things. Building things. Working with our hands is America’s heritage and that heritage is alive and well in this facility," Vance told the crowd gathered at a Bay County plastics company.

"The governor has a lot of leeway and control over calling the election itself," Reporter AJ Jones told WCMU's All Things Considered host David Nicholas. "The constitution says the governor 'may call a special election.'”

The operators of Bay City's two toll bridges have paused a plan that would have doubled the price for an unlimited pass for non-residents to drive over the Liberty and Independence bridges.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says her legal is still trying to determine when they will call a special election in state Senate district 35, which represents the cities of Midland, Bay City and Saginaw. It's been vacant since Jan. 3 after Kristen McDonald Rivet was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

An electrical transformer caught fire earlier this afternoon and spread to the Karn generating facility in Essexville. A mineral oil spill into the Saginaw River also took place during the fire. It's unclear how much oil has been spilled.

A toll increase on the Liberty and Independence bridges is drawing concern in Bay City.