A forest fire lasting for two months from July until September that blackened 65,000 acres in the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula with state and federal firefighting costs reaching $7.5 million;[5][6]
Continued fallout from the Michigan PBB contamination incident in which a flame retardant chemical (PBB) was mixed with livestock feed, distributed to Michigan farms, and fed to 1.5 million chickens, 30,000 cattle, 5,900 pigs, and 1,470 sheep;[7][8]
Voter approval on November 2 of a ballot proposal banning throwaway beverage containers;[9]
The prosecution of two Filipina nurses, Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez, in the Ann Arbor Hospital Murders in which 10 patients at the Veterans Hospital in Ann Arbor died mysteriously from respiratory failure;[15][16] and
The state's fiscal year is extended by three months to avoid a deficit.
The AP also selected the state's top sports stories as follows:[17]
The NCAA's imposition of three years of probation against the Michigan State Spartans football team for illegal recruiting and the firing of head coach Denny Stolz and athletic director Burt Smith;[22][23]
In the 1970 United States census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 8,875,083 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1980, the state's population had grown 4.4% to 9,262,078 persons.
Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 70,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 120,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
Diana Ross by Diana Ross was released on February 10, 1976. It included the song "Love Hangover" which was ranked as the No. 15 hit on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1976.
Night Moves by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band was released on October 22, 1976. It was certified platinum and featured the songs, "Night Moves", "Mainstreet", "Rock and Roll Never Forgets", "The Fire Down Below", and "Mary Lou".
January 10 - U.S. Rep. Philip Ruppe announced his opposition to Project Seafarer, the Navy's proposal to buil a submarine communications system in the Upper Peninsula.
January 18 - record-breaking cold temperatures in Lansing (25 below zero), Flint (25 below zero) and Detroit (18 below zero)
January 22 - New law mandating minimum two-year prison ters for persons carrying guns while committing felones passed the Michigan Senate
January 22 - Three killed in explosion at Zilwaukee Garm Bureau grain elevator
January 24 - Wayne County Sheriff ordered to stop admitting prisoners to county jail due to overcrowding
January 25 - The NCAA placed MSU Spartans football on probation for three years with no bowl or TV appearanced and reduced scholarships, due to recruiting violations
January 26 - Court-ordered integration plan commences in Detroit schools with 30,000 students from grades one to five bused to new schols to increase integration
January 26 - Former Governor and Supreme Court Justice John Swainson sentenced to 60 days in a federal halfway house for lying to a federal grand jury
January 31 - President Ford made campaign appearance in Dearborn
January 31 - Detroit bar owner Andrew Chimarian found guily by a jury of a misdemeanor for shooting 18-year-old black man in back of the head
December 4 - Ace Gutowsky, NFL fullback (1932-1939) who held Detroit Lions career and single-season rushing records until the 1960s, at age 67 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma
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