Best of the Net 1/13-1/26

Happy Birthday to Michigan!

Michigan celebrated its 177th birthday yesterday. Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837. After 177 years, the Great Lakes State is as beautiful as ever.

Opportunities to Succeed in Detroit

Southeast Michigan Startup features a great summary of career preparation programs for children in the Detroit area. One of the programs featured is Go-Girl, which encourages 7th grade girls to build skills in science, technology, engineering and math. The feature also highlights programs that encourage interest in health professions and entrepreneurship.

Ice Climbing In The U.P.

It may be really cold in the Upper Peninsula during the winter, but the frigid temperatures do create opportunities for outdoor adventures. Pure Michigan explores the sport of ice climbing. In the Pure Michigan story, ice climber Bill Thompson shares the thrill of climbing the Pictured Rocks along Lake Superior. The Pictured Rocks are not the only location to ice climb in Michigan. The state has the highest concentration of ice climbs in the nation. To learn more about ice climbing, daring adventurers can visit the Michigan Ice Fest in Munising this weekend.

Detroit Lives

Detroit Lives, LLC is one of many Detroit success stories. Crain's Detroit Business highlights the company's growth from a T-shirt company to video production house with new headquarters in the David Stott Building in Downtown Detroit.

Great Michigan Companies

Four Michigan companies made Fortune Magazine's 2014 list of the 100 best companies to work for. At number five on the list, Quicken Loans was the highest rated Michigan company. The other Michigan companies on the list are Plante Moran (#23), Stryker (#42) and Credit Acceptance (#52).

Ann Arbor's Main Street Shines

Fodor's Travel named Ann Arbor's South Main Street as one of America's Best Main Streets. Ann Arbor's street made the list of 15 main streets based on its vibrant culture and large selection of restaurants, bars and entertainment.

Traverse City Mentoring

Students at Traverse City West High School are mentoring peers with autism through a new Peer-to-Peer mentoring program. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that the student mentors meet with their peers with autism twice per week to help them with social skills and individual goals.

Midtown Revival Continues

The Detroit News tells the story of George Stewart and Michael Byrd and their vision to revive the Garden Theater in Midtown Detroit. They purchased the building in 1999 and recently renovated the building and reopened the theater as a venue for live acts. For more information about the Garden Theater, visit their website.

Big Week For U of M

The University of Michigan named its newest president on Friday when the Board of Regents elected Dr. Mark Schlissel. Dr. Schlissel has been serving as provost of Brown University and will be Michigan's 14th president.

The William Davidson Foundation also awarded $4.35 million in grants to the university to support entrepreneurship programs, medical innovation and technology.

Housing The Homeless In Kent County

Michigan Nightlight features an effort in the Grand Rapids area to turn vacant houses into functioning homes for the homeless. The 19:1 campaign, which started in November, will renovate vacant homes and apartments and turn them into shared housing spaces.

Empowering Detroit's Homeless

Veronika Scott saw a need to help the homeless, so she designed a coat that converts into a sleeping bag. Michipreneur reports that Scott then founded The Empowerment Plan, a nonprofit that not only makes the sleeping bag coat, but also hires homeless women to produce them.