Michelle Jokisch Polo
As WKAR's Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter, Michelle reports in both English and Spanish on stories affecting Michigan's Latinx community. Michelle is also the voice of WKAR's weekend news programs.
Michelle joined WKAR in August 2020.
Before joining WKAR, Michelle was the inclusion reporter at WGVU Public Media, covering stories of people at the intersections of racial justice immigration reform, criminal justice system reform, reproductive justice and trans and queer liberation. Michelle began her career as a journalist as the head reporter at El Vocero Hispano, the largest Hispanic newspaper in Michigan.
Michelle has a master's degree from Grand Valley State University and a bachelor's degree from Calvin University.
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Spanish and Swahili dictionaries are banned in Michigan prisons. An official says the ban is to prevent prisoners from being disruptive. -
In Michigan, and other parts of the country, some people are seeking Black doulas to assist with births. -
Black doulas are setting out to help change the dramatic Black infant mortality rate. In Michigan and across the country, Black infants die far more frequently than white babies.
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In Michigan, hairdresser Ashley Medina is known as the Mullet Queen of Lansing, with clients coming from all over the U.S. to get a mullet styled by her.
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A flood of threats has followed Michigan's school shooting. Information about missed warning signs has spurred a conversation about threats and how to reassure families that classrooms are safe.
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Ashley Medina is so busy cutting mullets for all kinds of people in her Lansing, Michigan, shop that she may have to give up other styles. -
With COVID-19 cases spiking in Michigan and vaccinations stalled, some businesses are asking customers to show proof of vaccination. But there are unvaccinated residents who call this discrimination.
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In some states, day care costs have soared as high as 70%, and workers are tough to find. Many home day care setups and centers shut down during the pandemic, and some haven't reopened.
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As states across the U.S. begin lifting indoor mask mandates for the fully vaccinated, there's widespread confusion. Both businesses and customers are struggling over their decisions on mask-wearing. -
As Michigan lifts its indoor mask mandate for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19, business owners and customers feel both confusion and political tensions over whether to mask in public.
