From the Associated Press — Michigan is carving out some exceptions to a new policy that would bar people from swimming at state beaches when waves are more than 8 feet high. Surfers, kite boarders and water boarders would be exempt. They say rough conditions can be ideal, and they’ll prepare for the risk. The Department of Natural Resources wants to reduce the risk of drowning in the Great Lakes. The DNR Commission is expected to hear more on August 12. Rip currents and high waves have sometimes led to tragedies on Great Lakes beaches. There have been at least 47 drownings this year in states bordering the lakes, including 22 in Lake Michigan.
