I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
The deadline to file to run for elected offices in the city of Lansing is 4 p.m. today, and as of 9:45 p.m. on Monday the ballot had 13 candidates vying for six offices. The six offices up for election are mayor, city clerk, two council member at large posts, and council seats for the second and fourth ward.
To qualify for the ballot, candidates must submit either a nominating petitions, a $100 filing fee or both. Only one candidate, Carol Wood who is running for mayor, submitted a petition and filing fee, while all the other candidates paid their filing fee. A nominating petition for city wide posts requires 400 valid signatures of Lansing voters, City Clerk Chris Swope said, and a candidate can turn in no more than 600 signatures. A ward candidate requires 100 valid signatures of Lansing voters, and can only turn in 150 signatures.
So why the lack of petitions?
“When you circulate petitions you have friends and volunteers do it,” said Swope.”So unless you have gone through and verified those signatures, you want to make sure you are covered.”
Translation: If you really wanna get on the ballot to ask voters for their vote, ignore the voters and pay the cash to assure your place.
The Mayor’s race is shaping up to be a three way battle between incumbent Mayor Virgil Bernero, Lansing City Council Member at Large Carol Wood and Lansing School Board member and former Lansing City Council member Charles Ford.
In the clerk race, only incumbent Chris Swope has filed to run.
In the at-large race, council member Brian Jeffries has filed to run again, and will face former city council member Harold Leeman, and The New Citizens Press publisher and editor Rina Risper. At-large council member Kathie Dunbar is expected to file later today to fight to retain her post.
In the ward battles, second ward council member Sandy Allen will square off with Bryan Decker, and Jimmie Currin Sr. The Fourth Ward is being vacated by council member Tim Kaltenbach, and has former Obama organizer Chris Lewless squaring off with Tom Truscott and Cindy Redman.
To follow the ballot listings, visit the City of Lansing website here.
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