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.
In case you weren’t glued to C-SPAN on Sunday, the U.S. Senate voted to include a provision in a key spending bill that paves the way to a first-ever light rail system for the Motor City.
The vote signaled a decisive turning-point for the long-stalled light rail project along a stretch of Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, eventually linking Hart Plaza to Eight Mile Road.
The provision, authored by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan’s senior senator, allows $125 million in private money to be considered part of Detroit’s local match when the city builds the second-stage of the $425 million infrastructure project.
The first stage of the project will be a 3.4-mile stretch with 12 stops from Hart Plaza to Grand Boulevard; the second phase will end at Eight Mile.
Levin, a Democrat, hailed the vote as a “huge boost” for Detroit. He added:
I’m gratified the conference committee chose to accept my provision that requires the Federal Transit Administration to consider private funds as the local match when considering the Woodward light rail project… I will do all I can to see this project through to its construction.
Last week, the House tacked on a similar provision to the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill. The House sponsor, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Detroit) has said the first leg of construction could begin next summer.
Ultimately, the federal government will pick up 60 percent of the cost of building the light rail line.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter