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.
Several Michigan news outlets are reporting that the FBI, Homeland Security, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and local law enforcement authorities have executed numerous search warrants related to a conservative Christian militia group located in Adrian. Reports indicate five people had been arrested.
The raids occurred Saturday night in the Lenawee county town of Adrian and focused on members of the group Hutaree. Hutaree bills itself as Christian group that “will one day see its enemy and meet him on the battlefield if so God wills it.” It also claims on its website to be “Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center reports Hutaree is one of 47 active militia groups in Michigan.
While some news sources have reported the raids were directed at the Michigan Militia, the raids and arrests in Michigan were directed at Hutaree.
Lee Miracle, coordinator for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, says his group was not connected with Hutaree. He said his group withdrew from working with Hutaree because members of Hutaree were “forceful towards recruiting,” and “they had this you’re with us or against us mentality.”
Miracle said his group is secular, interested in protecting the Constitution, while Hutaree was a religious group that excluded people who did not believe in their particular brand of Christian thought.
“They think the end times are coming and they need to protect themselves and even worse, enforce their Christian beliefs on others after the end times,” Miracle said of Hutaree’s beliefs.
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