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.
Grand Rapids has been named the most sustainable midsized city in the nation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Civic Leadership Center and the Siemens Corp.
Despite Michigan’s manufacturing decline, the groups say, Grand Rapids is retooling by cleaning up contaminated former industrial sites and advancing a multi-organizational community-wide agreement on how to achieve sustainable development and promote local business in the city.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce the city has made great progress on renewable energy:
In 2005 Mayor George Heartwell pledged that more than 20% of the city’s power would come from renewable sources by 2008. Having hit that target before 2008, the city is now committed to the target of 100% renewable by 2020. The municipal government has reduced energy consumption by more than 10% through the use of technology like LED lighting and conservation. Grand Rapids was inducted into the Green Power Partnership program by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Grand Rapids also earned praise for its efforts to protect and conserve water:
Grand Rapids made a significant commitment to eliminate combined sewer overflows into the Grand River. As of January 2008 greater than 99% of the City’s combined sewer overflow volume has been eliminated at a cost of $210M. The City will invest another $100M to eliminate the remaining 1% of combined sewer overflow volumes. As a result of Grand Rapids’ commitment to water conservation it was selected by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative to be recognized for significant progress in water conservation.
The city’s many energy efficient buildings and free curbside recycling program were also honored by the Chamber.
In a statement Mayor Goerpge Heartwell called the award “a strong affirmation of the collaborative work that we have been doing in Grand Rapids.”
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