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.
Hallmark workers at worksite of oil spill cleanup last week
The buses were chartered to Phillip Hallmark, owner of Hallmark Industrial, the controversial oil spill subcontractor that came under scrutiny earlier this week after a Michigan Messenger investigation revealed the subcontractor had undocumented workers on the the oil spill working in unsafe conditions. Hallmark was fired by Enbridge Energy subcontractor Garner Environmental on Monday night.
Texas authorities tell the television station that they detained 59 people, 42 of whom were determined to be in the country illegally. The undocumented workers were transported to an immigration detention facility in Houston. Authorities also tell the television station that an estimated 40 more people ran away and authorities were unable to detain them.
The television station reports the charter buses were parked behind a bank, and neighbors were complaining about the men on the bus. When sheriffs arrived, the men ran, the station reports.
“Enbridge needs to live up to the commitment it made to our community, be a good neighbor, and start hiring qualified Michigan workers to clean up the spill,” said Congressman Mark Schauer, who has been critical of Hallmark and the allegations of undocumented workers on the site. “Our community repeatedly asked the EPA and Enbridge to use local labor, and the fact that Enbridge allowed one of its contractors to hire illegal immigrants is appalling.”
Enbridge spokesperson Terri Larson said the issue of undocumented workers was one between Garner Environmental and Hallmark. She further said that it was not certain yet that the men arrested “have been confirmed as being in Michigan.”
“I stand by my previous statements that Enbridge does not, and will not, condone illegal activities by contractors,” Larson said.
Larson says the company still stands by its claim that it reviewed the employee documents this past weekend and they “appeared to be proper.”
The station reports that Phillip Hallmark is the son of a prominent former Democratic elected county official, Waymon Hallmark.
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