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.
A Michigan Public Service Commission investigation has determined that DTE Energy was not responsible for the fires that burned 81 homes in Detroit during a Sept. 7 windstorm.
The commission held hearings and conducted an investigation after Detroit residents claimed that the utility company failed to respond calls about overgrown vegetation on lines and illegal hook-ups.
In a report released this month the Commission stated:
· Data demonstrate that Detroit Edison completed proper maintenance and reliability improvements.
· On a per-mile basis over the last five years, Detroit Edison spent approximately 26 percent more on tree-trimming/vegetation management in the city of Detroit than the rest of the system. The MPSC staff observed that improper tree trimming was not a factor in the wire-downs that occurred during the storm.
· Staff did not observe any overwhelming issue with the age of the distribution system in Detroit or the affected area, and found that Detroit Edison spent 14.5 percent more on operations and maintenance in the city of Detroit than on the rest of the system.
In a story for the Michigan Citizen, Marcus Wright reports that some Detroiters feel that MPSC has not provided proper oversight of DTE’s vegetation removal.
“During the Sept. 29 public meeting convened after the fires, MPSC said it would investigate claims of overgrown vegetation on wires,” [Utility activist and Detroit resident] Edith Lee-Payne said. “If it had done so, it would have seen extreme vegetation still on wires … and if it looked today it would see vegetation still on the wires.”
Payne said she sent the commission a video of vegetation hanging on wires last year, but it was ignored by the commission.
“The problem is the commission allows DTE to self regulate,” Lee-Payne said.
The Detroit Fire Department has not yet determined why there were so many fires during the windstorm.
Mayor Dave Bing ordered demolition of the burnt houses within two days of the fire, drawing criticisms at the time from some retired firefighters and community members that the hasty demolition amounted to obstruction of justice.
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