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.
Eighteen months ago, the Flint City Council approved a pilot project to allow intravenous drug users to trade their dirty needles in for clean ones. But now that pilot program, authorized by ordinance, has ended and the city is considering a permanent change to its drug paraphernalia law to allow the program to continue.
The Flint Journal reports the needle exchange was approved in January of 2010. That approval allowed Wellness AIDS Services to exchange clean needles for used ones, as well as provide referrals to treatment and monitor and assist in wound care.
At least one council member was surprised to learn that group had exchanged over 2800 needles in the course of the pilot project.
“This report is just unreal,” [Councilman Bernard Lawler] said to [Donald] Slaughter. “I want to thank you for the service.”
Needle exchange has been a controversial concept in HIV prevention — and to a lesser degree, Hepatitis C — for decades. Opponents argue the programs encourage addicts, while proponent say it gives them time to develop trusting interactions with addicts and eventually lead them to recovery and treatment programs. Both sides can cite studies to support their arguments, but more and more of the studies support the arguments of proponents.
Flint is not alone in the program. There are exchanges in Grand Rapids, Detroit and Ann Arbor.
The council could take up potential changes as soon as next week, the Journal reports.
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