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.
Pontiac could end up with gaps in police service as a result of contract changes approved by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners this week.
Pontiac’s Emergency Manager Michael Stampfler is in the process of dissolving the city police department and outsourcing public safety services to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept. which is scheduled to take over patrols next month.
The move is supposed to save Pontiac about $2 million, but the city’s finances are so precarious that last month Stampfler suggested it may file for bankruptcy and this moved Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson to suggest that the county change the policing contract to avoid being stuck with expenses if Pontiac collapses.
The Detroit News reports that under contract amendments approved by Oakland County Pontiac is now required to prepay regular and overtime expenses on a monthly basis and the county can suspend service if Pontiac defaults on payments or enters bankruptcy.
These changes worry some city residents.
“I need law enforcement in my community and I don’t want to have to check to make sure our bills are paid every 29 days,” said John E. Smith, a resident and pastor in Pontiac.
“This isn’t the citizens saying we agree to this. This is an (emergency manager).”
Patterson told the News that Pontiac would not completely abandoned in the event of payment default because state law requires county and state agencies to provide minimum police protection when local service ceases.
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