The Michigan Messenger

Top Stories

The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

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 [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

HIV-AIDS-small
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

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.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

foreclosure
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

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.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

epa_logo
By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

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.

Posts Tagged sex-sting operation

Lansing City Council committee sends FOIA policy back to city attorney for more work

By Todd A. Heywood | 12.17.09 | 10:46 am

After Lansing City Attorney Brigham Smith spent Wednesday afternoon explaining the policies and procedures he and his working group on Freedom of Information Act adherence put together in the last two weeks to the Lansing City Council’s Public Safety Committee, the committee sent Smith back to the drawing board with requests for more clarifications on the policy.

Lansing City Council member releases draft Freedom of Information Act ordinance in advance of meeting

By Todd A. Heywood | 11.09.09 | 5:07 pm

LANSING– Lansing City Council member Carol Wood Monday released a draft of a proposed ordinance which will serve as a guide to city employees in the release of public information under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act. Under the proposed ordinance, city officials charged with responding to Freedom of Information Act requests and release private information, [...]

Lansing City Council split on whether to press for AG investigation in HIV release case

By Todd A. Heywood | 07.21.09 | 12:17 am

LANSING — City Council members are divided about whether the city should ask Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to investigate the city attorney’s release of the HIV-positive status of a man arrested in a May 22 undercover sex sting operation in a city nature center.

Release of Lansing sex sting police reports raises concerns about disclosure of HIV status

By Todd A. Heywood | 07.06.09 | 4:31 pm

LANSING — Buried at the end of one of the arrest reports from a controversial May 22 sex-sting operation in the capital city’s Fenner Nature Center is information that one of the men arrested was HIV positive. That disclosure, experts say, may have violated the state’s confidentiality laws protecting the identity of those who are infected with the virus.

Officials review if request for Lansing sex sting was appropriate

By Todd A. Heywood | 06.30.09 | 1:47 pm

LANSING — A variety of city officials, from council members to the mayor’s office to the city attorney, are trying to figure out what to do about the case of Jan Kolp, a Board of Police Commissioners member who said on Friday that she placed a call to the police’s special operations unit which triggered a controversial May sex-sting operation in a city nature center. But some are saying that it may be inappropriate for board officials to make such call, which could be leaning in the direction of special treatment.

Lansing sex-sting operation sparks FOIA fight

By Todd A. Heywood | 06.26.09 | 7:13 pm

LANSING — A May 22 sex-sting operation in the city’s Fenner Nature Center has raised questions about command and control of police operations, especially after police officials have given conflicting information about the operation in recent weeks. A fight over a Freedom of Information Act request is headed to the city council on Monday.