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Messages to the Editors

Sept. 29, 2006 – Week 4

To: CNS Editors

From: Eric Freedman & Vic Rauch

LABOR & ECONOMIC GROWTH DIRECTOR AHEAD:  Your correspondents will interview Robert Swanson, the new state Labor & Economic Growth director, on Monday, Oct. 2. Likely issues include the state’s unemployment rate, the decline in manufacturing, job training initiatives, utility rates, consumer protection and insurance industry problems.

HERE’S YOUR FILE:

• SOCIALNETWORKING: Legislation awaiting Senate action is intended to stop some convicted sex offenders from accessing such popular social networking Web sites as MySpace and Facebook—although the proposed ban would be tough to enforce. Sponsors include lawmakers from North Branch, Chesterfield Township, Baroda, Mount Pleasant and Bennington Township. A Grand Haven group criticizes the proposal, however. By Alex Doty. FOR LAPEER, MACOMB, LANSING, OAKLAND, SOUTH BEND, MIDLAND & ALL POINTS.

• PICKLEGRANT: Chesterfield Township gourmet pickle-packer Mary Safie is in line for a $153,000 agricultural innovation grant that would help position the company to hire more employees and export its pickled sugar beet, pepper and cucumber products. Safie buys a lot of her produce from farms in Armada, New Haven, Flint and Monroe. Other unusual grant applications deal with honeybee parasite control in Detroit, water buffalo dairy products in Fremont and shrimp-raising in Okemos.  By Alison Bergsieker, FOR MACOMB, ROMEO, MONROE, LUDINGTON, LANSING & ALL POINS.
  • w/IRWINPHOTO. State Agriculture Director Mitch Irwin. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

• WINORLOSE: The state’s agricultural innovation grants are producing joy among winners and disappointment among losers. L. Walther & Son of Three Rivers is in line for $315,000 to build a potato storage facility in White Pigeon, but the Benton Harbor Fruit Market failed to make the cut with a $53,000 proposal for a fruit processing facility. By Jeffrey Joe Pe-Aguirre. FOR THREE RIVERS, SOUTH BEND, STURGIS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.
  • w/WINORLOSEBOX: List of 10 agricultural innovation grants recommended for $200,000 or more.

• WELFAREPROGRAM: Employment offices in Wayne, Kent, Oakland, Monroe, Huron, Lapeer, Tuscola and Sanilac counties are getting $1.17 million for a pilot program to better prepare welfare recipients for long-lasting skilled jobs. If successful, it will expand to Benzie, Grand Traverse, Antrim, Manistee and Muskegon counties. By Brian McVicar. FOR MICHIGAN CITIZEN, OAKLAND, MACOMB, LAPEER, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS, PETOSKEY, LUDINGTON & ALL POINTS.

• NURSINGSCHOLARSHIPS:  There’s a shortage of nursing instructors in the state, and that means thousands of nursing school applicants are turned away each year. Soon after the election, the governor is expected to get a bill that would provide an additional $250,000 a year in scholarships for graduate nursing students interested in teaching their profession.. The primary sponsor is from Roseville. The state has more than a dozen graduate nursing programs including ones at Grand Valley, Western, Northern, Michigan State, Wayne, Oakland, Saginaw Valley and Madonna universities. By Andrea Byl. FOR MACOMB, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, OAKLAND, LANSING, HOLLAND, MARQUETTE, MIDLAND, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, SOUTH BEND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

• SOYBEANRUST: Michigan soybean growers such as Jerry Heck, who farms near Monroe, are vigilant over the possibility of a soybean rust invasion. Soybeans are the state’s second-biggest crop in both acreage and value—a $420 million-a-year industry. The top-producing counties are Sanilac, Lenawee, Monroe, Gratiot, Shiawassee and Saginaw. By Kevin Lehman. FOR MONROE, LAPEER, BAD AXE, GREENVILLE, LANSING & ALL POINTS.
  • w/SOYBEANBOX: Info box with top-producing counties for soybeans in 2005.

• WINE&SUPPLY: The number of Michigan wineries is on the rise—with five more this year—and owners, including the operator of Stoney Acres Winery in Alpena-- say the supply of Michigan grapes is insufficient to meet their needs. The industry hopes to dramatically increase acreage devoted to wine grapes, and new agricultural innovation grants would promote the industry in Van Buren, Grand Traverse and Berrien counties. By John Bronz. FOR ALPENA, SOUTH BEND, THREE RIVERS, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

• ALCOHOLECONOMICS: Production and sale of alcoholic beverages, from beer and wine to hard cider and spirits, is on the rise, and that’s good for the economy, say state Agriculture Director Mitch Irwin and the executive director of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesales Association. New wineries are about to open in Berrien Springs, Cedar, Harbor Springs, Buchanan and Grand Rapids. For news and business desks. By Chris Jackett. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS, PETOSKEY, SOUTH BEND, GREENVILLE & ALL POINTS.
  • w/IRWINPHOTO. State Agriculture Director Mitch Irwin. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service