Oct. 6, 2006 – Week 5

To: CNS Editors

From: Eric Freedman & Vic Rauch

NEW LOOK FOR OUR WEB SITE: We have a new design for the CNS Web site,  thanks to our technology manager, Katie Coleman. Your feedback is invited.

HERE’S YOUR FILE:

• COOLCITIES: Its supporters assert it helps cities grow. Its critics call it a feel-good government program, not a job-creation program. Gov. Jennifer Granholm touts it. Challenger Dick DeVos belittles it. But local officials and an investor in Cadillac say their community is  benefiting from the ripple effect of the Cool Cities program. And the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority says a $100,000 grant to renovate the local opera house is paying off as well by luring more visitors downtown. By Brian McVicar. FOR CADILLAC, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, UP NORTH & ALL POINTS.
  
• MINIMUMWAGEROMEO:  Romeo business owners Roz Mischley of Village Florist and Dusty Johnson of Main Street Bar & Grill talk about the impact on their operations from the new minimum wage hike. We also hear from Robert Swanson, director of the Department of Labor and Economic Growth and from the Small Business Association of Michigan, which are on opposite sides of the issue.  By Kevin Lehman. FOR ROMEO, MACOMB & ALL POINTS.
  • w/SWANSONPHOTO: Robert Swanson, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service

• MINIMUMWAGEMONROE: Owners of a shoe store and a pizza shop in Monroe discuss the impact of the new minimum wage hike on their businesses. We also hear from Robert Swanson, director of the Department of Labor and Economic Growth and from the Small Business Association of Michigan, which are on opposite sides of the issue. By Kevin Lehman. FOR MONROE & ALL POINTS.
  • w/SWANSONPHOTO: Robert Swanson, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

• EXCELLENTHOSPITAL: Three Rivers Health  received top ratings in five Governor’s Award for Excellence categories, including emergency room operations and cardiac care. The hospital director credits continuing education for nurses, improved communications and on-site courses taught by Western Michigan University instructors as part of the reason for the awards from the governor’s office and MPRO, an organization that monitors the quality of medical services. Elsewhere in Southwest Michigan, Lakeland Hospital in Niles, Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital in Dowagiac and Borgess Medical Center and Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo received awards too. By Jeffrey Joe Pe-Aguirre. FOR THREE RIVERS, SOUTH BEND, STURGIS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

• ENTREPRENEUR: Michigan’s changing job market and the decline in automotive manufacturing jobs is prompting an expanded emphasis on entrepreneurship. Now the state is helping school districts and community colleges provide such training for their students. Oakland Community College, for example, offers an associate’s degree in entrepreneurship. Among the other programs: the Monroe and Berrien counties’ intermediate school districts and Delta College. By Alex Doty. FOR OAKLAND, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, SOUTH BEND, MONROE, MIDLAND, CLARE & ALL POINTS.
  • w/SWANSONPHOTO: Robert Swanson, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

• MICHWORKSMACOMB: Michigan Works! expects to place 800 more unemployed Macomb and St. Clair county residents into jobs after receiving about $1.4 million in extra funds for youth and adult training. Meanwhile, the state director of Labor and Economic Growth disputes arguments that the new minimum wage hike will damage employment prospects and the economy in the state. By Alison Bergsieker. FOR MACOMB, ROMEO, MICHIGAN CITIZEN & ALL POINTS.
  • w/SWANSONPHOTO: Robert Swanson, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

• MICHWORKSMIDLAND: The Saginaw Midland Bay Michigan Works! Agency has received an extra $760,000 to expand its youth and adult training programs. Last summer, Delphi Corp.  hired 73 participants from the agency’s adult training programs. Meanwhile, the state director of Labor and Economic Growth disputes arguments that the new minimum wage hike will damage employment prospects and the economy in the state. By Alison Bergsieker. FOR MIDLAND & ALL POINTS.
  • w/SWANSONPHOTO: Robert Swanson, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

• CHEAPERHEAT: People who heat with natural gas can expect lower bills this winter, the Public Service Commission says, with the biggest savings projected for Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. Customers. Homeowners served by SEMCO, Michigan Gas Utilities and Consumers Energy will see smaller savings. Meanwhile, the state Energy Office reminds the public of tax benefits for making energy-savings improvements. By   Chris Jackett. FOR MICHIGAN CITIZEN, MARQUETTE, GRAYLING, HOLLAND, MONROE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, SOUTH BEND & ALL POINTS.

• OFFICERBENEFITS: The beginning stages of a move to make health care benefits uniform for families of police officers killed on duty are under way, and a legislator from Farwell wants it to move fast. Currently, the state is responsible only for health care benefits for families of state troopers, while benefits for survivors of local officers vary among counties and municipalities, as the widow of a Clare County deputy sheriff has discovered. A senator from Lake Leelanau is also involved. By Andrea Byl. FOR CLARE, MIDLAND, CADILLAC, UP NORTH & ALL POINTS.

• DEADBEATLICENSES: The Macomb County Friend of the Court is targeting deadbeat parents who aren’t making child support payments by keeping them out of the woods and off the lakes—by revoking their hunting and fishing licenses. The agency’s director says it’s another way to pressure delinquent parents to pony up. Wayne and Oakland are among the other counties using the tactic. By Nicole Hale. FOR MACOMB, ROMEO, OAKLAND, MICHIGAN CITIZEN & ALL POINTS.

• COMMUNITYCOLLEGES: For many community colleges, state funding has remained stagnant or dropped over the last five years, and that causes problems as student enrollment rise, the president of Mid Michigan Community College in Harrison and the vice president of Alpena Community College warn. We also hear about Delta, Macomb and Gogebic community colleges. By John Bronz. FOR CLARE, CADILLAC, GRAYLING, ALPENA, MIDLAND, MACOMB, ROMEO, MARQUETTE & ALL POINTS.

Download a Microsoft Word version of this budget here.