Nov. 17, 2006 – Week 11

To: CNS Editors

From: Eric Freedman & Vic Rauch

THANKSGIVING WEEK: Because of the holiday, we will file again next Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 21. We resume our regular Friday schedule on Dec. 1.

NEW CNS PHOTO ARCHIVE: As an added service, we have just added a photo archive link to the CNS home page so editors can easily access our file photos for non-CNS stories. Of course, please credit CNS when you use them.

HERE'S YOUR FILE:

TURKEYECONOMY: Turkey production is expected to rise with a $250,000 grant to encourage innovative marketing to bring more jobs and revenue to West Michigan. The money goes to Michigan Turkey Producers in Grand Rapids, a cooperative of 40 farms in the state. We also talk with the owner of turkey farms in Ottawa, Muskegon and Newaygo counties. By Andrea Byl. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, LUDINGTON, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS, GREENVILLE, HOLLAND & ALL POINTS.

NATURALGAS: SEMCO Energy wants an $18 million natural gas rate hike for its 286,000 Michigan customers, most of them residential, including those in Macomb County, the Upper Peninsula and the Holland-Zeeland area. The Public Service Commission plans a hearing in mid-December. By Nichole Hale. For MACOMB, ROMEO, MARQUETTE, HOLLAND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINSS & ALL POINTS.

EDUCATION: The theme of jobs, jobs, jobs reverberated along the campaign trail this fall, but education remains another top-priority issue, as a recent conference on taxes and Michigan’s future highlighted. We hear from the superintendent of the Macomb County Intermediate School District, the MEA president and others.  By Alison Bergsieker. FOR MACOMB, ROMEO & ALL POINTS.

• w/SALTERSPHOTO: Iris Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

K-12FUNDING: A 20-year veteran teacher in Ludington bemoans worsening financial pressures on public education. And the defeat of Proposal 5 means districts have had to scrap plans for new textbooks and curriculum and program enhancements, superintendents in Ludington, Pentwater and Manistee say. By Brian McVicar. FOR LUDINGTON, SOUTH BEND, THREE RIVERS, STURGIS & ALL POINTS.

• w/SALTERSPHOTO: Iris Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

TRANSPORTATIONECONOMY: The goal of the Transportation Economic Development Fund is to use road-related grants to spur job creation and retention. The three latest projects in Van Buren, Macomb and Manistee counties are intended to do exactly that. By Nicole Hale. FOR SOUTH BEND, LUDINGTON, MACOMB & ALL POINTS.

RESTRUCTURINGTAXES. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce has its proposal for replacing the soon-to-be-defunct Single Business Tax, and other alternatives are also under discussion before the Legislature tackles the thorny issue. Some local business groups such as the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce are taking a wait-and-see approach before committing themselves to a particular plan. For news and business desks. By Jeffrey Joe Pe-Aguirre. FOR THREE RIVERS, STURGIS, SOUTH BEND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

LICENSEHIKE: A Natural Resources Commission recommendation to hike hunting and fishing license fees has outraged a Romeo lawmaker, but the Department of Natural Resources says it needs more money for such programs as stocking coho in the Platte River. A commission member representing the Michigan Charter Boat Association defends the proposal. Seniors would see the biggest jump. For news and outdoors desks. By John Bronz. FOR ROMEO, MACOMB, LUDINGTON, CLARE, ALPENA, BAD AXE, PETOSKEY, GRAYLING, CADILLAC, MARQUETTE, UP NORTH, GREENVILLE, SOUTH BEND, HOLLAND, MONROE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, LEELANAU, LAPEER, MIDLAND & ALL POINTS.

• w/LICENSEHIKEINFOBOX: Graphic showing current and proposed fees.

GRADUATETEACHERS: Financial uncertainties and budget cuts may encourage new graduates to seek teaching jobs out of state, school and union officials say. In Monroe, low enrollment and fiscal constraints mean the district has been able to hire only enough teachers to replace those who retire or leave. Statewide, the hardest-to-fill need is for science and math teachers in middle and high schools, and Western Michigan University says only about 10 of its 500 current interns are student-teaching in physics, chemistry or math. By Kevin Lehman. FOR MONROE, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, HOLLAND, LUDINGTON, SOUTH BEND, GREENVILLE & ALL POINTS.

• w/SALTERSPHOTO: Iris Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

ETHANOL85: The demand for Ethanol85-fueled vehicles is growing, or is it? More than 30 service stations around the state now sell E85 We hear from dealerships in Freeland, Lansing and Traverse City. For news and business desks. By Sarah McLeod. FOR TRAVERSE CITY BUSINSS, LANSING, MIDLAND & ALL POINTS.

• w/CORNMOBILEPHOTO: State Agriculture Director Mitch Irwin drives a Chevrolet Tahoe that operates on Ethanol85. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

ORGANICAPPLES: With organic trends on the rise, the market has never been hotter for Michigan organic apples, and a $50,000 grant is intended to study whether growing organically makes economic sense. We talk to a Fennville grower, the Michigan Apple Committee and an Extension expert in Clarksville. The top apple counties are Barry, Kent, Ottawa, Oceana and Van Buren, By Andrea Byl. FOR HOLLAND, GREENVILLE, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, LEELANAU, SOUTH BEND, LUDINGTON & ALL POINTS.

CONSOLIDATION: Increased expenses and low enrollment are two major reasons why school officials consider consolidation, and an American Federation of Teachers lobbyist says more districts should consider merging. The president of the Michigan Education Association says consolidation should be a community decision. The last districts to take that step were Wakefield and Marensico in the Upper Peninsula. Meanwhile, other districts are taking the more conservative step of sharing transportation, food service, even the superintendent in Glen Lake and Suttons Bay. By Alex Doty. FOR MARQUETTE, LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

• w/SALTERSPHOTO: Iris Salters, president of the Michigan Education Association. Credit: Sarah McLeod, Capital News Service.

MENTALHEALTH: With the state’s mental health system on the decline, some experts and an Oakland County senator say fixing it should be priority for the 2007 Legislature. The only remaining state-run institutions are in Caro, Kalamazoo, Westland, Northville and Mount Pleasant. By Chris Jackett. FOR MICHIGAN CITIZEN, LAPEER, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, SOUTH BEND, CLARE, OAKLAND & ALL POINTS.

CNS

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