Nov. 21, 2006 – Week 12

To: CNS Editors

From: Eric Freedman

THANKSGIVING WEEK: This is our weekly file. We return to our Friday schedule on Dec. 1.

IN-DEPTHS AHEAD: Your correspondents will file their third round of in-depth stories next week, Dec. 1. The week after, they’re scheduled to interview the director of the State Police, Col. Peter Munoz.

HERE’S YOUR FILE:

TOOL&DIELANSING: Lansing Tool & Engineering Inc. is part of a coalition of 16 tool-and-die companies in Lansing, Jackson, Portage, Grandville, Greenville, Mattawan, Grand Rapids, Lowell, New Hudson, Burton, Wyoming, Rockford and Benton Harbor. Together, they’re part of the state’s tool-and-die recovery program. Participants get tax breaks to help them survive amid global competition and a declining auto industry. For news and business desks. By Jeffrey Joe Pe-Aguirre. FOR LANSING, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, GREENVILLE, SOUTH BEND & ALL POINTS.

TOOL&DIERECOVERY: Growing global competition and a declining auto industry have wrenched away profits and hammered Michigan’s tool-and-die-makers, but 131 companies are jacking themselves up and fighting to regain market share with some help from government. Michigan’s tool-and-die recovery program has 17 coalitions whose members receive tax breaks and cooperate on filling orders. The president of the Southwest Michigan Tooling Coalition, formed earlier this year, says the program helps companies in St. Joseph, Cass, Kalamazoo, Berrien, Calhoun, Branch and Allegan counties. For news and business desks. By Jeffrey Joe Pe-Aguirre. FOR SOUTH BEND, HOLLAND, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

LANDSALES: Looking for 20 acres of rolling hills in Lake County, 80 acres of wetlands south of Beaverton or 15 forested acres in Cherry Valley Township? If so, check out the upcoming DNR auction of surplus state-owned land—18 plots in Berrien, Dickinson, lake and Gladwin counties. Separately, DNR is directly selling unneeded land in Montmorency, Midland and Clare counties. It’s all part of DNR’s land consolidation review. MUCC says it’s essential to have public input into decisions whether to sell. By Andrea Byl. FOR CADILLAC, MARQUETTE,  SOUTH BEND, CLARE, MIDLAND, LUDINGTON, THREE RIVERS, STURGIS, TRAVERSE CITY BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

THANKSGIVINGPOLICE: Local police, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers will be on expanded patrols in Macomb County this holiday weekend with a particular target: drunken drivers. Statewide, law enforcement agencies in 35 counties will use federal traffic safety money to keep more cops on the road. By Alison Bergsieker. FOR MACOMB, ROMEO & ALL POINTS.

MARIJUANA: A House committee is expected to hold a post-Thanksgiving hearing on a proposal to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons, including treatment of cancer and glaucoma, although the controversial measure has absolutely no realistic prospect of approval in the lame duck session. Some sponsors are from Detroit and Clinton Township. The Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws—which has affiliates in Southwest Michigan, Macomb, Oakland and Tuscola counties—says scientific evidence supports the benefits of medicinal marijuana, but the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, American Medical Association and Food and Drug Administration oppose legalization. By Alex Doty. FOR MACOMB, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, OAKLAND, LAPEER, SOUTH BEND, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS & ALL POINTS.

ACCELERATEDRN: Community colleges and universities will share $9 million to support accelerated training of nurses and other health professionals and to update hospital equipment. Big winners include Henry Ford Community College, Oakland University, Wayne State University and Mott Community College, each of which will get more than a $1 million. Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor will use its $650,000 to create special training tracks and upgrade radiology equipment. Ferris State grants will finance new faculty positions and an accelerated respiratory care degree program. By John Bronz. FOR OAKLAND, MACOMB, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, LAPEER & ALL POINTS.

COUNTYROADS: State gas-tax revenue is falling, and that’s bad news for the Mason County Road Commission, which has laid off staff, postponed road work and put equipment purchases on hold. Counties across Michigan face the same dilemma of declining revenue and rising costs. The Canton lawmaker who chairs the House Transportation Committee predicts that any proposal to increase the gas tax will ignite public controversy. By Brian McVicar. FOR LUDINGTON, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, OAKLAND & ALL POINTS.

AMTRAK: Ridership is up, the state's subsidy is down and experts are optimistic about the future survival of passenegr train service in Michigan. Higher gas prices and increased awareness of service along the state's three routes contribute to the turnaround, according to the Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers. The busiest of the state's 23 stations are six in Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, East Lansing and Holland. By Kevin Lehman. FOR LANSING, LAPEER, OAKLAND, MACOMB, HOLLAND, SOUTH BEND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, MONROE & ALL POINTS.

CNS

Download a Microsoft Word version of this budget here.