This Week's File

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March 21, 2008—Week 9

To: CNS Editors

From: Eric Freedman, Sheila Schimpf & Vic Rauch

COMMUNITY HEALTH AHEAD: Your correspondents will interview Janet Olzsewski, director of the Department of Community Health, on Monday, March 24. Likely topics include infectious disease control, alcohol and substance abuse programs, health care for the uninsured and programs for Michigan’s growing number of elderly.

HERE’S YOUR FILE:

IDTHEFT: Reports of identity theft have decreased dramatically in northern Michigan since 2000, despite the state’s difficult economic situation, the Grand Traverse County prosecutor and State Police lieutenant in Williamsburg say. The attorney general’s office and Michigan Bankers Association warn that ID theft remains a serious problem in the state that is often tough to prosecute, and urge better consumer education and self-protection. By Harry Gillen. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, UP NORTH, PETOSKEY, CADILLAC, GRAYLING, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

TOURISMOUTLOOK: High unemployment, widespread foreclosures and climbing gas prices are reshaping the way Michigan is promoting itself as a summer tourism destination this year, to both state residents and out-of-staters. We talk with tourism experts in Detroit, Southwest Michigan, Traverse City, the Upper Peninsula and at MSU. Detroit, for example, will market its festivals, casinos and new hotel rooms, while the Southwest corner targets visitors from Illinois and Indiana, but tough current conditions may mean diminished interest in outdoors recreation north of the Mackinac Bridge. By Whitney Lloyd. FOR STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, SOUTH BEND, HOLLAND, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, MARQUETTE, OAKLAND, ROYAL OAK, MACOMB, UP NORTH, SPORTSMEN, CADILLAC, LUDINGTON, PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, GLADWIN, CLARE, GRAYLING, HOLLAND, ALPENA & ALL POINTS.

PIRACY: Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and MSU are among the state universities cooperating with the Recording Industry Association of America to combat illegal downloading of music and movies by their students. Campuses use systems of progressively harsher sanctions for student violators. The industry is also demanding damages of $3,000-$5,000 from some students caught as violators. By Tim Wardle. FOR LANSING, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, SOUTH BEND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.

HEALTHCARE: The battle over health insurance for the uninsured continues, with the Senate scrutinizing a package of legislation that sailed through the House last fall. A Texas Township senator wants changes in the House version. The debate pits Blue Cross Blue Shield against its commercial competitors and raises concerns for the UAW and AARP, among other groups. By Rob Dale. FOR MICHIGAN CITIZEN, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, LANSING & ALL POINTS.

CEMETERIES: Mark Armbruster is unhappy that descendents of those buried in Monroe County’s Potter Cemetery can’t visit the graves of their ancestors. The cemetery, with graves dating back to the 1840s, is “landlocked”—meaning it’s surrounded by private property. A House-passed bill sponsored by a Monroe representative would require local planning authorities to reject plans that don’t allow public access to adjacent landlocked cemeteries. Cosponsors include legislators from Dundee, Rochester Hills and Gibraltar. By Rob Dale. FOR MONROE, OAKLAND & ALL POINTS.

LIGHTHOUSES: Eight lighthouse projects will share $215,000 in grants to help preserve the state’s maritime history. They include Sand Point Lighthouse on Lake Michigan, Whitefish Point Light Tower on Lake Superior and Cheboygan River Front Range Light on Lake Huron. The money comes from the sale of “Save our Lights” license plates. Other beneficiaries are the Grand Traverse Light Station, DeTour Reef Light Station, Ontonagon Harbor Lighthouse, Old Mission Point Lighthouse and Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse. Brooke Meier. FOR MARQUETTE, TRAVERSE CITY, PETOSKEY, LEELANAU, UP NORTH, LUDINGTON, ALPENA, BAD AXE, HOLLAND, SOUTH BEND & ALL POINTS

             w/ LIGHTHOUSEPLATE: Save Our Lights license plate. Credit: Michigan Department of State.

PROSTATECANCER:  Researchers at Michigan State and University of Michigan are among the experts who just completed a 6 1/2 –year national study of prostate cancer patients and, for the first time, a survey of their spouses’ attitudes toward various forms of treatment. By Harry Gillen. FOR LANSING & ALL POINTS.

ALTENERGY: At age 65, Scottville corn farmer Ray Keith has no plans to convert to any form of alternative energy although he once hoped for wind turbines on his property, but the West Michigan Environmental Action Council says the state should push aggressively for wind power and other alternatives to coal-burning electric plants. An MSU Extension educator in Escanaba says the state has a huge potential for wind energy, especially along the Great Lakes shoreline. By Matt Flint. FOR LUDINGTON, HOLLAND, SOUTH BEND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, GREENVILLE, MARQUETTE, CADILLAC, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS & ALL POINTS.

COPPER: Copper thefts are ratcheting up as prices rise, and the victims include utility companies whose wires are vandalized for the increasingly valuable metal content. Lawmakers from Highland Park and Birmingham want to toughen criminal penalties for scrap metal thieves. By Tim Wardle. FOR OAKLAND, ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN CITIZEN & ALL POINTS.

MEDICAID: When a low-income Detroit man on Medicaid died from lung cancer last month, his family and friends were caught by surprise because a local clinic’s unqualified doctors had given him a clean bill of health, a welfare rights advocate says. Not until he arrived at a hospital emergency room was cancer discovered, and it was too late. Advocates of universal health care say the incident reflects fraud in the Medicaid system. State officials and Blue Cross Blue Shield say both providers and patients are responsible. A Northville legislator is pushing a proposal that would enable Michigan to keep 10 percent of any money recovered in Medicaid fraud cases. By Diane Ivey. FOR MICHIGAN CITIZEN, OAKLAND, MACOMB, ROYAL OAK, LANSING & ALL POINTS.

SOLARTAXCREDIT: A Senate committee is considering a new tax credit for companies that make solar power components. The motivation is to convince a Dow Corning-Japanese joint venture, Hemlock Semiconductor Corp., to build an expansion plant in Saginaw County, creating 1,000 new construction jobs alone. Sponsors include lawmakers from Holland, Traverse City and Troy. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy attacks it as an example of “politicians doing favors for industries.” For news and business desks. By Andrew McGlashen. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, HOLLAND, OAKLAND, ROYAL OAK & ALL POINTS.

FERTILIZER: Prices for phosphate-based fertilizers are skyrocketing, to the dismay of Michigan farmers, with the impact likely to be felt by consumers. Supplies from the major U.S. source—Florida—are shrinking, while demand for phosphate internationally is growing. We hear from farmers in Allegan, Lapeer and Ingham counties, managers of farm businesses in Clare and Imlay City, and research and industry experts. For news and agriculture desks. By Andrew McGlashen. FOR HOLLAND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CLARE, GLADWIN, LAPEER,  LANSING,  & ALL POINTS.

POLITICALBINGO: Political candidates searching for innovative ways to raise campaign funds may soon be crying “Bingo!” House Democrats are pushing legislation to allow political parties to run bingos to raise money for candidates. Currently, parties can use bingo profits only for party administrative expenses and informational ads, not to advertise on behalf of candidates. Sponsors include  lawmakers from East Lansing, Farmington Hills and Marquette. We also interview Lottery and state GOP and Democratic officials. By Whitney Lloyd. FOR LANSING, OAKLAND, ROYAL OAK, MARQUETTE & ALL POINTS.

BLIGHT: A 1982 magazine article popularized the “broken window” theory: The longer windows are left broken, the more likely vandals will break even more. Efforts are underway to fix Michigan’s broken windows and keep the rest intact. They include the governor’s proposed $25 million plan to clean 1,511 blighted sites in Benton Harbor, Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Flint, Pontiac, Muskegon Heights and Saginaw, as well as legislation that would increase local government authority to prohibit dangerous buildings. Sponsors include legislators from Highland Park, Detroit, East Lansing, Alpena, Eastpointe and DeWitt. By Clay Taylor. FOR OAKLAND, ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, SOUTH BEND, LUDINGTON, LANSING, ALPENA, MACOMB, ROMEO & ALL POINTS.

TROOPERS: Despite funding cuts, the State Police has temporarily assigned troopers to beef up local law enforcement efforts in a number of communities, including Pontiac, Detroit, Benton Harbor, Flint, Saginaw, Royal Oak Township and Muskegon Heights. The assignments are intended to combat violent crime at a time when some financially hard-pressed local police agencies have cut their own personnel. The story focuses on current State Police efforts in Pontiac and Benton Harbor. By Clay Taylor. FOR PONTIAC, ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, LUDINGTON, SOUTH BEND & ALL POINTS.

CONGRESSIONALRACES: National Democrats have targeted GOP U.S. Reps. Joe Knollenberg and Tim Walberg, meaning hundreds of thousands of dollars in support for Democratic challengers in their Oakland County and south-central Michigan districts. Political scientists at Oakland University and Kellogg Community College talk about those high-profile contests. Meanwhile, state Republicans say the national GOP may be interested in a northern Michigan race against Democratic incumbent Bart Stupak if the challenger, a U.P. state lawmaker, demonstrates strength in polls and fundraising. Other Michigan members of the U.S. House seem safe in November. By Eric Freedman. FOR OAKLAND, ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN CITIZEN, LANSING, MARQUETTE, PETOSKEY, UP NORTH, GRAYLING, GLADWIN, ALPENA & ALL POINTS. 

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