CNS Budget – March 30, 2018

March 30, 2018 – Week 10
To: CNS Editors
From: Sheila Schimpf & Perry Parks
http://news.jrn.msu.edu/capitalnewsservice/
For technical problems, contact CNS technical manager Tony Cepak at (517) 803-6841; cepak@msu.edu.
For other matters, contact CNS Director Eric Freedman at (517) 355-4729 or (517) 256-3873; freedma5@msu.edu.
Here’s your file:
RURALGRANTS: New grants for rural projects are going to Marquette, Ludington, Escanaba, Elk Rapids, Negaunee, White Pine, L’Anse, Newberry, Pentwater and the Michigan Blueberry Commission in Fennville. This story looks at how grants awarded last year are being used by the Marquette Watershed Partnership and two local business in Grand Traverse. By Riley Murdock. FOR LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, PETOSKEY, TRAVERSE CITY, BAY MILLS, OCEANA, HOLLAND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS  AND ALL POINTS.
w/RURALGRANTSPHOTO: Members of the Great Lakes Conservation Corps (GLCC) have assisted Upper Peninsula communities with a wide variety of nature tourism projects thanks to grant support from the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA).  Credit: The GLCC is a program of the Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP).
DOGSINCOURT: New legislation proposed by a Potterville representative would allow a trained  “courtroom support dog” to accompany witnesses when they testify. Leelanau and Calhoun counties already use dogs in victims-witness program. We speak with advocates about advantages and challenges. By Colton Wood. FOR LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
ROADFUNDING: Road construction funding is the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about in an election year, despite a poll that shows it is the first concern of voters. All measures right now are simple band-aids for a runaway problem, according to recent transportation reports. Candidates for state office this year appear to be barely addressing the road issue. By Riley Murdock. FOR ALL POINTS.
STEMDIVERSITY: There is a nationwide push to recruit more women for jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math. But it’s tough to achieve change. We look at efforts around Michigan to overcome barriers such as peer pressure and lack of exposure to role models. By Agnes Bao. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
SELFDRIVINGCARS. How can a state that can’t patch potholes make roads smart enough for self-driving cars? Experts and the state’s transportation director discuss what it will take to prepare infrastructure for a human-driverless future. By Gloria Nzeka. FOR ALL POINTS.
REVENUESHARING: Cuts to local police typically get all the attention when cities and counties complain that the state doesn’t send them enough money. But what about impacts to parks and other less high profile programs? Benton Harbor is one city that took a hit. We look at services that local governments are whittling down as a result of the miserly revenue sharing practices of the Legislature. By Maxwell Evans. FOR THREE RIVERS, STURGIS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.
LIBRARYUSE: As Internet technology use expands in everyday life and education, libraries’ free internet access has become an increasingly valuable service – especially in rural areas where access is limited. We talk to libraries in Presque Isle, Grand Traverse County and Alpena about their services. By Casey Hull. FOR CHEBOYGAN, MONTMORENCY, ALCONA, TRAVERSE CITY, CRAWFORD, HARBOR SPRINGS, PETOSKEY AND ALL POINTS
SEX&MERCURY: Sex hormones might be the secret for lowering mercury levels in fish and maybe humans, say researchers at Grand Valley’s Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute in Muskegon and the Great Lakes Science Center. States often issue consumption limits in areas with high concentrations of mercury in fish, which can cause illness and are especially harmful to unborn children. Researchers now believe that male fish are able to shed mercury, thanks to their testosterone. By Stephen Maier. FOR LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, HOLLAND, TRAVERSE CITY, OCEANA, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, CHEBOYGAN, ALCONA, ST. IGNACE, SAULT STE. MARIE, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS AND ALL POINTS.
w/SEX&MERCURYPHOTO: Sea lamprey provided a clue for researchers searching for the secret behind male fish’s ability to expel mercury from their bodies. Image: Joanna Gilkeson, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
ENVIRONMENTALLAWS: A Port Huron angler once told Ethan Shirley that a fisherman’s job is to break the law as much as possible without getting caught. That’s a challenging attitude to overcome when enforcing environmental laws. MSU researchers say involving local residents in explaining and understanding conservation laws earns compliance better than simple enforcement. By Lauren Caramagno. FOR ALL POINTS.
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