To: CNS Editors
From: Eric Freedman & Sheila Schimpf
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 Eric Freedman at (517) 355-4729 or (517) 256-3873; freedma5@msu.edu.
Editors: This is our first in-depth week filing of the semester.
Here’s your file:
BREATHALYZERS: All 203 breathalyzers pulled from law enforcement agencies because of problems are back in service, and the State Police continue to investigate possible wrongdoing. The problems led to dismissal of a drunken driving case in Montcalm County and exclusion of evidence in Detroit cases. We hear from the Tecumseh police chief, the Montcalm County undersheriff, the State Police and a Western Michigan University expert. By Katrianna Ray. FOR GREENVILLE, IONIA, BLISSFIELD AND ALL POINTS.
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TEACHER SHORTAGE: Some school districts are struggling to find and retain teachers because of low salaries, lack of public respect and declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs. We hear from the Benton Harbor district, Michigan Education Association, Michigan Association of State Universities and the state superintendent of public instruction. By Maddy O’Callaghan. FOR STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, HOLLAND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.
w/TEACHER SHORTAGE GRAPHIC: Number of initial teacher certifications by year. Credit: Public Policy Associates.
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TRANSFERS: A new agreement makes it easier for community college students to apply to transfer to four-year public universities in 12 popular majors. The Michigan Community College Association and Michigan Association of State Universities explain. Editors: You can see here which of your local community colleges and state universities are participating in the 1st phase of the new transfer agreement. By Danielle James. FOR MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, COLDWATER, LANSING CITY PULSE, BIG RAPIDS AND ALL POINTS.
w/TRANSFERS TABLE: Majors covered by new transfer agreements between community colleges and state universities. Credit: Michigan Community College Association.
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PSYCHIATRISTS: Michigan has a shortage of psychiatrists, especially in rural areas and in specialty areas of practice. Many U.P. and Northern Lower counties have no psychiatrists, and some also have no psychologists. We hear about the crisis from the head of a Petoskey-based regional mental health service, the psychiatry chair at Western Michigan University and a U-M study. By Katrianna Ray. FOR GREENVILLE, HOLLAND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CADILLAC, IONIA, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, CHEBOYGAN, TRAVERSE CITY, BIG RAPIDS, LEELANAU, OCEANA, BENZIE, LAKE COUNTY, HERALD REVIEW, CRAWFORD COUNTY, CLARE COUNTY, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, ALCONA, MONTMORENCY, SAULT STE. MARIE, ST. IGNACE, LEELANAU AND ALL POINTS.
w/PSYCHIATRISTS MAP: Counties with no psychiatrists. Credit: Altarum.
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NURSING STUDENTS: None of Michigan’s nursing programs ranks in the nation’s top 50 for the number of minority nurses they graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a new study from the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race shows, despite the state’s large proportion of minority residents. Nursing program administrators at Northern Michigan and Michigan State discuss the challenges. Northern has a program that brings Detroit and Flint high school students to campus for summer courses. Other programs include Central Michigan, Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley State, Davenport and Ferris State. By Maddy O’Callaghan. FOR MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, BAY MILLS, ST. IGNACE, CHEBOYGAN, LANSING CITY PULSE, FOWLERVILLE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, BIG RAPIDS, IONIA, GREENVILLE, COLDWATER AND ALL POINTS.
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ROAD PRESERVATION: Federal requirements intended to preserve historical artifacts and archaeological sites add cost and time to some road projects, critics say. We talk to a Dickinson County senator, Michigan County Road Association, State Historic Preservation Office and Oakland County Road Commission. By Kyle Davidson. FOR MARQUETTE, ST. IGNACE, SAULT STE. MARIE, BAY MILLS, CORP!, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.
w/ROAD PRESERVATION BRIDGE PHOTO: Historic Crystal Springs Bridge over the Prairie River on M-86 east of Centreville. Credit: Michigan Department of Transportation.
w/ROAD PRESERVATION WORK PHOTO: Workers at the Crystal Springs Bridge on M-86. Credit: Michigan Department of Transportation.
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DREAMERS: Michigan’s 15 public universities don’t have a uniform policy on admission for DREAMers and other undocumented applicants, causing confusion for some students. All but Michigan Tech offer in-state tuition for those who qualify as residents. We hear from Northern Michigan, an MSU group, Michigan College Access Network and the Michigan Association of State Universities. By Danielle James. FOR MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, BIG RAPIDS, LANSING CITY PULSE, HOLLAND, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS AND ALL POINTS.
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HOMELESS YOUTH: We explore the problems of homeless youth with the stories of two of them, one from Muskegon and other from Detroit. They found help from Covenant House in Grand Rapids and Detroit to turn their lives around. One-third of Michigan youths in foster care at 17 experience at least one instance of homelessness by age 21, and young adults who identify as LGBTQ have a 120% higher risk of homelessness than their heterosexual peers. By Joshua Valiquette. FOR HOLLAND, IONIA, GREENVILLE, BIG RAPIDS, OCEANA, LAKE COUNTY, LUDINGTON, HERALD REVIEW AND ALL POINTS.
w/HOMELESS YOUTH MAP: Number of Michigan homeless youth 24 and younger by region. Credit: Michigan League for Public Policy.
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JOBS: Skilled trades offer opportunities that don’t require a college degree, and a new study projects that five of the top 50 jobs in West Michigan will be skilled trades. We hear from a West Michigan union official and the Department of Technology, Management and Budget. By Joshua Valiquette. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, HOLLAND, CORP!, IONIA, OCEANA, LUDINGTON AND ALL POINTS.
w/JOBS TABLE: Top 5 skilled trade jobs by growth rate in West Michigan. Credit: Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.
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SEX OFFENDERS: The Legislature has only a few weeks to rewrite unconstitutional parts of Michigan sex offender registry law to comply with a federal court ruling. The ACLU’s successful challenge could affect thousands of convicted offenders. We talk to the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, from DeWitt, and the State Police. By Kyle Davidson. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE, IONIA AND ALL POINTS.
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BLUECOLLAR WEED: The recent legalization of recreational marijuana is raising safety and other concerns among some employers about worker use of weed on or off the job, especially in higher-risk jobs such as manufacturing, lumbering and mining. We hear from the manufacturers associations in Michigan and Indiana, a MSU occupational health expert, a Laborers’ union official and a Royal Oak lawyer specializing in cannabis law. By Joe Dandron. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP!, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
CNS