10/09/20 CNS Budget — Week 5
To: CNS Editors
From: David Poulson and Judy Putnam
http://news.jrn.msu.edu/capitalnewsservice/
For technical problems, contact CNS technical manager Eryn Ho at (616) 485-9295; hoeryn@msu.edu.
For other matters, contact Dave Poulson at (517) 899-1640; poulson@msu.edu.
Here is your file:
ESSENTIAL TUITION: Essential workers during the pandemic crisis could provide community colleges with an enrollment surge in January. That’s when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s offer of free tuition kicks in. That’s good for the students and for the colleges that suffered an enrollment drop of 5% to 10% this fall. We talk to Northwestern Michigan College and community college association officials. By Zholdas Orisbayev. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS CORP! AND ALL POINTS.
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INVASIVE MUSSELS: Researchers are finding a new way to combat invasive zebra and quagga mussels in Lake Michigan. We hear from experts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the DNR. By Chioma Lewis. FOR LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, HOLLAND, TRAVERSE CITY, HARBOR SPRINGS, LEELANAU, OCEANA, BENZIE, CHEBOYGAN, PETOSKEY AND ALL POINTS.
w/INVASIVE MUSSELS PHOTO: Researchers found that the round goby, an invasive species, keeps zebra mussels, like those pictured, from returning to areas where they’ve been removed. Credit: D. Jude, University of Michigan.
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DROWNINGS: Is Lake Michigan the most dangerous of the Great Lakes when it comes to drownings? This year as of Sept. 30, it accounted for 55 of the lakes’ 94. We hear why from the Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium and Michigan Sea Grant. By Kathleen Fitch. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY, PETOSKEY, HOLLAND, LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, ALCONA, CHEBOYGAN, ST. IGNACE, MARQUETTE, HARBOR SPRINGS, BAY MILLS, SAULT STE. MARIE, OCEANA, BENZIE AND ALL POINTS.
w/DROWNINGS PHOTO: Erosion from high water levels on the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan is evident from the tree roots that are exposed. Credit: Rachel Malburg, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
w/DROWNINGS CHART: Drownings in the Great Lakes 2020 as of Sept. 30. Source: Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project
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SCHOOL AIR QUALITY: A new statewide program aims to block COVID-19 from spreading through the air of Michigan’s school classrooms. To address the pandemic, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the Department of Education want districts to report the status of their heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems to the state. Some grants are available for licensed contractors to assess air quality needs. We interview Kent ISD interim superintendent, a Lansing-based association and the state’s energy ombudsman. By Judy Putnam. FOR GONGWER, MIRS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
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UNOPPOSED: As voters focus on presidential and U.S. Senate contests, there are some contests that, well, aren’t really contests. Among them: a Detroit state rep and a Democratic rep nominee from Hamtramck are unopposed, as are all the GOP countywide nominees in Montcalm County. There’s only one disputed countywide spot in Manistee, Grand Traverse and Marquette counties. We hear from the clerks in Montcalm and Marquette counties–both unopposed themselves–the sole Democrat running for countywide office in “cherry red” Allegan County and the unopposed state rep. In contrast, there are five candidates for a West Michigan congressional seat and two in Metro Detroit. References to St. Joseph, Hillsdale, Branch, Chippewa, Mackinac, Oceana, Branch, Montmorency, Gogebic, Ionia and Alger counties. Note: Editors can check the official ballot in their own counties at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/PublicBallot. By Eric Freedman. FOR MARQUETTE, HOLLAND, MANISTEE, LUDINGTON, GREENVILLE, IONIA, OCEANA, LAKE COUNTY, SAULT STE. MARIE, ST. IGNACE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, MONTMORENCY, COLDWATER, TRAVERSE CITY, BAY MILLS, HILLSDALE, CRAWFORD COUNTY AND ALL POINTS.
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HUNTER SAFE EATING: To keep healthy, deer hunters have more to worry about than COVID-19 and the flu. On the beware list: PFAS and lead from ammunition. DNR and the Department of Health and Human Services have a do-not-eat advisory for deer killed within 5 miles of Clark’s Marsh in Iosco County, where high levels of PFAS were found in groundwater. For the same reason, Wisconsin warned hunters not to eat livers from deer killed in the Marinette area, across the Menominee River from the Western UP. Meanwhile, a new study warns about lead in ground venison. We talk to Michigan United Conservation Clubs and a study author. For news and outdoors sections. By Eric Freedman. FOR ALCONA, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, MONTMORENCY AND ALL POINTS.
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CNS