CNS budget, Feb. 19, 2021

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Feb. 19, 2021 CNS Budget — Week 4

To: CNS Editors

From: Eric Freedman & 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 Eric Freedman at (517) 256-3873; freedma5@msu.edu.

Here’s your file:

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SNOW DAYS: With remote learning, why do school districts still call snow days? Reasons include the fact that some students, especially in Northern Michigan and other rural areas in the state, lack reliable access to the internet and computers. Biden, Whitmer and a U.S. Rep. Moolennar of Midland are among the political leaders proposing ways to deal with the problem. We hear from superintendents in Lake City and Traverse City, the MEA and the state Association of Superintendents & Administrators. By Chloe Trofatter. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, CADILLAC, CLARE COUNTY, CADILLAC, LEELANAU, CHEBOYGAN, PETOSKEY, BIG RAPIDS, ALCONA, MONTMORENCY, BENZIE, OCEANA, CRAWFORD COUNTY, LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, HERALD REVIEW, LAKE COUNTY, SAULT STE. MARIE, ST. IGNACE, MARQUETTE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, GREENVILLE AND ALL POINTS.

INDUSTRIAL HEMP: Hemp growers are concerned because the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has raised testing and licensing fees for industrial hemp growers. Some say the higher costs may dissuade them from planting this year. We hear from growers in Empire and Honor and from a Ferrysburg-based association representing growers statewide. By Sam Blatchford. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, LEELANAU, BENZIE, TRAVERSE CITY, MANISTEE, HOLLAND, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

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CIVILIAN REVIEW: Battle Creek is considering establishing a civilian review board. Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Lansing, Benton Harbor and Ann Arbor have them, while Detroit’s would like broader powers. We hear from officials at the Civil Rights Department, Battle Creek NAACP and Detroit board. By Elaine Mallon. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

LIBRARY FUNDING: Public libraries usually obtain a cut of the fines for traffic offenses. But law enforcement officers are issuing fewer tickets due to the pandemic, and that’s hurting library budgets. We hear from officials in Montcalm and Ionia counties and the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association. By Kristia Potsema. FOR GREENVILLE, IONIA, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.

THERAPY: The pandemic has widened the use of teletherapy for mental health counseling. Some experts say it’s just as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy and more convenient for many clients, especially amid the pandemic-related exacerbation of mental health problems and constraints on travel and indoor activities. It also makes therapy more accessible to residents of rural areas in the state. Health insurers may determine how much teletherapy continues after the pandemic. We talk to psychologists and therapists Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley State universities, Milford and Farmington Hills who explain. By Sheldon Krause. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

STORM: The Armistice Day Storm of 1940 went down as one of the most impactful weather events in Midwestern history. It occurred when a low pressure system rapidly moved into the Great Lakes region. Temperatures plunged from low 50s to single digits. A deadly blizzard followed with gale-force winds. The death toll: 154 deaths and numerous shipwrecks. It’s the subject of an exhibition at the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum. By Lillian Young. FOR HOLLAND, LUDINGTON, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, MASON, OCEANA, MANISTEE, CHEBOYGAN, ALCONA, HOLLAND, BENZIE AND ALL POINTS.

w/STORM PHOTO: The Michigan Shipwreck Research Association captured the first-ever footage of the SS William B. Davock shipwreck, determined to be a rudder that broke in the storm. Credit: Michigan Shipwreck Research Association.

HUNGER: The closing of schools due to the pandemic cut off on-site free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch for eligible children. Now, with many schools still closed and children stuck at home, efforts are underway to feed them. Obstacles include transportation, timing of when meals are served and problems reaching rural areas. We talk to the Education Department and a Lansing principal. By Kirsten Rintelmann. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

BACKLOGS: The State Police have made substantial inroads to reduce the backlog of evidence to test forensically. A Ypsilanti representative is pushing for faster progress in eliminating the backlog. We hear from the head of the labs, a former State Police lab official who teaches forensic science at Penn State, a former Mecosta County assistant prosecutor who now teaches at Western’s Cooley Law School, the Innocence Project at U of M and an East Lansing criminal lawyer. By Elaine Mallon. FOR BIG RAPIDS, DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

CNS

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