April 8, 2022 CNS Budget — Week 12
To: CNS Editors
From: Eric Freedman 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 Eric Freedman at (517) 256-3873; freedma5@msu.edu.
HERE’S YOUR FILE:
CRUISE SHIPS: The return of cruise ships to the Great Lakes after a 2-year break is almost upon us. Ports this summer include Detroit, Alpena, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Marquette and Muskegon. Meanwhile, the industry says it’s working to be more environmentally sustainable. We hear from Travel Michigan and tourism officials in Detroit and Muskegon. By Jack Falinski: FOR HOLLAND, ALPENA, MONROE, ALCONA, CHEBOYGAN, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, OCEANA COUNTY, BENZIE COUNTY. LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, DETROIT and ALL POINTS.
w/CRUISE SHIPS PHOTO: The Pearl Mist is pictured docked at Port Milwaukee. The Great Lakes cruise season will begin in May and end in October. Courtesy photo: Pearl Sea Cruises
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DRUG TEST: Some employers are requiring employee drug tests for marijuana even though recreational and medicinal marijuana are legal in the state.At a time when pot use among American workers is expanding, employers say having the legal right to test is a matter of safety. The U.S. House has passed a bill to legalize marijuana, with U.S. reps from Detroit, Southfield, Flint and Bloomfield Hills as sponsors. We talk to the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Manufacturers Association and U-M experts. The UAW said it doesn’t comment on issues that may come up during collective bargaining. By Hope O’Dell. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, LANSING CITY PULSE, DETROIT, CORP! and ALL POINTS.
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HOUSING PRICES: Strong demand is driving housing prices to new heights in Michigan, and that’s creating an affordability crunch. In Detroit, average prices rose by a higher percentage than in Chicago or Cleveland between January 2021 and January 2022. We learn more from a Congressional Research Service report, the Hillsdale County Board of Realtors, a would-be home buyer in Grand Rapids area and a Wayne State economist. By Sydney Bowler. FOR HILLSDALE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, WKTV, CORP! DETROIT and ALL POINTS.
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DISPENSARIES: Michigan’s marijuana landscape continues to evolve almost four years after voters legalized its recreational use. We hear from city managers in Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie. References to Pentwater, Alpena, Detroit and Gaylord. By Lindsay M. McCoy. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, WKTV, LANSING CITY PULSE, DETROIT, ALPENA, OCEANA COUNTY, PETOSKEY, LUDINGTON and ALL POINTS. Editor’s note: A list of municipalities receiving marijuana revenue can be found here.
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STATEHOUSE REPORTERS COMMENTARY: A new Pew Research Center study finds the total number of U.S. statehouse reporters has grown in the past eight years, but fewer are on the beat full time. That means fewer journalistic eyes in Lansing on the complexities of state government, politics and public policy. Michigan was one of the states that added full-timers at the Capitol, in large part due to the birth or expansion of nonprofit news services. Commentary for news and editorial pages. By Eric Freedman. FOR ALL POINTS.
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SHIPWRECK TRAILS: You don’t need to scuba dive to see some Great Lakes shipwrecks – you can see them from a trail, with a snorkel and mask or by canoe or kayak. We look at some off the shores of Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks national lakeshores, a nature preserve in Benzie County and a state park on Lake Huron in Presque Isle County. The Army Corps of Engineers says this summer will be a good time to do that because water levels in lakes Huron and Michigan are expected to be almost 2 feet lower than usual. By Jim DuFresne. FOR LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY, ALPENA, ALCONA, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, HOLLAND, BENZIE COUNTY, OCEANA COUNTY, MANISTEE, LUDINGTON, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, ST. MARIE, BAY MILLS, CHEBOYGAN, MONROE, ST. IGNACE and ALL POINTS.
w/SHIPWRECK TRAILS PHOTO 1: Remains of the Francisco Morazan off South Manitou Island at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Credit: Jim DuFresne, MichiganTrailMaps.com.
w/SHIPWRECK TRAILS PHOTO 2: Remains of a wreck at Lake Superior’s AuSable Reef as seen from a Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore trail. Credit: Jim DuFresne, MichiganTrailMaps.com
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CNS