Week 11 – 4/7/23
CNS Budget
To: CNS Editors
From: David Poulson and Judy Putnam
http://news.jrn.msu.edu/capitalnewsservice/
Welcome to the eleventh CNS file of the spring 2023 semester.
For technical problems, contact CNS technical manager Eryn Ho at (616) 485-9295, hoeryn@msu.edu.
For other matters, contact David Poulson (517) 899-1640 or Judy Putnam at (517) 410-5798
HERE’S YOUR FILE:
FLAG REDESIGN: The state flag is, well, musty, old-fashioned and dull. Does Michigan need a new one? If so, it would be following Utah, which recently radically redesigned its flag. The proposal from an East Grand Rapids lawmaker would involve a design contest, with a new state flag commission as the decider. By Andrew Roth. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, WKTV, GREENVILLE AND ALL POINTS.
w/FLAG REDESIGN PHOTO 1: Michigan’s state flag is based on the state’s 1835 coat of arms. Credit: State of Michigan
w/FLAG REDESIGN PHOTO 2: Utah traditional state flag was redesigned. Credit: State of Utah.
w/FLAG REDESIGN PHOTO 3: Utah’s new state flag is inspiring other states to take another look. Credit: State of Utah.
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SOLAR: Parks, vacant lots and even former dumping sites are being eyed as sites for solar grids. A pair of unlikely state senators – a Republican from the Upper Peninsula and a Democrat from Ann Arbor – introduced bills to encourage the building and regulation of community solar power centers in smaller communities. By Dan Netter. FOR DETROIT, PLANET DETROIT, IRON MOUNTAIN, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, SAULT STE. MARIE, CORP! AND ALL POINTS.
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WALKABLE CITIES: Michigan’s business, environmental and transportation officials are all pushing for walkable cities for different reasons. Such communities promote alternative fuels, reliable public transit and more green space for healthy recreation. They even promote cleaner air, which aligns with a recent Columbia University study that reports lower exposure to air pollution reduces mortality in all populations. We talk to a mobility specialist from the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan Environmental Council. By Maggie George. FOR PLANET DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
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PURE MICHIGAN REVAMP: Pure Michigan is launching its first campaign aimed at younger travelers, those in their 20s and early 30s. A Detroit poet joins actor Tim Allen in pitching the new ads and new music is aimed at appealing to younger folks. We talk to Pure Michigan vice president and members of Assemble Sound in Detroit. Traverse City, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids mentioned. By Andrew Roth. FOR DETROIT, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, WKTV, CORP! TRAVERSE CITY AND ALL POINTS.
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TRAVEL COSTS: The cost of gas, food and even recreational park passes are on the rise. Travel experts say look for deals and think off-season to keep from paying more for your recreational time. Businesses are getting creative. One Ludington B&B owner even offered a knitting event to draw more visitors. We talk to a Pure Michigan official and the Ludington business owner. By Sophia Brandt. FOR LUDINGTON, HOLLAND, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS and ALL POINTS.
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NARCAN: A Wayne State grant has added Narcan vending machines in seven new locations including Ann Arbor City Hall and sites in Cass, Macomb, Ingham, Isabella, Kent and Wayne counties. The nasal spray form of Narcan can quickly reverse overdoses. By Samuel Blatchford. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.
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PRIVATE COLLEGES: Despite the impending shut down of Finlandia College, a small private school in the UP, the associations representing private colleges in the state say the others are financially stable. We hear from the Michigan Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Michigan Colleges Alliance, MSU economists and two national organizations. By Jack Timothy Harrison. FOR IRON MOUNTAIN, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, SAULT STE. MARIE, ADRIAN, HILLSDALE, DETROIT, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, AND ALL POINTS.
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SCHOOL BOMBING MUSEUM: Bath Township, northeast of Lansing, is planning a new museum to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1927 bombing of the local school by a disgruntled school board member. The tragedy killed 38 children and six adults and injured 58 others. The planning comes amid an escalating number of mass shootings at U.S. schools, including the 2021 Oxford High School shooting. By Amalia Medina. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE, DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
w/SCHOOL BOMBING MUSEUM CUPOLA: This cupola is the only remaining part of the original school building that was blown up in 1927. It now sits on the site of the bombing. Credit: James Daggy, Michigan State University
w/SCHOOL BOMBING MUSEUM MARKER: This historical marker commemorates the 1927 Bath School Disaster. Credit: Historical Marker Database. HMdb.org
w/SCHOOL BOMBING MUSEUM WRECKAGE: The front of the badly damaged Bath Consolidated School after the May 1927 bombing. Credit: Wikipedia
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