CNS BUDGET WEEK 5
Oct. 6, 2023
To: CNS Editors
From: Eric Freedman and Judy Putnam
http://news.jrn.msu.edu/capitalnewsservice/
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BOOK BAN: Shelves laden with rows of books fill public libraries with stories of history, fantasy and anything in between. The Michigan Library Association’s MI Right to Read is underway to educate the public and oppose legislation infringing on First Amendment rights and intellectual freedom amid a surge in censorship. In November, voters in one Ottawa County community will have a third chance to pass a library millage, while a Cass County commissioner withdrew a proposed ordinance to punish librarians who make “sexually explicit material” available for children. We talk to the association and Capital Area District Libraries. By Kenzie Terpstra. FOR HOLLAND, WKTV, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
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FERAL CATS: Feral cats have colonies across the state, and their inbreeding, overpopulation and constant pregnancies cause them to multiply. While some animal control and humane agencies promote trap, neuter and release initiatives to prevent procreation, that doesn’t get them off the streets and out of yards where they can kill songbirds and other wildlife. We talk to the owner of an animal control company in DeWitt, the Michigan Humane Society in Bingham Farms and the Cheboygan County Humane Society. By Brandy Muz. FOR MIDLAND, DETROIT, CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS AND ALL POINTS.
w/FERAL CATS PHOTO: Kittens in a cage at an adoption event hosted by Cannonsville Critters in Greenville. Credit: Kelsey Lester.
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RAILROAD DEATHS: Western Michigan University researchers see a need for more information about train-pedestrian and train-motor vehicle fatalities to combat a rising number of deaths nationally. They advocate mandatory audio and video cameras and giving crash investigators access to the recordings. They analyzed 14 West Michigan fatalities, nine involving pedestrians and five involving vehicles. We talk to MDOT and Michigan Operation Lifesaver. By Kayte Marshall. FOR LUDINGTON, HOLLAND, GREENVILLE, OCEANA COUNTY, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, TRAVERSE CITY, HARBOR SPRINGS, WKTV, LAKE COUNTY AND ALL POINTS.
w/RAILROAD DEATHS PHOTO: Michigan has seen a steady increase in railway-related deaths, a new report finds. Credit: Department of Transportation Office of Rail via Twitter.
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NURSING SHORTAGE: The Michigan Nursing Association and some lawmakers, including ones from Traverse City, Detroit, Southfield and Kalamazoo, blame a hospital nursing shortage on burnout and excessive patient-nurse ratios. They’re pushing legislation to address the situation. Meanwhile, some private colleges and public community colleges are developing a program to make it easier for nursing students to transfer from 2-year to 4-year institutions, something Davenport University already does with Northwestern Michigan College and Grand Rapids Community College. By Liz Nass. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP! AND ALL POINTS.
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SPEEDING FATAL CRASHES: Michigan has the country’s ninth-lowest rate of speeding-related fatal crashes, a new analysis shows. Neighboring Indiana ranks even better, while Ohio and Wisconsin are worse. Non-interstates are more deadly than the superhighways. The Office of Highway Safety Planning and State Police offer comments. Includes reference to Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. By Kenzie Terpstra. FOR DETROIT, IRON MOUNTAIN, COLDWATER, HILLSDALE, THREE RIVERS, STURGIS, MONROE, ADRIAN, BLISSFIELD AND ALL POINTS.
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WETLANDS: The state and local governments are using a $13 million boost to restore damaged wetlands, including projects on former farmland. We hear from DNR, an MSU ecologist and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. By Kelsey Lester. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, PLANET DETROIT, MONROE, MIDLAND, ALBION, BLISSFIELD AND ALL POINTS.
w/WETLANDS PHOTO 1 : Vegetation in Shupac Lake, near Grayline, marks the transition between a wetland and the open water. Wetlands are crucial to clean water. Credit: Jeremy Hartsock
w/WETLANDS PHOTO 2: A turtle enjoys the wetland ecosystem. Multiple efforts are underway in Michigan to avoid the loss of wetlands. Credit: Jeremy Hartsock.
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YOUNG VOTERS: A record number of under-21 voters in the state turned out for the 2022 election. Now party and nonpartisan groups are gearing up to push young voters to show up at the polls next year. We hear from the League of Women Voters, Department of Civil Rights and Secretary of State. By Stephanie Rauhe. FOR ALL POINTS.
w/YOUNG VOTERS JOHNSON PHOTO: John Johnson Jr, executive director of the Department of Civil Rights. Credit: Department of Civil Rights.
w/YOUNG VOTERS BENSON PHOTO: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson: Credit: Secretary of State.
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REDLINING & HEALTH: The racially discriminatory practice of redlining neighborhoods does more than push up residents’ cost of insurance, mortgages and other financial services. It also worsens their health. We hear from a Wayne State expert, the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan and the founder of an air quality monitoring company with offices in Grand Rapids, Metro Detroit and Kalamazoo. By Liz Nass. FOR WKTV, DETROIT, PLANET DETROIT. GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP! AND ALL POINTS.
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BIRTH EQUITY: The Department of Health and Human Services has a plan to eliminate birth-related inequities for pregnant women and their infants regardless of race and ethnicity. March of Dimes gives Michigan a D+ grade for its high proportion of premature births and high infant mortality rate. We also hear from a midwife who founded a birthing center in Traverse City. By Brandy Muz. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, BAY MILLS, DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
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HAUNTED: Visitors to an Upper Peninsula lighthouse say they can still smell the cigar smoke of a keeper who died a century ago, and a paranormal researcher has found other evidence that the structure is haunted. We interview Kat Tedsen, an author who has researched more than 300 haunted sites in Michigan.
w/HAUNTED PHOTO 1: The Seul Choix Point Lighthouse is a haunted attraction many tourists visit in the summer. Credit: Kat Tedsen
w/HAUNTED PHOTO 2: A portrait of Capt. Joseph Willie Townsend, a lighthouse keeper who died there in 1910. His frozen body was stored in the cellar until he could be buried. Credit: Kat Tedsen
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