News

Old dams threaten downstream life

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By LAINA STEBBINS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Since Michiganders drive on them every day, roads and bridges are often the first things that come to mind when it comes to the condition of Michigan’s infrastructure. Less visible – but just as hazardous if not properly maintained – are the state’s 2,500 dams.
Just as deteriorating roads and bridges can cause significant damage, aging dams in high-hazard locations have the potential to do great harm to the environment and to human life. The Otsego Township Dam on the Kalamazoo River is one such dam. It’s in poor condition and located in an area that would see serious consequences if the dam were to collapse. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Keith Creagh said his department is removing the dam in conjunction with the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

News

Giving new life to road kill

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By KAREN HOPPER USHER
Capital News Service
LANSING — Taxidermy is about movement. Dead animals will never again do so much as twitch a tail feather. But it’s up to the taxidermist to make it look like an animal is suspended in action, frozen as it turns or soars or strikes. Jonathan Wright is pretty good at it. The 32-year-old native of Mesick is a past world champion of taxidermy and is the go-to taxidermist for the Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon.

Agriculture

Cows and deer that share salt might also share disease

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By BEN MUIR
Capital News Service
LANSING — A popular source of nutrition for cattle is a potential site for transferring disease, according to a recent study. Salt blocks are potential transmitters of tuberculosis from cow to deer and vice versa, said John Kaneene, the lead researcher of a study by Michigan State University’s Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. The blocks are commonly placed in pastures for cattle to lick. At night, deer can enter the field and lick the same salt.
The study found that if a deer or cow is infected, it can leave that disease on the salt block for the next animal to eat. “It’s a big finding,” said Kaneene, who is an epidemiology professor at MSU.

Government

Do Michigan lawmakers know enough about the law?

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By LAURA BOHANNON
Capital News Service
LANSING — Legislators work every day to make and amend laws, but how many have a background in the field? Thirteen lawmakers — of 148 in both House and Senate — have worked as lawyers, according to the State Bar of Michigan. That accounts for less than 10 percent of the Legislature. It’s a slight drop from 17 lawyer-legislators in 2013-14, and 22 a decade ago. Rep. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township, is one of the 13 lawyers currently serving, and he said he believes more lawyers should be roaming the Capitol.

Capital News Service

Public child support calculator can reduce conflict

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By ISAAC CONSTANS
Capital News Service

LANSING — Michigan has launched a free child support calculator to help parents determine what their unique child care responsibilities are. The public online tool, which existed earlier through several private websites, lets parents enter a number of variables into the state formula for child support and returns a payment estimate. The result is the same as would be determined by Department of Health and Human Services staff — although missing or misentered figures could lead to variations. State officials said they hoped the calculator would help reduce the conflict between parents that can come from child support settlements, helping both parents understand how support payments are determined and improving the chance for dependable and prompt payments. “That’s really what we’re looking for for children is reliable, consistent child support payments,” said Erin Frisch, director of the department’s Office of Child Support.

Business & Economy

If you want to find all the cops, they’re buying all the doughnut shops

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By CARL STODDARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — What started as a simple rescue mission for nine Clare police officers has turned into breakout business success. The nine officers, who made up Clare’s entire police force, learned that a longtime bakery and doughnut shop in their hometown was about to close. So they joined forces and bought the business in 2009. Today it is called Cops & Doughnuts and is drawing customers from all over the world. The company also has rolled out other shops, called “precincts,” in Ludington, Gaylord, Bay City and South Bend, Indiana.

Environment

DNR program helps urban youths better their future

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By LAURA BOHANNON
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan has plenty of scenic publically owned land, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is using its summer youth program to expose urban youth to parks and other recreational outdoor activities. The DNR hopes the program will give kids from urban areas who aren’t typically exposed to outdoor recreation such as hiking, camping and fishing the chance to experience  those options, develop new hobbies and explore career opportunities, Director Keith Creagh said. He also said the DNR is focused on bringing some aspects of parks to urban areas to help diversify their user base. Creagh also said the program brings kids to state parks and works to better the urban areas where they’re from, like cleaning up the Flint River. The DNR tracks the success of these programs by tracking its participants, looking to see if participants have gone on to pursue a college degree or a job, Creagh said.

News

Increased efforts in April to curb distracted driving

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By ISAAC CONSTANS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan drivers have more incentive to keep their eyes on the road now than ever, as more eyes will be watching them throughout the month. More than 170 law enforcement agencies will be out in force in April to cut down on the frequency of distracted driving incidents, the  Office of Highway Safety Planning said. Meanwhile, a new bill proposes harsher penalties for distracted driving and changes to what qualifies as distracted driving. It’s pending in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The drive is part of a national campaign, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, to reduce easily preventable deaths.

Environment

State works to help localities with significant public lands

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By CHAO YAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan ranks seventh in the nation in its percentage of land owned by the public, and state officials are working to make sure that property does not burden local governments. State- and federal-owned land offers opportunities for tourism, recreation and resource extraction such as mining. But in some counties, particularly in the North, the land also limits local tax revenue and development potential. “In a county that is 50 percent state-owned and we manage it, they have a hard time standing up fire, police and schools because they don’t get full tax off that, though they get great recreational outdoor activity,” Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Keith Creagh said. “For them it’s very difficult to drive some long-term economic sustainability or community sustainability.”
According to the DNR, the state manages nearly 3.9 million acres in northern Michigan and 700,000 million in the southern part of the state.

Environment

State works to help localities with significant public lands

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By CHAO YAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan ranks seventh in the nation in its percentage of land owned by the public, and state officials are working to make sure that property does not burden local governments. State- and federal-owned land offers opportunities for tourism, recreation and resource extraction such as mining. But in some counties, particularly in the North, the land also limits local tax revenue and development potential. “In a county that is 50 percent state-owned and we manage it, they have a hard time standing up fire, police and schools because they don’t get full tax off that, though they get great recreational outdoor activity,” Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Keith Creagh said. “For them it’s very difficult to drive some long-term economic sustainability or community sustainability.”
According to the DNR, the state manages nearly 3.9 million acres in northern Michigan and 700,000 million in the southern part of the state.