Transportation & Roads

Michigan crosswalk safety rules unclear

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — When a car and a pedestrian meet at a crosswalk, what’s supposed to happen? It’s a safety question that’s left some Michigan communities requesting more signs to remind drivers to yield for pedestrians. But some officials aren’t sure more yield signs will help, or what will. Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, said he’s seen an unusually high amount of requests for the signs in the last year — but he’s not so sure they’re a great idea. The signs could give pedestrians and others crossing the street a false sense of security that could lead to injury, he said.

Public Safety

Supreme Court mulls more privacy in protection order cases

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — After some courts failed to comply with federal law, a proposed rule by the Michigan’s Supreme Court aims to stop courts from posting individuals’ personal information on the Internet. “The point of it is to protect individuals that might be the victims of stalking or other crimes,” said John Nevin, communications director for the court. But some judges worry the new rule is redundant and too vague. Currently, a federal law shields those with protection orders from having their information put on the Internet, Nevin said. But Nevin said the proposed rule would draw more attention and reinforce the federal law.

Transportation & Roads

How other states fund roads could fix Michigan potholes

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan and nearby states might share road funding concerns, but the Mitten might not have access to the same solutions. Michigan’s road funding is unique because of its comparatively low gas and diesel taxes, lower taxes for diesel than gas and an unusual funding formula that sends a disproportionate amount of money to rural areas, said Kenneth Boyer, a Michigan State University professor of economics. Indiana has dealt with cost issues by privatizing a toll road and increasing fuel tax revenue, said Indiana Department of Transportation media relations director Will Wingfield. That can’t work here, Boyer said. Michigan has no tolls, only bridges.

Government

Local officials increasingly convert paved roads to gravel ones as lawmakers debate how to fund repairs

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan communities might see more local roads turned to gravel in coming months, thanks to winter’s remaining grip. The rough winter has given Michigan’s road funding concerns a violent push into statewide spotlight as discussion swirls at the Capitol. But road commissions across the state are eyeing the immediate impact that deeply rooted frost has on a local level. County road commissions have increasingly taken up the practice of permanently or temporarily turning paved roads into gravel in recent years to deal with issues of low funding and poor road conditions, said Joe Pulver, Clinton County Road Commission managing director. Last year, about half of Michigan counties were forced to convert paved roads to gravel, said Monica Ware, the communications and development manager for the County Road Association of Michigan.

Health

Rural hospitals face new uncertainties after health care reforms start

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — With health care reform falling into place, rural Michigan hospitals can now breath a sigh of relief, and then start a new waiting game. The slow recovery from the recession and the struggle for healthcare reform hit rural hospitals in Michigan, and across the country, hard, said Ethan Lipkind, CEO and president of Michigan Rural Healthcare Preservation and the Michigan Clinic. The first week of April marked the close of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act and the effective date of Medicaid expansion in Michigan. And with the economy starting to rise out of recession, Michigan rural hospitals are waiting to see just what the changes will mean. “Overall, I would say it’s a declining industry,” Lipkind said.

Education

Keep kids in school, cops say, or they may end up in jail

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan police officers are hoping to lessen the frequency of suspensions and expulsions in the state’s schools to help fight crime. The problem with out-of-school suspensions is students might not be supervised when they are told not to come to school, said Grand Rapids Police Department Lt. Dave Schnurstein. “Sending them home can be an adequate punishment but in many households, and certainly in many lower income households, the kids are just home alone,” Schnurstein said. “Some kids, that’s what they’re hoping for. “When they’re not at school then they have the opportunity to get in criminal acts,” he said.

Education

Undocumented immigrants face higher tuition at some Michigan colleges and universities

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — A college acceptance letter isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. For many undocumented immigrants in Michigan and their children, the application process is just one hurdle on the road to a college education. “They’ve invested so much in their education but when they come to go to college, that’s when the road closes on them,” said Jose Franco, founder of One Michigan, a Detroit-based group that works for immigrant rights. Some Michigan public universities offer in-state tuition rates for undocumented students. But many four-year colleges and most community colleges don’t – even though students may have lived their entire life in the state.

Business & Economy

Environmental group finds toxic chemicals in university promotional items

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan might be a divided house when it comes to college sports but the in-state rivalry might be more toxic than fans know. Both University of Michigan and Michigan State University fan gearcontained varying levels of potentially toxic chemicals, according to a recent study by the Ecology Center, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit environmental organization. The study examined 65 products for 19 universities bought from prominent retail stores around the country, environmental health campaign director Rebecca Meuninck said. Most University of Michigan products were purchased from a Walgreens in Ann Arbor and most Michigan State University products were purchased from a Kroger in East Lansing. Other universities in the study included University of Wisconsin, University of North Carolina, Duke University and University of Connecticut.

Business & Economy

Dairy dilemma: Cold chills milk production, threatens cow health, increases feed costs

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — The seemingly everlasting winter chill might cost Michigan dairy farmers whose cows are trying to stay warm. Farmers are treating cows with more than the usual number of pneumonia cases, chapped teats and udders, disturbed calving cycles and injuries from slipping on ice. And some of them might receive a lower paycheck from lackluster milk production thanks to the long, cold winter. Although cows prefer cooler temperatures, the animals need far more energy to survive during harsh winter weather, said Ron Erskine, Michigan State University professor of veterinary medicine. Because the animals are using the energy from food to stay warm, it is not going to milk production, Erskine said.

Environment

Yet another downside to big snow: pollution

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By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Hoping for a quick thaw to escape the winter blues? Not so fast. A fast melt of accumulated snow could harm Michigan waters. The problem: Winter application of manure to farm fields. Rapidly melting snow runs off frozen ground and heads toward lakes and streams. It can carrying with it manure that sat on top of the snow.