Helen Milliken pioneered first lady activism

By SILU GUO
Capital News Service
LANSING – Helen Milliken, wife of former Gov. William Milliken, opened the door for first ladies from Michigan to become activists, according to Sandy Soifer, the executive director of the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. Milliken died Nov. 16 at age 89. Milliken and Betty Ford are the only two first ladies who are commemorated in the Hall of Fame. Ford was married to Gerald Ford, who represented the Grand Rapids area in Congress before becoming vice president and then president.

Voters have spoken, but police have final say

By LAUREN GIBBONS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Supporters of marijuana decriminalization proposals passed in five Michigan cities say the move is a symbolic step towards better regulation, but residents still might want to wait before lighting up, according to law enforcement officials. Ballot proposals expanding legal marijuana use beyond current state and federal law earned voter approval by wide margins Nov. 6 in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Ypsilanti. Voters in Detroit and Flint supported decriminalization of less than one ounce of marijuana for those older than 21 and 19, respectively. Grand Rapids voted to make marijuana possession a civil infraction, Ypsilanti determined marijuana possession to be the city’s “lowest police priority,” and Kalamazoo received voter authorization to construct up to three medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits.

State money encourages new high-tech start-ups

By SILU GUO
Capital News Service
LANSING – With $8.5 million in grans to award, the state is encouraging local programs to support start-up high-tech companies. The Michigan Strategic Fund and Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) offer the funding for outstanding programs around the state, with a focus on Northwestern Michigan, Grand Rapids and suburban Detroit. The money will support three years of services for each project, said Paula Sorrell, managing director of entrepreneurial service at MEDC. These programs, called ‘incubator accelerators,’ are designed to support start-ups through an array of resources and services.

International student population up at some community college

By WEI YU
Capital News Service
LANSING – The number of international students at some community colleges – including those in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Wayne County – is increasing, according to the Michigan Community College Association. South Korea, China and India are the top places of origin for them, and business, health careers and computers are their most popular fields of study. Evan Montague, dean of student services at Lansing Community College (LCC), said the college has a strong international student population with 400 students from 56 countries out of 20,000 in total. To ease their transition to a new environment, the college holds an international orientation. LCC also has an international student services coordinator who assists students in connecting with campus academic support, as well as an international student department and an active international student club.

Mortgage fraud targeted by prosecutors, new law

By JENNIFER CHEN
Capital News Service
LANSING – The long arm of justice is eventually nailing some of the scam artists whose mortgage frauds contributed to the national recession, according to the U.S. Attorney’s offices in Detroit and Grand Rapid. Federal court convictions and a new state law are part of the effort to attack mortgage fraud. Michigan had the seventh-highest foreclosure rate among the states in 2010, according to a FBI report. “Mortgage fraud is a serious problem in the state. Every day, scam artists take advantage of people desperate to keep their homes,” said Joy Yearout, deputy director of communications for Attorney Gen. Bill Schuette.