Andy Robins has been WMUK's News Director since 1998 and a broadcast journalist for over 24 years. He joined WMUK's staff in 1985. Under his direction, WMUK has received numerous awards for news reporting.
Four women will receive “Women of Achievement” awards from the Kalamazoo YWCA next month. The winners announced Thursday include Margaret Merrion, the dean of Western Michigan University’s College of Fine Arts. The others are Jeanne Baraka-Love, the director of Ujima Enterprises which works with African-American youth in Kalamazoo; Willie Mae Pierson, the first black female real estate agent in Kalamazoo; and veterinarian Heidi Stucki.
The controversial procedure has been used for decades. Energy industry officials say fracking is safe but opponents charge that it can cause pollution.
LANSING - Supporters of a ban on fracking in Michigan can begin gathering signatures on petitions that could put the issue on the 2014 ballot. The state Board of Canvassers approved the petition language Wednesday morning, that would ban the practice of using horizontal hydraulic fracturing, called fracking, to get at pools of natural gas and oil deep under the ground across the state.
Some Republicans in the state legislature say the national standards are an "overreach" that interferes with local control of schools. Supporters say they are needed to make sure Michigan students are ready for college.
Seven years ago, Michigan's Democratic and Republican lawmakers arrived at a rare moment of consensus: They agreed to dramatically raise the bar for high school graduation. A two-bill package passed the Senate without dissent, and there was just a smattering of no votes in the 110-member House.
The United States may be heading toward a "post-racial" future. But organizers of a national conference later this month say race-based discrimination and inequality are still all too real. The third annual "America Healing" conference is sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek. It will be held April 22-25 in Asheville, North Carolina. Last year's session was held in New Orleans.
There are three finalists for a regional prize for collaborative social justice sponsored by Kalamazoo College. The $5,000 award and a $25,000 Global Prize for Collaborative Justice Leadership are being offered by the college's Arcus Center.
