Tuition is frozen at Kellogg Community College. Officials say specialty courts are keeping non-violent people out of prison. The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission launches a new fundraising campaign for a new shelter for women and children.
Tuition won't be changing for students at Kellogg Community College, at least for a while. Trustees at the school in Battle Creek voted Thursday to freeze tuition rates at their current level of $15 per credit hour. The college says that rate will stay the same for the next four semesters. Kellogg Community College officials say they're able to hold the line on tuition because of budget cuts and state funding that's been higher than expected. The college has also eliminated higher rates for students from Indiana and those from other countries.
Officials with the Michigan court system say a program celebrating its 10-year milestone is proving successful at keeping certain non-violent offenders out of the prison system. The so-called Specialty Courts allow some people with mental health and substance abuse problems a chance to avoid prison time. There are 185 alternative sentencing courtrooms in use across the state. Kalamazoo County first launched its drug treatment court in 1992. (WDET)
The state has completed background checks that will allow nine businesses to take the next steps toward getting medical marijuana licenses. The Michigan medical marijuana licensing board also rejected two applications because key figures in the businesses did not disclose arrests or convictions as part of their criminal histories. Some people are concerned about how long it’s taking the state to conduct background checks and issue licenses for hundreds of applicants for licenses to grow, transport, or distribute medical marijuana.
The Kalamazoo Gospel Mission has launched a three-million dollar fundraising campaign for its efforts to build a new women and children’s shelter. The Kalamazoo Gazette says the Gospel Mission is seeking the money through its “Shelter from the Storm” campaign to demolish existing buildings at its facility on North Burdick north of Kalamazoo Avenue where the new shelter would be built. The Gospel Mission says it can currently care for about 150 women and children at is current facility. It hopes to double that number with a new shelter.
Opposition to a development project in Saugatuck is growing. MLive says two Native American tribes are joining a lawsuit against plans for a new marina near an area of Sand Dunes. The suit was filed by the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance against developer Jeff Padnos. The Gun Lake and Nottawaseppi-Huron bands of Potawatomi say they've joined the effort to block the marina. Critics say the project would violate local ordinances. State officials approved a permit for the marina but that decision is being appealed.
Former state representative Cindy Gamrat isn't giving up on her federal lawsuit, even though a judge threw it out last month. The Holland Sentinelsays the Plainwell Republican has filed a request asking that it be reconsidered. Gamrat sued the state legislature and former staff members after she was expelled by the House in 2015. That followed revelations that she had an extramarital affair with former representative Todd Courser, who resigned and faces criminal charges of perjury and misconduct in office.
The province of Ontario is going to start mailing potassium iodide pills to Canadians who live in a ten mile radius of DTE's Fermi 2 nuclear power plant. The pills can prevent thyroid cancer if taken right after a nuclear accident. An activist group says DTE should do the same for Americans within the 10 mile radius. Right now, they get pharmacy vouchers for the pills. DTE says an event requiring people to take the pills is extremely unlikely. The company says it follows the protocol set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the state, and counties. (Michigan Radio)