A complaint is filed over help provided by a state agency to a group seeking to change how political boundaries are drawn. Glen Oaks Community College opens its first residence hall. A prison food worker says he lost his job in the Upper Peninsula for refusing to serve rotten food to inmates.
A Republican attorney has filed a complaint against the Michigan Bureau of Elections, saying they helped a committee work on its petition for an independent commission to draw lines for Congressional and state Legislative districts. Bob LaBrandt says the Bureau provided the group Voters Not Politicians with what amounted to free legal advice. LaBrandt tells the Detroit News that such assistance by a public body is a violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. The Secretary of State normally investigates campaign finance violations. But since it is at the center of this accusation, the case is being referred to the state Attorney General’s office. The Board of State Canvassers approved the petition language on August 17th. The bureau normally works with groups on the format of petitions and listing provisions of the Michigan Constitution that would be changed by their proposal.
Most community colleges cater to students who commute. But Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville is joining the ranks of those where some students live on campus. The Kalamazoo Gazette saysthe college will dedicate its first residence hall Friday. Glen Oaks officials say they hope the new dorm will help draw students from a larger area. Eight other community colleges in Michigan have residence halls. But Glen Oaks is the first to use a federal rural development loan to build one. It got $6.5-million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The new dorm can accommodate up to 108 students.
A prison food worker says he was fired for refusing to serve rotten food to inmates at a correctional facility in the Upper Peninsula. Steve Pine of Sault Saint Marie tells the Detroit Free Press that a corrections officer on duty Saturday at the Kinross Correctional Facility agreed with him that bags of potatoes should be thrown out. But a supervisor for Trinity Services Group disagreed. A spokesman for the Corrections Department says the potatoes were ultimately not served. Chris Gautz says supervisors for the food service company were concerned that Pine raised his objections very loudly in front of inmates.
Southwestern Michigan College has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the release an audit of how it pays employee contributions into the Michigan Public School Employees System.The Gomgwer News Service reports (subscription required) that the community college, which has campuses in Dowagiac and Niles, filed its lawsuit on Wednesday. Southwestern Michigan College says the auditor has no constitutional authority to conduct and release the audit. A spokesperson for the auditor general says the office does not comment on lawsuits.
In women’s soccer, Western Michigan won at Wright State Thursday1-0 in double overtime. The Broncos have won the first two matches of the season, and will host Indiana on Sunday.