Environmental groups urge a veto of legilsation to change some oversight requirements for mining. House Speaker Paul Ryan's Super Pac opens a Southwest Michigan office to help Congressman Fred Upton's re-election campaign. A Vicksburg elementary teacher is names Michigan's "Teacher of the Year."
The couple whose donation helped start the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicinewas honored over the weekend. The William Johnston and Rhonda Stryker Auditorium was unveiled during an event at the W.E. Upjohn MD Campus. A $100-million gift in 2011 from Johnston and Stryker helped get the privately funded medical school started. The inaugural class of doctors graduated last week.
Governor Rick Snyder will have to decide if controversial mining bills should become state law. Legislation is on his deskthat would change some oversight requirements for mines – like get rid of public hearing requirements in some cases. Advocates for the bills say there’s plenty of oversight, including on the federal level. The bills would let mines get and change some water permits without a public hearing – unless the change would have a significant impact on environmental protection. Environmental groups say there should be public hearings before mines are allowed to make any changes.
The Super Political Action Committee run by House Speaker Paul Ryan has opened an office in Southwest Michigan to help Republican Congressman Fred Upton’s re-election bid. The Detroit News says the Congressional Leadership Fund is expanding its national field program. Each office has a full-time staff member and the Super-PAC says hundreds of interns and volunteers. Six candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination in the Sixth Congressional district. The winner of the August primary will challenge Upton in November.
A Vicksburg teacher has been named the 2018-19 Michigan Teacher of the Year. A news release from the Michigan Department of Education describes Sunset Elementary second grade teacher Laura Chang as “a model teacher who serves from the heart.” Chang has taught in Vicksburg schools for her entire 18 year career. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Western Michigan University.
Hunger in kids ages 12 - 15 can have long term mental health impacts according to a new study from Central Michigan University. One of the study’s authors Sharon Kukla-Acevedo says when the research controlled for poor neighborhoods, income, and maternal education it still found hunger had a significant impact on mental health outcomes. Kukla-Acevedo says the study also found an increase in sexual risk-taking. She says the study highlights the importance of programs like SNAP that make sure families, and particularly children, have food. (WCMU)