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Southwest Michigan Today For Thursday October 12, 2017

Duncan Aviation will add 50 jobs by expanding its facility in Battle Creek. Portage's long time City Clerk is retiring. Governor Rick Snyder stands by his Congressional testimony about the outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in Flint.   

Duncan Aviation plans to expand its operations in Battle Creek. The aviation maintenance and repair company will lease a hangar at the W.K. Kellogg Airport, and officials with economic development agency Battle Creek Unlimited tell the Battle Creek Enquirerthat Duncan could purchase the hangar in the future. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation says the $2.9-million expansion will create 50 jobs. Duncan was also considering expansion at its facilities in Provo, Utah and Lincoln, Nebraska. Duncan received a grant from the MEDC and a tax increment financing authority grant from the city of Battle Creek.

There's going to be a changing of the guard in the Portage City Clerk's office. The Kalamazoo Gazette says long-time City Clerk Jim Hudson plans retire after 24 years in the job. His last day is this Friday. But Portage City Council members have already picked his replacement. They've promoted Adam Herringa, who's been at Portage City Hall for 13 years, including the last 12 as deputy city clerk.

A spokesman for Governor Rick Snyder says the governor stands by his testimony about the outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease in Flint despite being contradicted by one of his aides. Last year, Snyder told a Congressional committee that he held a news conference the day after learning about the outbreak related to lead contamination of Flint’s water. Last week Harvey Hollins the third testified during a court hearing that Snyder learned about cases of Legionnaire’s Disease in December of 2015. The news conference wasn’t held until January 13, 2016. The Detroit Free Press quotes the governor’s spokesman Ari Adler saying Snyder stands by his testimony before a House committee in March of last year.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it wants a study by archaeologists before a proposed development in Saugatuck goes ahead. MLive says the agency wants to know if it would disturb what's left of Singapore - a lumber port town that was buried by sand dunes in the 19th century. The controversial project to build upscale homes and a marina would involve excavating part of the dune area. The project also needs a state permit.