Deadlines For CDL Drivers… Fast Approaching

Deadlines For CDL Drivers And Their Medical Providers Fast Approaching (Michigan Secretary of State Press Release, Dec. 12, 2013) Secretary of State Ruth Johnson strongly encourages Michigan residents with a Commercial Driver License (CDL) to self-certify to which type of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operation they perform to avoid losing CDL privileges after Jan. 30.…

How Michigan Funds Schools

How Michigan Funds Schools (Kevin Deegan-Krause, orig. Ferndale Friends/ KevinDeeganKrauseForFerndaleSchools.com, Dec. 10, 2013) Please put away your notes and let’s begin our discussion of school funding with a high-stakes multiple choice test: 1. Does Michigan fund schools from:                         A. Local sources         B. Federal sources C. State sources 2. Does the revenue come from:                                  …

SEMCOG Approves I-94, I-75, US-23 Amendment to Expand

SEMCOG Approves I-94, I-75, US-23 Amendment to Expand (David Sands, SEMCOG, Dec.7, 2013, orig. http://wearemodeshift.org/node/1055) Although plans to widen the I-94 and I-75 expressways have been generating a bit of a buzz this week, dissenting voices seemed to have little sway over the bulk of the Southeast Michigan Council of Government’s Executive Committee. At a Friday meeting, the…

Transgender Day Of Remembrance Lists 242 Killed

Transgender Day Of Remembrance Lists 242 Killed (Crystal A. Proxmire, orig. Between the Lines, Dec. 6, 2013) 242. That is the number of transgender individuals whose murders and suicides have been reported in the past year around the world. Groups like Gender Identity Network Alliance (formerly Transgender Detroit) know that this number is low due…

Reckless Driving: MDOT’s Lead Foot on Freeway Projects

Guest Column: Reckless Driving: MDOT’s Lead Foot on Freeway Projects (Richard Murphy, Michigan Suburbs Alliance, December 4, 2013) The public appeals to delegates entering SEMCOG’s June meeting. The sign in back, “No new gas tax, Snyder — We don’t need our freeways wider,” demonstrates our trust problem. Over the past few years, Governor Snyder’s Lansing…

Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption Deadline Nears

Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption Deadline Nears (Oakland County Press Release, Nov. 28, 2013) Counselors in Oakland County’s Veterans’ Services Division are ready to help totally disabled veterans meet the Dec. 5 deadline to retroactively claim their homestead property tax exemption for 2013. Under a new Michigan law, Public Act 161 of 2013, totally disabled…

Cogen Lipton Shares EAA Concerns, Education Alternatives (video)

Ellen Cogen Lipton Shares EAA Concerns,  Education Alternatives (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 21, 2013) As Democratic Vice Chair of the Education Committee of the Michigan House of Representatives, Ellen Cogen Lipton saw first-hand the way The Michigan Education Achievement Authority has taken shape.  Beyond that, she has looked into the results of having the…

New Testing Standard for Teachers Announced

New Testing Standard for Teachers Announced (Michigan Dept. of Education Press Release, Nov. 15, 2013) Better prepared and effective teachers will be available for Michigan students with the advent of a more rigorous teacher certification exam this year. “We want the best and brightest teachers in Michigan classrooms,” said State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. “Increasing the…

Get Your Bid In: Hazel Park Schools Selling Buses

Get Your Bid In: Hazel Park Schools Selling Buses (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 2, 2013) Hazel Park Schools is selling some of its buses.  Sealed bids are being accepted until 3:30pm on Nov. 18. The 18 passenger vehicles are 1993 Thomas Built-International Chassis with diesel engines and automatic transmissions. Mileage is approximately 140,600 and the…

Sheriff Bouchard Gives Hunter Safety Tips

Sheriff Bouchard Gives Hunter Safety Tips (Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard Press Release, Nov. 2, 2013) With deer hunting season rapidly approaching, many sportsmen and women will take advantage of the opportunity to share time with their friends, relax, and enjoy the outdoors. The hunting season offers much in the way of sportsmanship and camaraderie,…

Recycling Tour Times Available for SOCRRA-Area Groups

Recycling Tour Times Available for SOCRRA-Area Groups (C. Proxmire, Oct. 22, 2013) SOCRRA [Southeast Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority] is getting ready for America Recycles 2013 by reaching out to area groups and inviting them to come in for tours of their Troy-based sorting facility. There they take plastic, metal, paper, and other recyclable items…

Hazel Park Couple’s Adoption and Marriage Case Gets Feb Trial Date

Hazel Park Couple’s Adoption and Marriage Case Gets Feb Trial Date (Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 17, 2013) Despite the high hopes of dozens of supporters in front of the Federal Courthouse in Detroit, and couples waiting to marry at county clerk’s offices around the state, Judge Bernard Friedman did not issue a summary judgment in…