Yearly Archives: 2015

The City of Traverse City is seeking volunteers who are interested and excited to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals. The open position is for one unexpired term, ending on June 30, 2017. Members shall not be in default to the City, shall be over 18 years of age and shall be residents of the City of Traverse City

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh has issued an order approving off-road vehicle use atBewabic State Park in Iron County, the fifth Michigan state park where ORV use has been approved since 2009. Creagh announced his decision at Thursday’s meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in Lansing.

Today, Representative John Moolenaar (R-Midland) questioned EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy about her agency’s Waters of the United States Rule. The EPA announced the rule last month, despite a recent bipartisan vote in Congress calling on the agency to withdraw the rule and seek more comment from local communities and their residents.

This morning, Congresswoman Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI) took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and called on her colleagues to join her in putting an end to the short-term transportation funding extensions that have left Michigan’s infrastructure in shambles

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today approved a settlement agreement reconciling Upper Peninsula Power Company's 2014 energy optimization revenues and expenses and to revise surcharges.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow introduced today legislation that stops rewarding companies that move jobs overseas and instead creates new incentives to bring jobs home. Her legislation would end a tax loophole that currently pays for companies to move jobs overseas, while maintaining the deduction for those bringing jobs home. In addition, it would also provide a 20 percent tax credit to help companies with the cost of bringing jobs back to America. This bill was blocked by a Republican filibuster in 2012 and 2014.

Consumers Energy is offering $100,000 in grants to Michigan communities this year to plant trees, an effort to encourage responsible tree planting and sustainable urban forests in communities across the state.

The DEQ issued the mill a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit on April 7, which included a requirement for a hydrological study to determine the best location and discharge strategy to protect the integrity of downstream wetlands. That requirement originated after a January 13 public meeting where attendees expressed concern about potential impacts to wetland hydrology.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, joined 46 U.S. Senators in a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the agencies to support the growth of biomass energy, which makes up approximately 35 percent of Michigan's renewable energy. This letter calls on the Administration to streamline current policies, which would boost job creation in the biomass industry and spur economic growth in Michigan

Electric system improvements in and near the Fort Custer Industrial Park will mean a scheduled six-hour power interruption Saturday morning to safely complete the work. Because of the number of industrial customers involved, Consumers Energy chose the morning of July 4th do to the work and minimize customer inconvenience.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently confirmed another new state-record fish, this time a quillback carpsucker. This marks the fourth state-record fish caught in 2015

The United States Supreme Court issued its ruling in Michigan v. EPA, a case concerning the Environmental Protection Agency's overreaching interpretation of its powers under the Clean Air Act

To accommodate motorists traveling throughout Michigan over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will remove traffic restrictions on 120 of 155 active projects statewide. AAA Michigan estimates 1.3 million travelers will be using Michigan roads and bridges during the annual celebration of the nation's independence.

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced $4,281,492 in funding for 29 Michigan counties through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. Michigan is home to more than three million acres of federal lands, and as a result, county governments throughout Michigan miss out on critical property tax revenue every year.

Western Michigan University was the first in the region to receive an upgraded electric meter today as a Consumers Energy program kicked-off for its customers in the Kalamazoo region. The Western View Apartments Clubhouse was the site today of a short ceremony to commemorate the education opportunities the new technology will offer university students