Dog bites in Michigan led to $7 million in State Farm insurance claims in 2011, according to the company in a release today on how much it paid out in claims nationally.

On the eve of National Dog Bite Prevention Week starting May 20, State Farm ranked Michigan the sixth highest nationally for its 181 dog bite claims. California topped the list with 527 dog bite claims.

For the full article, see Meaghan Holland, "Michigan dog bites cost millions in insurance claims in 2011; incidents puzzlingly on the rise nationally", MLive, May 16, 2012.

As expected, the Revenue Estimating Conference confirmed that general fund revenues will be reduced for Fiscal Year 2013 as a result of changes last year that slashed business taxes.

While there is no evidence that the business tax cuts will create new jobs, we do know there will be less revenue for investing in public structures that will help grow the economy. Even more alarming is that this news comes at a time when the Legislature is looking to further reduce business taxes by cuts to the Personal Property Tax, reducing revenue for local governments and schools.

Statement may be attributed to Michigan League for Human Services Policy Director Karen Holcomb-Merrill

Source : Judy Putnam, Michigan League for Human Services News Release, May 16, 2012.

The Senate is considering passing SB 909 and 911, which would authorize an RTA to manage a truly regional transit system for metro Detroit. The authority would be able to coordinate, fund, and manage public transit in Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Macomb counties, and its board would include representation from each county and the city of Detroit.

This could radically improve our system, which will help transport Michiganders to jobs, education, health care, and entertainment—all the things our communities need to come together as a stronger region, for a stronger Michigan.

Please contact your senator today and tell him or her to vote YES on Senate Bills 909 and 911. We need a Regional Transit Authority for southeast Michigan. We can’t afford to let this chance pass us by!

You can use our convenient form to send your senator an email. Please be a part of expanding and improving public transit in southeast Michigan.

Sincerely,
Sarah Szurpicki
Let's Save Michigan

Effectively Utilizing Volunteers to Support Your Organization
(Having a roadmap will get you there faster!)

When: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 1:30 – 4:00 pm

Where: Health Services Building, Door 3, 2nd Floor, Conf. Rm. A, 5303 S Cedar St, Lansing, MI

Volunteers can be worth their weight in gold for your organization, or your biggest dilemma -- the outcome is up to you. We have all heard the adage: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"; working with volunteers is no different. The planning you put in before taking on new volunteers will pay dividends in saving time, energy, and frustration if things don't work out. This workshop will give you tips and tools to make the best use of your resources as well as your volunteers' time. Topics to be covered will include creating volunteer job descriptions, screening volunteers, and supervising volunteers.

Presenter Betty Jo Nash, MSU Extension Educator, supervises the Ingham County 4-H program, which reaches over 1,000 youth ages 5-19 through ongoing 4-H clubs utilizing over 300 volunteers. Local 4-H programming includes support to over 50 clubs, 5 advisory committees, and numerous programming activities in areas ranging from animals and the environment to nutrition and entrepreneurship. She also works with life skill development programming within the academic success work group for the Children and Youth Institute.

Advanced registration is required. Doors open at 1:00 pm. Please send separate registrations for each participant to powerofweconsortium@ingham.org

Last Name
First Name
Title
Organization
Phone Number
Email Address

The Michigan State Police (MSP) is responding today in reaction to a Detroit News article written by Mike Martindale that casts doubt on the integrity of the MSP Forensic Science Division. Mr. Martindale's article uses inaccurate statements and unsupported allegations from defense attorneys to insinuate there may be an issue with the lab's quality assurance.

"This reckless, biased reporting not only smears the good work of our forensics staff, but could have a negative effect on the state's criminal justice system by unnecessarily manufacturing a controversy that doesn't exist," stated Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. "Our accreditation was never in jeopardy. The extensions requested by both the international accrediting organization, the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), and the MSP were for purely administrative purposes; not a result of non-conformance to quality standards. This information was shared numerous times with Mr. Martindale by my staff and the Executive Director of ASCLD/LAB."

Etue added, "Rest assured the MSP labs have been, currently are, and will continue to be fully accredited to provide the highest quality forensic services to the Michigan criminal justice community."

Further, Michigan Sheriffs' Association Executive Director Terrence Jungel and Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Robert Stevenson in a joint statement today expressed complete confidence in the MSP crime labs. Both agencies have "full faith and confidence" in the ability of the MSP to provide this vital service to the criminal justice community.

The MSP Forensic Science Division is a leader in the field of forensic science. The department's labs have been accredited since 1985.


Source : Official Statement, Michigan Newswire, May 15, 2012.