Michigan News Tidbits

Michigan prisons aim to cut $14.4 million annual electric bill
The state Department of Corrections plans to soon cut back on the use of televisions, microwaves and toasters at prisons as part of an effort to reduce its $14.4 million annual electric bill.

Corrections officials, however, can't estimate how much they hope to save with the efforts for inmates and workers at 42 state prisons and eight prison camps, The Detroit News reported Saturday.

Downtown Detroit’s future hinges on partnership, leaders say
Governor Jennifer Granholm says she remains committed to making Detroit’s downtown vibrant and economically viable.

Granholm says Michigan’s future goes hand-in-hand with the future of Detroit, and both depend on government and business working together.

She and others spoke to 800 business and community leaders Thursday at an event promoting the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, which returns after a five-year absence.

Michigan Boy Collects Vacuum Cleaners
A 12-year-old Michigan boy has collected quite an array of vacuum cleaners. Kyle Krichbaum has more than 150 in his collection and even displays some of them in his bedroom.

Kyle said he got his first working model when he was 3-years-old after following his parents around repeatedly when they were vacuuming.

He can even identify some of the vacuum models by sound. He just finished competing in a game show where he did just that against other contestants.

Put Michigan first -- now
Two crises grip Michigan: economic and leadership.

The forces behind the first are, in part, global and national. There are no such excuses for lack of leadership. Gov. Jennifer Granholm and her political counterweight, state Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, have done next to nothing to resolve a budget mess that creates great uncertainty in business, schools and local governments.

Officials work to rid Michigan of feral swine
Before last fall's Michigan deer hunting season, the state departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources "encouraged hunters with a valid hunting license of any type to shoot feral swine ... in 23 Michigan counties."

"In states where feral swine have become established, they have caused crop damage, pose a serious threat to the health and welfare of the domestic swine, endanger humans, impact wildlife populations, and impact the environment by disrupting the ecosystem," the agencies said in a statement.

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