Governor Rick Snyder wants more money for environmental cleanup and water infrastructure. Homeless residents continue protests in Kalamazoo's Bronson Park. Stryker is buying a Virginia company that makes spinal devices.
(WKAR) Governor Rick Snyder says Michigan needs to invest more money in environmental cleanup and water infrastructure. The governor says increasing the state’s landfill fees would generate nearly $70-million each year. That money would pay for things like brownfield site cleanup including of chemicals with PFAS’s. Governor Snyder also supports a 110-million dollar investment in water infrastructure. Those funds would pay for lead service line replacements and drinking water and stormwater capital projects.
(Kalamazoo Gazette) A protest by homeless residents and activists continues in downtown Kalamazoo. The protest started last week on the steps of city hall. It later moved across the street to Bronson Park, where some protestors camp overnight. That's a violation of city ordinances. But the Kalamazoo Gazette says Public Safety officials are waiting for city administrators to decide how the stand-off will be resolved. The protestors say Kalamazoo should drop a ban on sleeping in parks overnight. They also want a new shelter that's not run by a religious group, and more affordable housing. Kalamazoo City commissioners are expected to talk about the issue on Tuesday.
Stryker Corporation says it is buying a company that makes spinal devices.Stryker will pay about $1.4-billion for all outstanding shares of Leesburg, Virginia based K2M Group Holdings. The deal must still be approved by regulators and K2M shareholders. Stryker says it expects the acquisition to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter this year.
(MPRN) Michigan State University says it has been cleared of wrongdoing by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The organization was looking into how the university handled sexual assault complaints. Specifically – did it violate any NCAA rules in how it handled Larry Nassar as he sexually assaulted his patients for years. The school’s football and men’s basketball programs were also cleared of potential violations for how they handled complaints of sexual misconduct by student athletes.
(MLive) Michigan has had a bad year with issues related to PFAS contamination. But it won't be part of a national tour on the issue organized by federal officials. MLive says the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can't agree on where to hold a forum. The EPA has held public sessions in Kansas, Colorado, New Hampshire, and other states where PFAS contamination has been found. Michigan had been scheduled to be one of the first stops on the EPA's PFAS’s tour. The chemicals have been found in several places in Michigan, including Parchment, Richland, and Battle Creek. In men’s soccer, Western Michigan lost to Butler Thursday 2-0. The Broncos have lost two of their first three matches this season. Western will play at Illinois Chicago Monday night.