Kalamazoo County breaks ground on a new animal shelter. High levels of PFAS’es found in a landfill for paper plants in Parchment. Amway founder Richard DeVos is remembered for community leadership and philanthropy.
Kalamazoo County has broken ground on a new animal shelter. The $5 million facility will replace the animal services building that officials have long described as a hazard to the pets it houses. They say the design of the old building stresses cats and dogs while poor ventilation promotes disease. In a release, the county said the new shelter will focus on the "health and care" of animals, with outdoor exercise areas, group rooms for cats and an emphasis on adoptions. The new Kalamazoo County animal shelter is expected to be completed next July.
(Kalamazoo Gazette) The landfill for paper plants in Parchment has very high levels of PFAS’es. The Kalamazoo Gazette says state tests found levels of the chemicals that are up to 164 times the federal limit. State environmental officials had identified the landfill as a possible source of PFAS contamination of Parchment’s city water system and some private wells. The now-closed landfill is in neighboring Cooper Township where some residents have also been affected by the problem.
(WCMU) An audit of Michigan’s Child Protective Services released Thursday found a pattern of failures to follow state requirements. The audit reviewed CPS investigations between May of 2014 and July of 2016. The report noted CPS investigators failed to complete criminal history background checks in over 50% of the cases, and that at least 257 confirmed perpetrators of child abuse or neglect were not added to a mandatory statewide registry. A spokesman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the department has already made improvements since the audit - particularly in response times for launching investigations into allegations of child abuse or neglect.
(Michigan Radio) A proposal to open up Michigan’s voting process will be on the November ballot. Yesterday the state Board of Canvassers certified there are enough petition signatures to put the question before voters. The initiative would allow many things… including letting people register to vote on Election Day. A variety of groups including the League of Women Voters support the initiative.
(WGVU) Grand Rapid businessman, community leader and philanthropist Richard DeVos has died. DeVos was an entrepreneur who, launched Amway with his boyhood friend Jay Van Andel. DeVos was also owner of the NBA’s Orlando Magic. Along with his wife Helen, Rich DeVos helped spur redevelopment projects in Grand Rapids including DeVos Place Convention Center and Performance Hall, as well as the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Rich DeVos passed away Thursday, he was 92 years old.