The founder of WMU-Cooley Law School is remembered for his role in legal education. August unemployment rates dropped, compared to a year ago, for the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek labor markets. Long lines are expected Monday at Michigan Secretary of State branch offices.
The founder of what is now the Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School has died. Thomas Brennan died at his home in Lansing over the weekend, he was 89 years old. Brennan also served on the Michigan Supreme Court, and was the youngest chief justice of the state’s highest court. He launched Cooley Law School in 1972. It became affiliated with Western in 2014. WMU-Cooley interim president Jeffrey Martlew calls Brennan a giant in legal education. He says graduates owe Brennan a debt of gratitude for in Martlew’s words “pursuing his vision in creating a law school focused on teaching knowledge, skills and ethics.”
August unemployment rates were down more than one and a half percent in both the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek labor markets compared to the same time a year ago. The Department of Technology, Management and Budget says the seasonally unadjusted jobless rate in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area was 3.3% in August, it was 5% in Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties a year ago. The Battle Creek MSA, which includes all of Calhoun County, had an unemployment rate 3.8% in August. It was 5.5% in August of 2017.
(WCMU) The Office of the Secretary of State says it expects long lines Monday as it eliminates driver responsibility fees. The fees were a penalty in addition to tickets from driving infractions. Those fees could cost drivers upwards of one thousand dollars every year. Drivers who couldn’t pay had their license suspended. Officials with the Secretary of State say 40 new staff members have been hired to help deal with the expected influx of drivers trying to renew their licenses.
In women’s soccer, Western Michigan lost at Bowling Green Sunday 2-0. It was the Broncos first loss in Mid-American Conference play this season after three wins. Western will host Miami Thursday afternoon at the WMU Soccer Complex.
In men’s soccer, Western Michigan and Pacific played to a 1-1 draw Sunday. The Broncos five match winning streak ended, but the team’s unbeaten streak is now at six. Western opens Mid-American Conference play Saturday afternoon when they host West Virginia.