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Southwest Michigan Today: Wednesday October 3, 2018

Kalamazoo County Administration Building - file photo from WMUK
WMUK

Kalamazoo County Commissioners approve some extra money for reducing homelessness. Governor Rick Snyder unveils a new plan for addressing PFAS contamination. A Congressional candidate is arrested at a pro-union rally in Detroit. 

Kalamazoo County has set aside some extra money for combating homelessness. County Board members voted 6 to 5 Tuesday night to put $500,000 from a treasury office fund into housing assistance for low-income residents. The county’s housing board will be asked to come up with a plan for how to use the money. The decision comes after calls for the City of Kalamazoo to do more to address homelessness. City officials have suggested that local governments and state and federal authorities need to work together on a solution.

(MPRN) Governor Rick Snyder wants to improve the state’s response time to PFAS chemicals. They’ve been found in groundwater, surface water, and drinking water across the state. Snyder issued a directive on Tuesday calling on state departments and agencies to create a readiness and response plan. The idea is to coordinate between state and local agencies and create a plan ahead of time so they can all respond to PFAS contamination as quickly as possible if it’s discovered. The plan also calls for the state health department to set aside money in its 2019 budget for a fund that local governments can draw from to help with contamination.

(Michigan Radio) Democratic congressional candidate Rashida Tliab was among at least 18 protesters taken into custody Tuesday in Detroit at a pro-union rally. The protesters are facing misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges for blocking traffic on Woodward Avenue. Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed was also charged.