MichiBlogger

IN A JAM? Try the 2008 Valentine’s Day Guide for Grand Rapids area Valentines eating and fun.

WHY: Government Suppresses Major Public Health Report

A CDC study of environmental and health data in eight Great Lakes states has not been released as scheduled. The story is on Alternet, but still worth a look.

CABIN FEVER EDITION: The latest Carnival of Homeschooling is up.

THIS FRIDAY: Robert Pedersen, Equal Parenting Bike Trek Cyclist and Co-Founder of “A Child’s Right,” will be interviewed on the radio show “The Message” with Richar Farr. More info at DaddyBlogger.com.

DNR: Fewer bears taken during 2007 Michigan hunts

Michigan hunters killed 2,124 black bears in 2007, about 14 percent fewer than the year before, according to a preliminary Department of Natural Resources report released Monday.

IN GREAT LAKES FOR ALL: Bush budget shortchanges Great Lakes

President Bush’s recently unveiled 2009 budget shortchanges the Great Lakes, according to an AP report. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition analyzed the budget proposal and concluded that the presidents request of about $300 million for Great Lakes programs was a reduction of over $50 million from what was appropriated for 2008. That means less money for sewage upgrades and the ongoing battle against invasive species.

But he also notes that a lot is probably going to change by the time the 2009 budget comes up for a vote.

NO WAR FOR WATER:

Laugh if you want, but if the U.S. is ever going to invade Canada, it is going to be to gain access to our fresh water supplies. California, Arizona and New Mexico are just three of the states in desperate need of fresh water to grow their crops that feed the U.S. consumer and large portions of the world.

I have followed this situation for 48 years in the world of media, and if you don’t think this scenario has any chance of playing out, I would ask you to try pouring oil on your pancakes and try to make coffee and tea by boiling oil.

I’m a proponent of protecting our water supply and aware of water’s importance, but I also think we’ll be building desalination plants by the dozens before we invade someone to steal their water.

Via Great Lakes Blogger.

COLD: I shoveled the end of my driveway this afternoon and then ran down to Meijer to pick up a few things. I guess that I was a bit surprised when the thermometer in my car said it was only 4 degrees out. I knew it was cold, but it didn’t really seem that bad.

Meanwhile, Authorities are telling drivers to stay home

Police across three counties in West Michigan are urging motorists to stay off the roads as white-out conditions and icy roads continue Sunday night.

Weather conditions forced the closings of several highways, and police in Kent, Ottawa and Barry counties were asking drivers to stay home if possible.

In Kent County, dispatchers had received reports of about 100 crashes since midnight, dispatcher Melissa Fellows said.

A line of cars make their way along the 4600 block of 28th Street SE during whiteout conditions.

Image from the GR Press.

SHERIFF SHUTS OUT NEWSPAPER after it quotes a blogger:

The Shiawassee County sheriff will stop releasing information to a newspaper after it published an article about a political blogger critical of the sheriff, the paper reported.

The Argus-Press of Owosso, located in the county, said in an article Thursday that it was told it would have to file Freedom of Information Act requests to receive information from the sheriff’s department.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like this before. Via Michael Silence.

ALLOCATED, NOT “SEATED”: Michigan Democrats Allocate Delegates

The Michigan Democratic Party said Friday that Clinton will get 73 pledged delegates after winning 55 percent of the statewide vote.

Another 55 delegates will be uncommitted since 40 percent of the Democratic voters chose uncommitted. Because Barack Obama and John Edwards had taken their names off the ballot, many of their supporters voted for uncommitted.

The state also has 28 superdelegates, many of whom remain uncommitted, for a total of 156.

Allocating delegates isn’t the same as seating delegates. Basically, the Michigan situation with the Democratic party is still a mess.

UPDATE: More here.