City Manager Maurice Evans: “In hindsight, I would say city officials were looking at long-term expenses.” (photo by Ted Roelofs) KALAMAZOO/PORTAGE – A quick drive through Kalamazoo and its bordering neighbor to the south, Portage, reveals some obvious differences. Others are less so. Kalamazoo, older and more ethnically diverse, has its share of historic downtown […]
Business Watch
Covering the intersection of business and policy, and informing Michigan employers and workers on the long road back from coronavirus. Our Michigan Economic Dashboard shows key metrics that show how the state is performing.
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Detroit – coming to a city near you
Grand Rapids resident Cathy Mulder: “If it keeps going that way, we’re going to have less and less.” (photo by Ted Roelofs) As headlines mount for the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy, Detroit is now the undisputed punching bag for all that can go wrong in a community. But just how immune […]
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Taxing tensions in Troy
Mayor Dane Slater, chosen initially by city council to replace recalled Janice Daniels and then re-elected to finish her term, stands in the Troy Community Center. (photo by Nancy Derringer) Jennifer Hilzinger is one of many Troy residents who sometimes can’t understand what’s going on in her hometown. One minute she’s living in the place […]
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Charities and bars claim poker crackdown is a bad deal
Neither side appears to be bluffing as the battle between the administration of Governor Rick Snyder and charity poker rooms continues to intensify. The state Gaming Control Board, which Mr. Snyder put in charge of charity poker room oversight two years ago, released a new set of regulations in July that upset operators of the […]
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The race to join the middle class: it’s a steeper climb for minorities
ON TRACK: Students learn machinist skills in a Focus: HOPE classroom. The program is designed to put them on a career path to a middle-class income. (Courtesy photo) Craig Vanderburg will be the first to tell you that he’s worked hard for what he has, but caught a few breaks along the way. He came […]
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Should two towns become one? Merger question moves to Saugatuck-Douglas
Former Saugatuck mayor Catherine Simon has invested $4,000 of her own money in the consolidation effort. “It is going to save money,” she says. “But I also think we would become more effective as one community. We want to have a voice that is competitive with other communities.” On paper at least, the match makes […]
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Merge governments? Sounds good, but not in my backyard.
In August 2012, residents of two quiet Manistee County communities faced a choice. They could vote to dissolve Onekema Village and fold it into Onekema Township, a move proponents said would save money, trim tax bills for village residents and streamline their modest government operations. Or they could keep it all the same. Status quo […]
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Breaker breaker one-nine, trucking jobs dying on the vine
With a fleet of some 60 trucks, Ottawa County-based Luther Logistics is primed to expand. If only it could find the drivers. “I could put four or five people in a truck today,” said Jordan Luther, the firm’s owner and operations manager. “It used to be that we would get four or five people a […]
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Military vets find civilian work behind the wheel
After 12 years in the Navy, John Kutrich was ready to try something else. Following his discharge in 2007, he worked for a military contractor in South Carolina for about 18 months until the work dried up. He moved to Michigan, got his commercial driving license and found work with Flint-based E.L. Hollingsworth & & […]
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Empty cabs: Are driverless vehicles the answer to Michigan’s trucker shortage?
With no obvious near-term answer to the shortage of truck drivers, could it be that science fiction delivers the final solution? Caterpillar is already operating driverless trucks in mining operations in remote parts of Australia, a move company officials say saves both money and mistakes. In July, a driverless car navigated the streets of an […]
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