Local and Michigan Headlines: Updates on Coal Plants in Michigan; Pete Hoekstra is Olbermann’s “Worst Person in the World”

Here’s some interesting headlines covering Grand Rapids and Michigan from the past twenty-four hours:

• Dueling gay identity events highlight change in Grand Rapids – The Michigan Messenger looks at two upcoming events in Grand Rapids–an anti-gay conference organized by a Focus on the Family affiliated organization and a panel discussion organized by Grand Valley State University (GVSU) to give a more comprehensive view of LGBT issues.
• Wolverine Mum On Coal Plant’s Price – The Michigan Land Use Institute looks at the potential cost of a proposed coal power plant near Rogers City.
• Consumers report notes that renewables can meet two-thirds of projected demand – Michigan Liberal highlights an editorial from the Midland Daily News that questions the need for more new coal plants in Michigan. They point out that Consumers Energy says that renewables could meet two-thirds of the demand for electricity in Michigan.
• Hoekstra: Olbermann’s worst person in the world – I don’t watch the show, but Keith Olbermann’s MSNBC show is pretty popular and he featured Representative Pete Hoekstra last night as the winner of the show’s “Worst Person in the World” award. The reason? Hoekstra’s revealing classified documents after denouncing others who did it.
• Pew Study: Michigan 10th in Clean Energy Jobs Nationwide – Blogging for Michigan reports that Michigan is ranked 10th in the country for clean energy jobs. The sector grew while jobs in other areas of the economy decreased.
• Kent Commission chair slams colleagues for standing up for West Michigan – Three Kent County Commissioners–all of them Democrats–have been advocating a policy change that would require the county to use local contractors. However, the chair–a Republican–isn’t interested and said that the three are just “rookies” and suggested they just don’t understand how things work.
• Tuesdays with Tormala Radio Show – Public Reality Radio–an AM station in Grand Rapids offering a decent line-up of progressive radio programming–is launching a new show hosted by former Grand Rapids City Commissioner Rick Tormala. The show is going to be a live call-in show covering politics. It will be a welcome break from the conservative shows.
• Foundation will fund eight Grand Rapids middle school football teams – Two DeVos family foundations are going to fund football teams in Grand Rapids’ middle schools. Earlier this year, they provided funding for basketball teams.
• Thursday town hall meeting will discuss ways Countrywide Financial Corp. settlement funds are being used to fight foreclosures – There will be a town hall meeting Thursday to update residents on how funds won through a class action lawsuit against Countrywide–a company that has been partially blamed for the mortgage crisis in the U.S.–are being used to fight foreclosures.
• Setting priorities for downtown Grand Rapids – The Grand Rapids Press’ development reporter has a brief overview of some items before the Downtown Development Agency (DDA). It’s one of those entities that should get more scrutiny than it currently does.

Related posts:

1. Michigan Coal Waste a Problem; Will be Exacerbated by New Coal Plants
2. Local/Michigan Headlines: New Contract for GRPS Superintendent; Michigan’s Coal “Needs”
3. Group Calls for Limits on Michigan Coal Plants in Wake of EPA Decision
4. Local and Michigan Headlines: Film Looks at Philanthropy in Grand Rapids; Family Research Council Candidate for Hoekstra’s Seat
5. Local/Michigan Headlines: Granholm Supreme Court News; Hoekstra Doesn’t Think Waterboarding is Torture