State Round Up

Wyandotte: U.S. starts cleanup study for Detroit River island
WYANDOTTE, Mich. (AP) — Cleanup is moving ahead for a Detroit River island the U.S Army Corps of Engineers built to hold contaminated sediment.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says workers are about to start evaluating Grassy Island to determine how to best contain about 3 million cubic yards of dredged material.

The agency says work will end in November.

Grassy Island is off the shore in Wyandotte, about 10 miles south-southwest of Detroit. It’s now part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

The island originally was a large shoal area with a few low-lying islands. The Army Corps diked up 72 acres in 1959 to hold sediment, mainly from the Rouge River.

Saugatuck Twp.: Decision delayed on Saugatuck Twp. dunes expansion
SAUGATUCK TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Saugatuck Township board members have pushed back until next month a decision on whether to add 11 acres to a critical dunes area.

The latest delay from the board came last week.

The Holland Sentinel reports Tuesday Saugatuck Township is the first community in the state to be eligible for an expansion of the dune designation.

Kalamazoo River Protection Association president Dayle Harrison tells the newspaper “the clock is ticking” and “sooner or later there’s going to be development.”

The township board tabled the issue in June on the advice of its attorney and hasn’t addressed it since.

Saugatuck Township is in Allegan County near Lake Michigan.

Detroit: Michigan Corps seeks to involve youth in efforts
DETROIT (AP) — A recently formed national philanthropy working to help Michigan rebound from its economic troubles wants to get students and youth involved in the effort.

Michigan Corps says its Michigan Corps Youth Network will provide leadership, learning and collaboration opportunities.

Students of all ages may join. Michigan Corps also wants high schools to establish Michigan Corps Youth Network chapters.

Michigan Corps formed with the idea to draw on the resources, talents and ideas of people around the world with ties to the state. It plans to invest in organizations focused on economic transformation and wealth creation.

New York native Rishi Jaitly started Michigan Corps with his wife, Detroit native Anuja Jaitly.

Lansing: Michigan Historical Museum to open toy exhibit
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Historical Museum is opening a new exhibit of old toys called “Batteries Not Included.”

The exhibit opens Saturday at the museum in Lansing. It includes toys either manufactured in Michigan or donated to the museum by Michigan residents. They include toy soldiers, sleds, model cars and games.

Some of the toys were mass produced and others are one-of-a-kind creations.

At least a dozen Michigan toy manufacturers are represented, including billiards and board games from the Carrom Co. of Ludington; chess sets and kaleidoscopes from the Drueke Co. of Grand Rapids; and Daisy Air Rifles of Plymouth.

The exhibit is scheduled to run through March.

Detroit: Carpenters union backing GOP’s Snyder in Michigan
DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan construction workers union has endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder.

The 18,000-member Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights announced its endorsement of Snyder on Monday.

Snyder faces Democrat Virg Bernero in the Nov. 2 election. Bernero has been backed by several major unions, including the United Auto Workers and the Michigan Education Association.

Snyder said he appreciated the carpenters union’s willingness to make an endorsement not based on traditional partisan loyalty.

Bernero is Lansing’s mayor. Snyder is an Ann Arbor businessman.