ARTICLES
Ethanol production levels off in Michigan
Plans for five more plants were scrapped.
LANSING — Less than a year after a brutal drought damaged corn crops across the Midwest, the ethanol industry is looking to recover from its first national decline in 15 years.
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Inmates not always treated for addiction, mental illness
Catch-22 leaves them without help for either malady.
LANSING — Unpredictable behavior, irrationality, confusion, loss of control: all are symptoms of mental illness and signs of drug abuse.
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Longer sentences fuel big budget for Michigan prisons
LANSING — Despite a declining prison population, the average Michigan prisoner is spending more time behind bars — at significant taxpayer expense.
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Late spring drops Michigan’s golf season in the bunker
But officials know tricky weather is just par for the course here.
LANSING — In March 2012, golf courses across the state were in full swing. This year, some were still buried in snow.
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Electronic court records could cut costs, but privacy is a concern
Ottawa has electronic system, but it’s woefully underused.
LANSING — To save time and money, a bipartisan group of legislators wants to make more court records digitally accessible.
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Green jobs in Michigan grow again after dip
Manufacturing infrastructure, skilled workers draw companies here.
LANSING — After losing 3 percent of its “green” jobs a year earlier, Michigan became one of the fastest-growing states for environmental employment last year.
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State prisons shuffle inmates to manage security risks
LANSING — During the past five years, Michigan’s prison population has dropped by nearly 8,000 and 20 facilities have closed, leaving the Department of Corrections with one question to answer: Where should it keep those who stay?
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More Michigan medical school graduates, but not enough residency spots
LANSING — Despite three new medical colleges opening within a three-year span, Michigan likely won’t see an increase in doctors, but rather an increase in the exodus of graduates to other states, experts say.
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