Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel commented on the charges, saying, “These cases highlight the scrutiny applications and ballots undergo throughout the election process, as well as the thorough investigative process that ensues when instances of attempted fraud are suspected.
The three people charged included a Macomb County nursing home employee who filled out voter applications without consent of the voters, a Wayne County grandmother who filled out an absentee ballot for her grandson who also voted in person, and a legal guardian who fraudulently obtained ballots for legally incapacitated individuals in both Wayne and Oakland counties.
Signature matching and security checks revealed the fraudulent applications or ballots. If found guilty, the penalties range from 90-day misdemeanors to five-year felonies for each charge.
Nessel said, “I appreciate our partners at the Department of State and Michigan State Police who brought these cases to us. These collaborative investigations assist in maintaining the integrity of our elections. We will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who attempts to undermine our elections.”
The City of Marysville will be getting $75,000 as part of a larger $1 million program to support officers and public safety across Michigan. The grants are part of a plan to increase public safety. Marysville was one of eleven municipalities that received grants, in addition to a grant to the Michigan State Police.
The City of Marysville’s grant is for supporting law enforcement in seeking accreditation, as are the grants given to several other cities.
The Michigan State Police received a grant of over $182,000 to support de-escalation training.
De-escalation programs improve communication when police and civilians have an encounter. The strategy helps officers maintain security, prevent crime, and advance community policing.
Colonel Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police said, “At the core of de-escalation is communication. Our troopers and the communities we serve benefit when we improve how we approach and treat each other. “
The grants are awarded through the United States Department of Justice’s Community Development De-Escalation program.
The 4-H Future Squad is a new program being offered by the MSU Extension, and its goal is to teach 12-19 year-olds how to “adult”.
“Adulting” is a fairly new verb being used to describe normal tasks of independent living such as paying bills, taking care of a home, and being a contributing member of a community.
The 4-H Future Squad consists of 30 virtual sessions along with an in-person session and a community service day. Youth must be enrolled in Michigan 4-H to participate, but registration is easy and available online.
Youth can attend as many sessions as they’d like to, and they will earn t-shirts and other incentives if they participate in 6 or more sessions. The program begins now (October 2021) and runs through June of 2022.
Some examples of topics include handling stress, preparing for work, communicating with others, and preparing food.
October is both Agritourism Month and Farm-to-Table Month. The designations are meant to draw attention to Michigan’s family farms, processors, wholesalers, and retailers who rely on local customers especially during harvest time, and the connection between Michigan agriculture and school lunches.
Agritourism includes things like apple orchards and pumpkin patches, where agriculture and tourism connect by the public being invited on to the farm to enjoy their products and services.
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Gary McDowell said, “Agritourism opportunities are available in every county in our state, providing loads of family friendly fun.”
The National Farm to School program helps connect local dairy, fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans with schools to get the products on the menus in school cafeterias. There is also a component of a nutrition-based curriculum and exposure to food growing.
State School Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said that over a quarter of a billion meals have been served to school children and their younger siblings throughout Michigan since March 2020.
Courts have been backlogged for over 18 months since COVID slowed things down. A plan is in the works to take one aspect of the backlog, firearms-related cases, and speed up their processing with an increased number of visiting judges and increased funding for prosecution and defense.
The MI Safe Communities framework would use federal American Rescue Plan money to put $75 million into safety programs to help the justice system operate more efficiently.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack said, “Courts pivoted quickly to remote proceedings to keep our justice system running, and trial courts statewide have held nearly four million hours of remote hearings since April of 2020. To protect the rights of defendants, however, many criminal proceedings must be in person, creating a substantial backlog in many courts. Additional visiting judges will help tackle that backlog, resolve cases more quickly, and help keep our communities safe.”
Part of the plan also calls for investment in Collaborative Community Violence Intervention Programs and an array of prevention and treatment services.
Justin Dalenberg grew up looking forward to his annual trip to McCallum’s Orchard and the process of turning the apples he picked into homemade pies. His love of food grew as he helped his mother in her work as a caterer and baker, and he refined his culinary skills at St. Clair TEC in the St. Clair Hospitality Academy program.
Justin was a student Port Huron Northern and worked at Tom Manis Restaurant, Crystal Gardens, and the River Crab while growing up in the Blue Water Area. After winning a cooking competition at St. Clair TEC, he earned a full-ride scholarship to Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, which is very well-known for its culinary arts program.
After college, Justin worked in various fine dining restaurants around the U.S. including the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, and Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor. As a consultant, he has opened 20-30 restaurants in the Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor area, and he is the owner of VERITAS in Jackson, MI; Grand River Brewery in Marshall, MI; and several Doll n’ Burgers restaurants in Jackson, Marshall, and Tecumseh, MI.
Justin Dalenberg’s newest food and dining adventure is the renovation and reimagining of the 17,000-square-foot Manchester Market which celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 455 W. Main Street in Manchester, Michigan. He is co-owner of the market with business partner, Ken Heers.
Manchester Market is a foodie’s dream featuring a full-service grocery store, a commercial butcher shop & bakery, and a gelato shop, along with a coffee shop and beer cave. The market is also the new home of the Acorn Farmer’s Market and Café, a non-profit farmer’s market.
“We have a bunch of different people with different skills and different passions all under one roof,” said Dalenberg.
Justin Dalenberg, Co-Owner Manchester Market
When asked what draws him to the food and hospitality industry, Dalenberg said, “I’m obsessed with it. I love making people happy. I love throwing parties, I love taking care of people, and I love great food.”
Dalenberg learned a great deal living on the East Coast, in the Carribean, and in the Aspen, Colorado area. He said, “Everything you did was top-notch, and I kind of bring that East Coast, cook-from-scratch, buy-better-ingredients-for-flavor idea. In Michigan, we have the best ingredients, but a lot of people just don’t use them.”
Dalenberg has plans to open several more Grand River Breweries and Doll n’ Burgers in the next few years along with a hotel and another market.
