The Centers for Public and Global Integrity rank the state of Michigan 50th in the country in areas of ethics and transparency. Certain members of the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners are doing all they can to make sure their community is unable to improve that embarrassing statistic. Shortly after the new Board was seated, an Ad Hoc Ethics committee was appointed by Rob Henschel to improve the outdated county ethics policy. Ron Clous was to chair the committee co

On Thursday, October 3, 2019, at Central Methodist Church in Traverse City, the public met with members of the criminal legal system. The discussion included how our local law enforcement works, what isn’t working as well as it might, and what should be done to improve it. Before During and After Incarceration, a local group, hosted the event moderated by Ron Jolly. Local judges, attorneys, the jail Chaplain and a member of the ACLU all had something important to add. Toni St

On August 20th, 2019, Democratic Senator, Adam Hollier, who represents Senate District 2 in the Detroit area, introduced a bill to amend 2006 PA 110 entitled the “Michigan Zoning Enabling Act,” numbered SB 431. This bill, if signed into law, would make it impossible for any county or township zoning board to deny a special use permit for an open pit gravel mine or gas and oil drilling operation regardless of residential or rural residential zoning. Further, the bill stipula