Linden Fire Burns Senior Center

Friday September 30, 2011 a fire breaks out in Linden burning down two of the Loose Senior Citizen Center buildings. The fire started at 1:30 pm, there were about two dozen people inside at the time, and there were no injuries. The Loose Senior Citizen Center is located at 707 North Bridge Street and has about 4,000 members. Mlive.com reports that the cause of the fire is still unknown. Fire departments were called in from Fenton, Argentine and Mundy.

Linden High School cancelled it's Homecoming Parade which was scheduled for this afternoon.

October Brings Awareness

Most people believe that the month of October is just about football, candy and dressing up in crazy costumes. However there is something else that October brings, Awareness about Breast Cancer. There are many factors of getting breast cancer but according to the Susan G. Komen website there will be an estimated 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women and there will be 2,140 new cases of breast cancer in men.

There are plenty of events going on to raise awareness, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer has a few walks going on in the Flint area. There is also a Pink Night cancer fundraiser at Blackstones on Oct. 6, being held by the Financial Plus Credit Union, where bra's will be auctioned off. Women are not the only ones involved but men also are raising awareness like the National Football League that auctions off the pink gloves, cleats and jerseys that the players wear during the month of October.

For more information about breast cancer visit the following  American Cancer Society.

Hanson kicks his way to another Special Teams Award

Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson has received another title, Special Team's Player of the month. So far this season Hanson has made 8 of 8 field goals and helped the Lions win in overtime last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings; the Lions are currently 3-0.

Photo supplied by Sodeonla at Jason Hanson Wiki.

Hanson has been with Detroit since 1992 and according to the lions has become the seventh player in NFL history to make over 1,900 career points.

For more information about Hanson's NFL Career visit the Detroit Lion's Website here.

Beautiful Lights from Above

On September 14, 2011 an explosion of gas from the sun caused the earth to experience both northern and southern auroa's. The gas did not reach earth until Monday September 26, 2011.
Spaceweather.com reported that the magnetic aftershocks from that explosion caused parts of Canada, and some northern U.S. States to see the northern lights. Included in this was Michigan, which had the opportunity to see the northern lights on Wednesday September 28, 2011.

The image above was taken by astronauts while passing over the Indian Ocean on September 17, 2011. They also shot the video posted below. For more information about this occurrence visit NASA.

Girl hit during a police pursuit on Saginaw

13-year-old Misty Kurmas was on her way to church when she was struck by a vehicle that was running away from the police at about 5 p.m Wednesday, according to this ABC12 article. The driver of the vehicle was a 28-year-old man, wanted for drug charges on the federal level, attacking a police officer, and violating parole. The driver was being tracked by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Flint Area Narcotics Group. When officers attempted to make the driver pull over, the driver attempted to flee and hit Kurmas. The driver, later identified by the Flint Journal as Mark Blount, then attempted to escape on foot, but was arrested seconds later.

Department of Justice gives $1.23 to Flint's police deparment

According to this article in the Associated Press, the Department of Justice is granting $8.18 million to four policies agencies in Michigan. This is being done so that they can either hire or keep 35 officers
Flint's police department is getting $1.23 million for six officers. The money comes from the Community Oriented Policing Services program known as COPs, according to Democrats in the state congress. The grant covers the payments and expenses of the cops for three years. This fact has some people, like those in the comment section of the article, to wonder what will happen to the officers when the three years are over.

Buckham artists give art lessons to GVRC youth

From now until December artists from the Buckham Gallery in Downtown Flint will be visiting the students of Genesee Valley Regional Center in order to give art lessons, according to the Flint Journal. The GVRC is a detention center for youth ages 10-17. The artists hope that the artistic outlet will give the students hope and a way to channel their energy in a positive manner. The project is being funded via a mini-grant from the Share Art Flint program. The Buckham Gallery plans on making an exhibit of the artwork of the GVRC youth toward the end of the project in December.

UM-Flint Junior may become a millionaire

Chad Mosher, UM-Flint junior and classmate of yours truly, earned $85,000 on the Thursday's episode of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" according to the Flint Journal. He has correctly answered six questions and used two of his three lifelines. He earned $50,000 on a "double your money" question about which store the fireman in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury would likely set on fire. The answer was Barnes and Nobles.
The show ended on a cliffhanger, with the show running out of time before Mosher could answer the seventh question: "Which of these is the name of a human-powered aircraft and not a bird species". The answers are: Gila Woodpecker, Gossamer Albatross, Harris' Hawk, or Blackburnian Warbler.
The show will continue Friday. See if Mosher continues to earn money or walks away without.

Flint Kids Learn Confidence Through Writing Music

From NPR's Weekend Edition on Sunday, Kyle Norris reported on a school and community center program in Flint that teaches kids the basics of songwriting and music production as a means of expression and an outlet for strong emotions. Students of the program learn that personal experience can make for a far stronger song than cliched choruses. Positive externalities include positive role models, improved social skills such as clearer speech and improved confidence, and collective catharsis. This is truly a heart-warming story of hope in impoverished Flint.

Pew Research Study Provides Mixed Hope For Newspapers

Community newspapers are not dead yet but television is slipping. That's one way to interpret a new study released by the Pew Research Center on American news consumption. According to the New York Times today, the study found that news consumers tend to favor television for breaking news such as information about the weather, but also look to community newspapers and websites for information about their local government and crime reports. While television is still considered the overall dominant news medium, the margin is slim especially as younger consumers look to television less for information than older consumers.

Gov. Granholm Shares Midwest Solutions With Big City Comedian

On press tour for her recently published book “A Governor's Story,” The Detroit News reports former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm appeared last Thursday night on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”. In an extended interview which overlapped on to the late-night television show's website, Granholm described Michigan's struggling economic situation as a prophetic microcosm of the entire country, attempting to resolve a recession crisis through tax cuts. “I cut taxes 99 times in my first term. I cut government more than any other state in the country,” Granholm said. “You would think … we would be No. 1 in employment. But alas, we were No. 1 in unemployment.” Instead, Granholm proposed a more cooperative solution incorporating the federal government and the states determining strengths and policy goals collectively instead of competing against one another for job creation.

Granholm will be in Ann Arbor, Mich. tomorrow night at the Michigan Theater to discuss her book and sign copies. The event is open to the public.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Jennifer Granholm Extended Interview Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
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Small Relief At Michigan Gas Pumps

In case you have not been driving recently, gasoline prices are down 21 cents on average across Michigan. Citing a report from AAA of Michigan, MLive.com reports that drop may appear substantial but prices are still over 70 cents higher than they were this time last year. The current state average is $3.49 but several gas stations in the Lansing area are as low as$2.98! For once it would seem falling stock prices are having a positive effect on the average consumer.

Michigan News Outlets Copy Report of Troop Deployment

Michigan based news organizations including television affiliates, The Detroit Free Press, and Michigan radio all reprinted a story by the Associated Press that says “Hundreds of Michigan National Guard members are leaving home for tours of duty in the war in Afghanistan.” The Flint Journal which references the Detroit News reprinting says that the 125th Infantry is based on Flint. According to the Michigan ArmyNational Guard website, the 1-125 Infantry Battalion is located in Flint. However, no other websites including state and military or any other online news articles mention the Flint connection. Furthermore, the Michigan Army National Guard website does not provide any public information as to where specific battalions are located. Therefore it is unclear how many Flint families are affected by this deployment as no other local news outlets have done any independent reporting. Hopefully local news organizations will cover the farewell ceremony to provide clearer connections to the specific communities affected.

U of M Flint hits record enrollment

Photo by Marty Dow

The University of Michigan Flint has once again set an enrollment record. In an article from the Flint Journal the campus enrollment was reported to be up 1.5% for the Fall 2011 semester. The current enrollment is 8,262 students. The change is greatly attributed to an increase in foreign students. The number of foreign students in 2011 was 229. This year foreign student enrollment is 316 students. That is a 38% increase in foreign students. The college believes that the growth in student enrollment will continue into the future.

Pell Grants May Be Cut

In an article in the detnews.com the possibility of cuts to Pell Grant Funding is discussed. More than 9 million students use the program. The maximum amount per student per year is $5,500.  In the spring budget debates in Congress cuts to the program were suggested. However, in the budget deal small changes were made to the program instead.

http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/c_wf_1.cfm

But with a projected Pell Grant budget shortfall of $1.3 billion in 2012, Congress will be looking to cut the program. Some of the major changes could be limiting the number of semesters undergraduates could receive the grant. It is believed that the program will undergo these and other changes, but will remain available for many students.

Bikes on the Bricks

Photo by Marty Dow

The University of Michigan Flint will be surrounded by thousands of motorcycles this weekend. It is time once again for Bikes on the Bricks. The event is one of three downtown that are partially funded by a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The main event area is along Saginaw Street and in the parking lot just south of the Pavilion at the University of Michigan Flint. The schedule for the event is:
 Friday, September 23, 10 A.M.-10 P.M.
 Saturday, September 24, 10 A.M.-10 P.M.
 Sunday, September 25, 10 A.M.-5 P.M.
According to the event website there will be a Police Escorted Motorcycle Ride through Genesee County. There will also be a Bike Show and Police Officer Motorcycle Riding Competition.

The Following video is the event trailer:









For more information click here to go to the event website.

Photo by Marty Dow

Update on Friday's Falling Space Junk

This is an update to the previous released post on the UARS. NASA has issued a press release updating the scheduled Re-Entry of the satellite. Instead of the afternoon or early evening on Friday, September 23, the satellite is believed to Re-Enter the atmosphere late Friday night or early Saturday, September 24.

Friday's Falling Space Junk

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/584115main_UARS_2_946-710.jpg

Today a NASA satellite the size of a bus will return to earth in a fireball. According to an article from the AFP NASA does not know where the satellite will crash. The six ton satellite is expected to break into 26 large pieces and many smaller ones.  This is the largest re-entry of space debris in thirty years.

The article stated that NASA suggested the odds of a person being struck by a piece of the satellite was 1 in 3200. However, today NASA sent an update on twitter. They reportedly tweeted, "The chances that you (yes, I mean YOU) will be hit by a piece of the UARS satellite today are one in several trillion." These two different probabilities of being struck are drastically different.

The 1 in 3200 odds of being struck was mocked by a number of news commentators and comedians as being alarming. Their fears and and the fears of others seem to be slightly justified as the odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime are 1 in 3000. Whatever the odds are, if a piece of the UARS lands by you NASA has asked that you contact them.



For more information on the UARS Re-Entry watch the following video!

Follow this link to the NASA Re-Entry and Risk Assessment PDF

UPDATED: A word of caution about pictures

This child is holding a protest sign on March 26, 2010, often used by the Westboro Baptist Church, which was in the news last year as part of a Supreme Court case about whether its members can be restricted from protesting during funerals. This photo — by k763 — is reproduced under a Creative Commons license.

HARTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — We'll focus on copyright of images as part of another assignment, but when you aggregate, it's important to realize that just because you can copy a photo doesn't mean it's legal to use it. If you use a copyrighted photo without permission, it'll negatively affect your grade.

I obtained this picture from Flickr, which offers pictures for use with permission in advance under a Creative Commons license.

So, be mindful that you need either permission or a Creative Commons license to include a picture. Video embeds encourage sharing, so that is typically OK.

Another tip: When you're on a website, look for its terms of use. Often, it'll address what the owner claims under copyright, images, graphics, etc. Also, images on government sites typically can be used, such as the one Martin Dow did for his NASA post, but it isn't always the case. (Check out the briefing room at the White House — it's all public). For instance, if someone takes pictures of a festival that get posted on a government website, the photographer, not the government retains copyright. All the photographer did was allow the government to post, not you.

When you do your aggregation, if you have a question about a picture, please ask.

Update note: This post was updated Friday afternoon to give more advice on how to find usable pictures for aggregation.

My Journey Shows Trend

HARTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As promised, here’s my take on this week’s readings (feel free to post a comment, but it’s not required. Although sometimes, I'll incorporate blog discussions as part of other assignments here or offer extra credit, such as with the first post. … We'll keep the graded discussions on Blackboard):

Two years ago, I was in graduate school here and teaching two journalism classes with not much hope of finding a professional job in journalism because of the economy. Now thanks to the bet of AOL (which owns Patch) on hyperlocal journalism, I'm back to work for more than a year now. Part of the reason I got the position was because I've continued to upgrade my skills, especially in the digital environment where telling stories can be done through social media, audio, video and slideshows.

And I've needed those skills because my job really is several: I'm a reporter, an editor (I edit freelance copy and assign stories), social media producer and I'm my own administrative assistant (track budgets, mileage, etc.). Needless to say, this is more than a full-time job and has been admittedly stressful on my family life, although there is an advantage of being able to commute by walking down the stairs every day since I work out of my home. And, there's something rewarding about covering the community where you live. While I cover hard news, you also get to chronicle what makes an area special. The story above — which is something I didn't have the skills to do when I still worked The Flint Journal — is a perfect example:

How do you get your news?

I often use Google alerts to stay on top of news from Hartland.

HARTLAND, Michigan — This is a blog. Do you get your news from blogs? Or, maybe it's from television or from mainstream media websites. Some might still purchase the old dead-tree version of publications. I actually do. I receive the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus every day. As a competitor to the Hartland Patch, I sometimes find the paper version easier to navigate than the Press & Argus website when I'm looking for news relevant to the community I cover.

Yet at the same time, I rely heavily on news published on the Internet. Aggregating and curating news stories — which essentially means you compile and organize other people's work to repurpose on your website — has an important although controversial role online. So, I'm often monitoring the Press & Argus' website as well as the one for WHMI radio, Livingston Talk and neighboring Patch sites in Fenton and Brighton. In addition, both the site's Facebook and Twitter accounts bring in news via the organizations and people I like and follow where I've found great story ideas such as when a local man posted on Facebook that he won a NASA photo contest or first hearing breaking news on Twitter, such as freeway construction.

In addition, I receive this information in various platforms as well. I typically use a laptop to do my job, but sometimes my iPhone helps me post updates and monitor my email.

All these technologies are just new tools for today's journalist to add to the traditional interviewing and news gathering techniques and successful reporters use old and new skills to tell the most accurate story possible.

What news sources and technology do you use to get your news?