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Top 10 Business Stories: A Mixed Bag
There were plenty of ups and downs in 2007 during a challenging year for northern Michigan's economy and its businesses. The state's battered manufacturing sector and the highest unemployment rate in the country made it tough for residents and businesses to stay afloat. Property values were stagnant, and foreclosure rates in Michigan were among the highest in the country.
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Newsmakers: Justice pushes for change
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver continued to speak out against alleged misuse and abuse of power by her court fellows in 2007, and she's working to change the way justices are selected to the top bench.
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Newsmakers: No charges in stabbing death
Those with a stake in Alan Hihnala's violent death still await answers and clarity more than five months after the electrician was killed during a domestic dispute.
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Newsmakers: Jail theft may not be solved
It appears the person responsible for pilfering more than $16,000 from a Grand Traverse County Jail inmate fund won't face charges. That weighs heavily on Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Mark Henschell, who spent more than a year investigating the case.
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Newsmakers: A hole in your heart
The Blaskowski family walked across a snow-covered cemetery, a Christmas card and golden snowman decorations in tow. They were there on their weekly visit, this time with holiday adornments for the grave of Matthew Blaskowski, who died in combat this year in Afghanistan.
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Newsmakers: Meeting generates buzz
Buzz generated by this summer's National Governors Association meeting far overshadowed any immediate economic impact to the area, local business leaders and state officials agree.
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Newsmakers: Villagers put Klan flag incident behind them
There won't be anymore Confederate flags adorned with racist messages flapping over public events in Rapid City, everyone agrees.
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Newsmakers: Decision on well on the way
Bob Marsh wants state and federal officials to consider risks to the environment and human health before making a decision that could affect a northern Michigan watershed and those who live nearby.
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Newsmakers: Shed contents more ordinary
A room in a maintenance shed at the Benzie County government center is now stocked with power tools, paint and other ordinary things. The same room last year housed stacks of Playboy magazines, drug paraphernalia, a tanning bed and other items linked to a couple of custodians who used the taxpayer-funded space as a personal clubhouse.
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Newsmakers: Family moves on after fallout
It's been nearly eight months since the boy, then a 15-year-old sophomore at Traverse City West Senior High, allegedly made statements to a school counselor about hurting himself and classmates.
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Lawmakers' free trip under scrutiny
Nearly two dozen state politicians and their families enjoyed a free charter fishing excursion on Lake Michigan, an outing that exposed a gaping hole in state lobbing laws.
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Newsmakers: Kolke Creek battle continues
Janney Mayer Simpson is anxious for the end of a long-running legal battle she and some neighbors and area conservationists launched more than a year ago. "Every citizen has to be a watchdog in their own back yards," she said. "We're just doing our job as riparian landowners.
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Newsmakers: Insurance denial still stings
It's been a tough couple of years for Carole Bull and her family. She lost her husband, Terry, to a massive heart attack in May 2006. And through her grief she waged an 11-month battle with his former employer, Sara Lee Corp., over a $33,000 life insurance benefit denied by the company.
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Newsmakers: Family survives explosion
Lights glowed on a freshly cut Christmas tree in the corner of Matthew and Sarah Johnson's family room as their 1-year-old son tottered and played with toys. It's a far cry from six months ago, when the young family lay shocked and injured amid the rubble of their new home.
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Newsmakers: Woman evicted for park
The last Glen Haven resident was evicted from her home Nov. 8 as part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore's efforts to turn the historic village into a public area.
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Newsmakers: Teacher's memory lives on
Today's story on the tragic death of Benzie Central High School teacher Katherine Wolterink is the first in a series of "Newsmaker" updates on the people, places and incidents that made headlines in northern Michigan in 2007. Wolterink, 60, a beloved English teacher, died in September when her vehicle was struck head-on by an alleged drunken driver. The Newsmaker series will continue through month's end.
