GRAND RAPIDS - Entrepreneurs across West Michigan will soon have the opportunity to turn their big ideas into new ventures in one intense weekend project in February. Startup Weekend was founded in 2007 by Andrew Hyde, the weekend is a concept of a conference focusing on learning by creating. It is known for its quick
LANSING ? Gov. Jennifer Granholm last week issued an executive order creating a new department from the combined departments of Management and Budget and Information Technology. The new Department of Technology, Management and Budget will become effective on March 21, presuming E.O. 2009-55 runs into no legislative roadblocks. Kenneth Theis, current DIT director, will be
GRAND RAPIDS and BIRMINGHAM - MITechNews.Com, an online technology news portal, announced a media partnership with IT-Harvest, a security news portal, that will include combined news, podcasting, live events and advertising to a nationwide audience of security professionals. MITechNews.Com includes a Security section that features news, information and events listings. That news is packaged every
WARREN ? Eighty-three percent of the owners of small businesses surveyed across Michigan do not support a government-operated health care plan as a public option for insurance, a new survey reports. The survey was conducted among members of the Michigan Business and Professional Association and the Michigan Food and Beverage Association. The U.S. House bill,
ANN ARBOR - Adaptive Materials was recently awarded a $3 million contract to provide 60-watt fuel cell systems to the United States Air Force, delivering a significant number over the next 19 months. Adaptive Materials will determine the feasibility of fuel cells to power communications, surveillance and other technologies for soldiers in the field and
LANSING ? Michigan students receiving the State Competitive Scholarship and the Tuition Grant in the current fiscal year will see lesser maximum awards under action taken last week by the Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority. The authority, which is in charge of setting minimum and maximum levels of financial aid, acted after the Legislature approved
LANSING - When historians review the years 2000-09 in Michigan government, the difficulty that the state had in grappling with a nine-year recession and perpetual budget crises will stand out. But despite an overwhelming focus during the decade on budgetary matters, the state made several major policy changes, too. Here are the ten most significant
LANSING - Michigan's population has fallen below 10 million, according to U.S. Census data released last week. As of July 1, 2009, the state's population is 9,969,727, down from 10,002,486 a year earlier. It's the first time since the July 1, 2000, population estimate that the state's population fell below 10 million. This story was
LANSING - It began as a decade of exciting firsts for Michigan: setting an all-time record low unemployment rate of 3.2 percent, electing the first Michigan women to be governor and U.S. senator, breaking the 10 million barrier in population, seeing the first African-American to lead a legislative caucus and achieving the highest possible credit
LANSING - Good news and very bad news comes from the Senate Fiscal Agency's budget forecast: January should not require the state to enact mid-year budget cuts to schools and state services, but a $1.84 billion gap exists between available revenues for the 2010-11 fiscal year and existing spending levels. The forecast, released Tuesday, is