DETROIT (WWJ) As President Barack Obama and Republican contender Mitt Romney prepare to battle it out in the debate ring, the most recent poll shows Obama is pulling no punches in his lead over Romney in Michigan.

The newest EPIC/MRA poll shows Obama with a 47 to 37 percent margin over Romney.

The GOP candidate has lost five percentage points in the state since the previous poll, and pollster Bernie Porn thinks the drop can directly be attributed to Romney’s remark about the ”47 percent” of Americans who would rather rely on government handouts than take care of themselves.

“I think in terms of the impact of that, it was very profound, and I think most people may well consider it a revealing comment more than thinking that it was an invasion of his privacy in comments before fundraisers,” Porn said.

Porn said if Obama maintains his current lead in Michigan and other battleground states, he will have more than enough votes to easily win the electoral college.

“It will be difficult for him to overcome this, not only in Michigan but I think in every one of the battleground states he is trailing President Obama from a couple to a few to several points,” Porn said. “If you were to award the states, Obama would come in with about almost 350 electoral votes.”

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/01/obama-leads-romney-by-10-points-in-michigan/

NOVI, Mich. (WWJ) – More than 4,000 tech jobs are up for grabs today at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, where the Engineering Society of Detroit is holding it’s annual fall job fair.

Companies hiring include Altair, Denso, Chrysler, DTE, ITT, Magna and Mitsubishi Motors. These companies and more will be looking for engineers and technical professionals to fill full- or part-time vacancies in a variety of fields and skill levels, for positions including: Architects, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Design, Energy, Electrical, Biomedical, Environmental, Aerospace, Transportation, Biofuels, Defense, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Programming, Technical and other engineering and technology related fields.

The job fair is free to ESD members and only $15 for non-members (includes a one-year free membership to ESD, which is good for new first time members only.) It will take place starting at 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. today at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

To register, visit http://ww2.esd.org/home.htm. For more information, call 248-353-0735.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/01/esd-holding-job-fair-in-novi-today/

DETROIT (WWJ) – Some welcome news for drivers today. Gas prices are going down again.

AAA Michigan reports that the average price of gas statewide is $3.879 per gallon. The average price dipped 2.2 cents this week, following last week’s nearly 11-cent decline, according to the auto club. In metro-Detroit, however, as of this morning, prices were as low as $3.73 a gallon at a station at Six Mile Road and Inkster in Livonia.

However, even though prices are down, the statewide average is still 49.7 cents more than last year.

AAA surveys 2,800 Michigan gas stations daily. To find the cheapest gas nationwide, click here to be connected to the AAA Fuel Price Finder.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/01/welcome-news-for-drivers-gas-prices-are-down-again/

DETROIT (WWJ) – The Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists will host and roast a Pulitzer Prize winner and social activist.

On October 6, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, Angelo Henderson one of the founders of Detroit 300, will be on the hot-seat, the focus of a roast by the Detroit chapter.

The chapter expects to host more than 400 attendees – including several area journalists, religious and civic leaders to participate in the roast.

The Detroit Chapter is celebrating its 30th anniversary and launched a 30-30-30 campaign at the beginning of the year.

The group’s goal is to host 30 events and raise $30,000 to support our scholarship fund and programs. The chapter was established in December 1981 and officially founded in 1982.

The association provides scholarship opportunities in print and broadcast journalism in addition to addressing racism in news coverage and employment.

You can find more information about the DC-NABJ roast of Angelo Henderson, HERE.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/30/pulitzer-prize-winner-angelo-henderson-to-be-center-of-roast/

SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - Autumn has arrived and the time has come for local health departments to gear up for this year’s flu season. This time, the H1N1 swine flu is not the only strain that is a major concern.

Kathy Forzley, Manager and Health Officer of the Oakland County Health Division, says this season’s flu vaccine is formulated to take on a trio of influenza strains.

“In this flu shot, there are three strains,” Forzley told WWJ Newsradio 950′s Pat Sweeting. “One of them being the 2009 H1N1 and then there’s two new strains and one of them that we saw (was) the Wisconsin strain. We saw a little bit of that last year so we’re expecting (that) we might see it again this year. And the other one was seen in the Southern Hemisphere and actually there’s been a considerable heavy number of cases in Australia and that will be incorporated into this shot this year.”

Last month in Wisconsin, health officials reported two cases of people infected with a new strain of swine flu. There were also heavy reports coming from Australia about the deadly H3N2 flu strain activity being widespread across the country.

In Oakland County, flu vaccinations are currently available at the Health Division offices in Pontiac and Southfield locations. Forzley reminds the public who should be immunized against influenza.

“Everyone over six months should get the flu shot,” Forzley said. “The elderly, the very young and the immune compromised are the ones that have potentially the greatest risk for life threatening symptoms or illness. Even though you might not fall in that category, you should still get your flu shot because you’re not only protecting yourself. You’re protecting the people around you.”

Flu symptoms to watch for are fever, aches and loss of appetite.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/category/news/

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - Henry Ford Health System and Beaumont Health System are the latest medical centers in Metro Detroit to hop aboard non-smoking bandwagon.

The hospital systems on Friday issued a joint statement announcing a smoking ban for employees hired after Jan. 1 as part of an “ongoing commitment to patient safety and employee wellness.”

“As health care providers, we have a responsibility to take a leadership role in promoting healthy behaviors – starting with ourselves,” said Beaumont’s president and CEO Gene Michalski.

Talking to WWJ Newesradio 950, Henry Ford’s Eric Bacigal explained more about the policy.

“During the work shift the individuals that are currently employed are not able to use any tobacco product, either during breaks or lunch, and they’re not able to have any odor from smoke at all from the point when they report for their actual service until the end of their shift,” Bacigal said.

Tobacco products include but are not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Job applicants will be screened to ensure they do not use tobacco. Current employees will be encouraged to quit. Both companies’ current policies prohibit the use of tobacco products during work hours. Employees who violate these policies are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

“There’s no question that we believe that healthier behaviors and not smoking is a positive thing for health care costs,” said Jay Holden, Vice President of Human Resources at Beaumont. “And we think it’s really important for patients because employees who smell of smoke, we have many patients that are sensitive to that — people who are allergic to that.”

Holden said current employees can be, and have been, asked to go home if they smell of smoke.

The health care systems will join the Detroit Medical Center and Botsford Hospital in adopting no-nicotine policies.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/28/beaumont-henry-ford-to-adopt-non-smoking-hiring-policy/

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) A new kind of reality video is coming to theaters near you — and it doesn’t involve any hair-pulling or name-calling.

The meltdowns are for real.

“Burn,” a movie that features a year in the lives of a team of Detroit firefighters, premieres Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29, at The Fillmore Detroit. Tickets are $25, and still available HERE.

The movie, produced by actor Denis Leary, shows what truly goes on behind the red doors of the Detroit Fire Department.

“I wish my head could forget what my eyes have seen,” one firefighter says in the movie trailer.

Filmmakers Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam garnered an exclusive agreement with the Detroit Fire Department that allowed them to embed with firefighters for an entire year, filming no-holds-barred.

“Firefighters don’t talk, they’re not on the couch with Oprah,” Sanchez said. This is the first time viewers will see inside the day-to-day lives of some of the hardest-working first responders in the world.

Detroit has an average of 30 fires a day, and viewers will see some explosive situations up close and personal.

“You’ll see the flames as it unfolds,” Putnam said, adding, “It’s an action movie, it’s shot in widescreen, it’s got great music, we’re up in helicopters, we’re going into fires with these guys.”

The entire movie’s been funded by charitable donations, which Putnam said makes it “possibly the largest film ever to be made this way.”

But it didn’t happen easily: It took filmmakers four years to shoot 1,000 hours of video — which filled 140 hard drives — until they got exactly what they wanted.

“No one’s ever made a firefighting documentary before,” Putnam said. “Detroit’s probably the one place you can do it because they’re so busy that you can actually go to fires with the guys, no one’s ever sent cameras into fires before, no one’s spent this much time in a firehouse before, so I think the movie has a lot of firsts.”

The goal is to “explore human struggles, hope and personal courage in the face of overwhelming odds,” filmmakers said in a press release.

In the meantime, filmmakers are still trying to raise money to ensure the film gets as wide an audience as possible.

As of August 28, 2012, they still need to raise $325,000 to $450,000 — “depending on how wide we want to release the film,” filmmakers said, adding, “Since we do not have a distributor, all the costs of releasing the film fall to us. The more we raise, the more cities we can take it to.

“We know it may seem like a lot, but it’s actually a tiny fraction of what most films cost to get released. And while we’re able to keep costs low, with the support of our partners and social media support, these costs do add up. Just to give you some perspective: Last year, a small documentary we know of was bought by a major distributor that spent $2 million dollars on advertising alone. And you probably never heard of it.”

Click HERE to donate money.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/28/burn-shows-a-year-in-the-lives-of-detroits-firefighters/

LANSING (WWJ) - Cash registers are noisy at stores across the state. According to the Michigan Retail Index, more Michigan retailers increased sales in August, the first time in three months the overall retail industry has improved its performance.

James Hallan, President and CEO of the Michigan Retailers Association, said late summer sales and back-to-school shopping helped the retail industry rebound from a two-month slip.

“The apparel, shoes and general merchandise categories were strong, suggesting that back-to-school shopping was helpful in reversing the trend from early and mid summer,” said Hallan.

Hallan noted that sales improved despite the drag caused by a continued rise in Michigan’s unemployment rate. In August it jumped from 9.0 to 9.4 percent, the fourth monthly increase after dropping nine consecutive months.

The August Michigan Retail Index found that 54 percent of retailers increased sales over the same month last year, while 27 percent recorded declines and 19 percent saw no change. The results create a seasonally adjusted performance index of 61.7, up from 56.1 in July and 58.6 in June. A year ago August it was 55.9.

The Index gauges the performance of the state’s overall retail industry, based on monthly surveys conducted by MRA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Index values above 50 generally indicate positive activity; the higher the number, the stronger the activity.

Looking forward, 56 percent of retailers expect sales during September-November to increase over the same period last year, while 14 percent project a decrease and 30 percent no change. That puts the seasonally adjusted outlook index at 67.7, up slightly from 67.4 in July. A year ago August it was 61.1.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/26/retail-performance-improves-after-2-month-dip/

LANSING, MI -- After a month of investigating, authorities announced on Thursday they will not file charges in the case of a Jewish Michigan State University student who alleged he was the victim of a hate crime in August.

Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III issued a press release on his decision against authorizing charges. He said after weeks of investigating the alleged assault of 19-year-old Zachary Tennen proof a hate crime transpired simply did not surface.

"After reviewing all of the evidence submitted by the (East Lansing) Police Department, I have reached the conclusion that no charges should be issued at this time," Dunnings said in the statement. "I believe there is no evidence that any ethnic/religious/racial bias was involved in this incident."

Tennen, of Franklin, said he was at a party about 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 26 in the 500 block of Spartan Avenue, about a half-mile north of MSU's campus, when two college-aged men asked him if he was Jewish. When he responded in the affirmative, the pair beat him unconscious then stapled his mouth, he alleged.

Tennen, a sophomore journalism major, said his attackers made Nazi gestures and said they were members of the Ku Klux Klan. When he regained consciousness, Tennen said he took a taxi cab to Sparrow Hospital as no one at the party helped him.

East Lansing police have said their investigative findings suggest the incident was not a hate crime. They identified an 18-year-old Farmington Hills man as a suspect in Tennen's assault. The suspect was interviewed but not arrested.

East Lansing police interviewed more than 50 witnesses. They also contacted every person known to have witnessed the incident and its immediate aftermath, Dunnings said.

"The (police) report was completed and sent to my office on September 5, and I have had the report under review as I have taken the time to speak with certain individuals," he said.

Dunnings also released a letter from the Tennen family's attorney, Henry Scharg, of Northville, who writes the Tennens would like the investigation to be closed.

"The Tennen family is cognizant of the fact that substantial resources were expended to investigate these allegations and that there is insufficient evidence of a hate crime to go forward with a criminal prosecution," Scharg writes.

"The Tennen family is grateful for the professionalism of law enforcement and the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office in conducting a full and fair investigation of this matter and believes that justice will be best served by closing this investigation at this time."

Dunnings could not immediately be reached for further comment.
 

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/09/prosecutor_opts_against_filing.html

CLINTON TWP — It’s not all bad news in the banking industry, despite banks eliminating thousands of positions in recent years. Bank of America alone just announced it will cut 16,000 jobs by the end of December, closing 200 branches this year after 178 shuttering bank branches last year.

But Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union is bucking the trend, announcing they have not only hired and trained nearly 100 new employees this year — they also plan to continue hiring.

“In a time of layoffs and cutbacks, it is heartwarming to be a part of Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union, knowing that our growth directly helps our state, our neighbors and better serves our members,” said MSGCU Vice President of Human Resources Mike Zalewski.

The credit union’s hiring is up 29 percent this year, including 66 positions created to help better serve its members.

Much of the credit union’s growth stemmed from the opening of three branches this year, located in Chesterfield, Warren and Royal Oak.

In terms of asset size, MSGCU is also one of the 10 largest credit unions the state and is ranked in the top 2 percent nationally among financial institutions.

“Our credit union plays a central role in our community and that means doing everything we can to support the families and businesses we serve, including hiring locally and creating jobs,” said the credit union’s President and CEO Pete Gates. “As we enter the year’s end and look ahead to our continued expansion in 2013, I am excited that we are able to help people with setting it right more than ever.”

MSGCU’s main branch is at 40400 Garfield Road, just south of 18 Mile Road, in Clinton Township.

For more http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/27/michigan-credit-union-grows-as-banks-slash-jobs/