DETROIT—This week marked the expansion of curbside recycling to 5,000 Detroit households. Curbside recycling will begin for an additional 5,000 households later this month.  

“We listened to you," Mayor Dave Bing said in a statement.  "A recurring theme was that our City’s stable, vibrant neighborhoods needed to be “green-friendly” and have convenient options to promote recycling."

The city’s Detroit Recycles program provides free 64-gallon containers for collection twice a month in designated neighborhoods.
 

In 2009, the City began its curbside recycling pilot program with 24,000 households participating across the city.  With the expansion this fall, 34,000 Detroit households can recycle curbside.

Residents living outside of areas that have curbside recycling can drop off recyclable materials at any of five drop-off centers operated by Recycle Here for free.

Click HERE to find out the nearest drop-off center, curbside service neighborhood or the next bulk pickup day http://www.detroitmi.gov/Departments/DepartmentofPublicWorks/CityServicesInformation/tabid/1664/Default.aspx

DETROIT (September 6, 2012)  Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Roy S. Roberts today announced that the school district had reached nearly 85% attendance on the second day of the school year and that more than 1,600 students had enrolled in DPS schools from charters and out-of-district schools as of Wednesday, Sept. 5.

The attendance mark outpaces recent years when the district reached the required 75% minimum attendance for full state aid purposes in the second and third weeks of school in Fall 2011 and 2010, respectively.

“I’ve said that it’s a new day in Detroit Public Schools, and with this new academic year underway the change can clearly be felt throughout our schools among teachers, principals and staff, families and students,” Roberts said. “As I've traveled the district these last two days I've seen school buildings that are clean and safe. More importantly, I've witnessed a real energy among everyone walking through the doors. That was our goal, teaching and learning from day one.”

On Wednesday, 42,516 students were in attendance out of the 50,420 projected to attend in grades K-12 across 100 schools. Attendance increased by nearly 7,400 students from the first day of school to the second. DPS’ adopted fiscal year 2012-13 budget is based on a fall term enrollment of 49,852 students. The district traditionally witnesses a surge in attendance at the start of the second week of classes.

At 15 DPS schools, less than 25 students were absent on Wednesday, for which Roberts thanked parents for their commitment to educating their kids.

“I urge the parents of those 8,000 students who have not yet returned to classes this fall to get them to classes now and not waste another valuable minute of learning time. We need all students in attendance all day, every day,” Roberts said. “Ultimately, it’s not about the financial loss, it's about the real reason we're here—learning. If kids aren't in school from the very beginning of the school year their entire academic year is affected.”

An additional 6,081 students are on schools’ enrollment rolls, a number which may include students who have transferred and not notified the school. Roberts called on those parents as well to place their students in school or to notify the district that their child has transferred.

As of Sept. 5, a total of 860 students had enrolled in DPS schools from out-of-district schools and 694 students had transferred to DPS from charter schools.

In a district-wide program, which was piloted in schools last year, all schools will begin automated attendance calls today for all students who were absent or missed classes on Wednesday. The system automatically sends notifications each school day to parents regarding each previous day’s missed attendance.

Roberts credited the work of principals, staff and suppliers for summer work resulting in a smooth opening of the new school year with books, supplies and teachers in place, a key factor in ensuring stable enrollments.

For the first time in 2012, the district held an Open Enrollment period in March to allow parents to select schools early. Shuttle busses are operating in particular communities. The district also undertook an intense back-to-school informational campaign focusing on neighborhood-based grassroots and local school activities.

During August, parent organizers knocked on the doors of more than 2,000 parents affected by school transitions and mergers, such as the move of Ludington Magnet Middle School to its newly expanded home in the former Langston Hughes building where today’s announcement was made. Attendance at Ludington has reached 91 percent and enrollment is 20 students above projections. Outreach targeted school populations affected by consolidations, those in southwest Detroit, schools near the city’s borders, and the new Detroit Rising College Preparatory Schools. More than 100 community events were attended over a three-week period in August.

The growing depth of support for Detroit Public Schools’ Back-to-School campaign included the involvement of more than 50 ministers’ wives in attendance on the opening day of school as part of long term partnerships with local schools and churches, pastors and members of the faith-based community.

(WWJ Photo/Kasey Stoddart)
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DETROIT (WWJ) - One of Detroit’s most high-profile investigators will find himself in the spotlight Thursday night, all because of his work that helped put a serial killer behind bars.

Inspector Donald Johnson, Jr. will be featured in the television documentary ”Very Bad Men,” airing on the Investigation Discovery channel at 10 p.m. The story will be on the serial killer John Eric Armstrong, a Navy Sailor who was charged for the murder of eight prostitutes.

Today, Johnson is Commanding Officer of the Detroit Police Department’s Homeland Security, but in 2000 he was an officer assigned to the Violent Crimes Task Force on the Armstrong case.

Armstrong, a husband and father of two, seemed to be living an ordinary life in Dearborn Heights, but Johnson said that was just on the outside.

“He had gotten married and moved here to southeastern Michigan area. He was actually working and things of that nature but at night he was a definite prowler,” Johnson told WWJ Newsradio 950.

Then, bodies of young women, some known to be sex workers, turned up in Detroit, all which appeared to have been strangled. Police ramped up their patrols of known high-traffic areas where prostitutes converged.

Police were especially focused on patrolling in the area of Michigan Avenue and Livernois after consulting with FBI agents. Johnson said cops on the street got lucky when Armstrong drove by as they were interviewing a witness in the area.

“Police were talking with a citizen that was on the street, a known street-walker, and as they were talking to this particular individual she said ‘There goes that guy right there,’ I mean, I’m cleaning it up a little bit but she was like ‘There goes that guy right there that tried to kill me,’” said Johnson.

Once Armstrong was apprehended, Johnson was handed the task of interrogation, something he said was very challenging but eventually led to a confession.

“It was a lot that we endured as well just listening to him and actually going out to the scenes. There was one particular scene we went to in which we had three females laying on the side of the railroad tracks, and for him to talk me through each one of those homicides and what he did, for me it was very overwhelming,” said Johnson.

In 2001, Armstrong was convicted of murdering four women in the Detroit area and later confessed to killing over 30 others all over the world.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/06/detroit-police-inspector-to-appear-in-very-bad-men-tv-show/

CHARLOTTE, NC- It's time for Blacks to come out and vote in the crucial November election where the country will choose between President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney.

That was the message Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II who is head of the Congressional Black Caucus brought to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this week.

Cleaver, an ordained minister told delegates on the second night of the convention that diversity is key to the essence of America, and that African Americans continue to play an important role in helping move America toward a more perfect union.

"This means marching through our communities to make sure everyone is registered and ready to vote. It means on Election Day, we will stand in line together just as we did four years ago," Cleaver said. "God did not burden the United States with a diversity of backgrounds, ideas and religions. He blessed America with them."

For Detroit, Cleaver's message is key in a city that is notorious sometimes for not coming out to vote in mass numbers in local elections.

However during the last presidential election in 2008 Detroiters came out in large numbers to cast their ballot for the first African American president in history. Overall, the Black vote in 2008 was high in Michigan.

"President Obama has been lampooned for speaking of hope for a better America. I want to encourage him and all of us to continue to hope for an America that remembers, recognizes and fervently protects its greatness," Cleaver said. "Hope is the motivation that empowers the unemployed, enabling them to get out of bed every single morning with unbounded enthusiasm as they look for work."

Harping on Obama's hope message in 2008, Cleaver sounding like the typical preacher urged Obama not to get discouraged by his detractors.

"Yes, President Obama continue to hope. Continue to speak hope to the American people because it is impossible for hope to overdraw its account in God's bank," Cleaver said."The tough days our nation faced may have caused us great pain, but they must not and will not cause us to lose our hope. Hope fills the holes of my frustration in my heart. Hope inspires me to believe that any day now, we will catch up to the ideals put forth by our nation's founding fathers."

Cleaver also touted the Democratic Party as the one political institution that shown demonstrable commitment to diversity, as well as other issues that affect the poor and the less privileged.

"We are the ones who protected Medicare and Medicaid, who fought for fair wages and who ended don't ask don't tell," the CBC boss said. "We are the party that is deeply committed to diversity. We consider every individual a valuable asset to our democracy. We may be a nation of Democrats, Independents and Republicans, but first and foremost we are all human beings and Americans. We are driven by hope."
Bankole Thompson is the Senior Editor of the Michigan Chronicle. He is a Senior Author-in-Residence at Global Mark Makers Publishing House in Iowa where he is writing a groundbreaking six-part book series on the Obama presidency. His book "Obama and Black Loyalty" published in 2010 follows his recent book "Obama and Christian Loyalty" with a foreword by Bob Weiner former White House spokesman. His forthcoming books in 2012 are "Obama and Jewish Loyalty" and "Obama and Business Loyalty." He is the first editor of a major African American newspaper to have a series of sit-down interviews with Barack Obama. Thompson is also a Senior Political News Analyst at WDET-101.9FM Detroit (NPR Affiliate) and a member of the weekly "Obama Watch" Sunday evening round table on WLIB-1190AM New York and simulcast in New Jersey and Connecticut.

Starting a business? Confused about the planning, legal and regulatory steps you should follow?

Did you know that home-based businesses are required to hold permits to operate legally in most states? What about incorporation? Many new businesses assume they need to incorporate or become an LLC from the get-go – but the truth is, more than 70 percent of small businesses are owned by un-incorporated sole proprietors (although even this group is required to register their businesses).

So, variables aside, there are still some fundamental steps that any business needs to follow to get started. SBA has compiled 10 steps that can help you plan, prepare, and manage your business – while taking care of the startup legalities. Not all these steps will apply to all businesses, but working through them will give you a sense of what needs your attention and what you can check off.

Step 1 – Write a Business Plan

Yeah, yeah, you know you should write a business plan whether you need to secure a business loan or not. The thing is, a business plan doesn’t have to be encyclopedic and it doesn’t have to have all the answers. A well-prepared plan – revisited often – will help you steer your business all along its growth curve. Try to think of your business plan as a living, breathing project, not a one-time document. Break it down into mini-plans – one for marketing, one for pricing, one for operations, and so on. Take a look at SBA’s Business Planning Guide for more ideas.

Step 2 – Get Help and Training

Starting a business can be a lonely endeavor, but there are lots of free in-person and online resources that can help advise you as you get started. Check out what‘s offered at your Small Business Development Centers; SCORE (which offers free mentoring services); Women’s Business Centers, or your local SBA office.

Step 3 – Choose Your Business Location

Where you locate your business may be the single most important decision you make. Many factors come into play such as proximity to suppliers, the competition, transportation access, demographics, and zoning regulations. Check out SBA’s Tips for Choosing a Business Location and this blog: How to Choose the Best Location for your Business.

Step 4 - Understand your Financing Options

You may choose to bootstrap, fall back on savings, or even keep a full-time job until your business is profitable, but if you are looking for an external source of financing, these resources explain your options.

Step 5 – Decide on a Business Structure

Going it alone or forming a partnership? Thinking of incorporating? What about an LLC? How you structure your business can reduce your personal liability for business losses and debts. Some choices can give you tax benefits. To help you determine the right structure for your business, here’s an overview of your options and some information on how to file the necessary paperwork in your state and the tax implications of your decision. You might also want to read:

LLCs Explained: A 101 for Small Business Owners
Should You Incorporate Your Freelance or Consulting Business?
“Working Together” – How to Start and Formalize a Business Partnership
Step 6 – Register Your Business Name (“Doing Business As”)

Registering a “Doing Business As” name or “trade name” is only needed if you name your business something other than your personal name, the names of your partners, or the officially registered name of your LLC or corporation. Here’s how to register your “Doing Business As” name.

Step 7 – Get a Tax ID

Not every business needs a tax ID from the IRS (also known as an “Employer Identification Number” or EIN), but if you have employees, run a business partnership, a corporation or meet certain IRS criteria, you must obtain an EIN from the IRS. You’ll also need to start paying estimated taxes to the IRS; this blog explains more about this process.

Step 8 – Register with Tax Authorities

Employment taxes, sales taxes, and state income taxes are handled at the state-level. Learn more about your state’s tax requirements and how to comply.

Step 9 - Apply for Permits and Licenses

All businesses, even home-based businesses, need a license or permit to operate. This guide explains more and includes a handy “Permit Me” tool that lets you determine what your permit and licensing needs are, based on your zip code and business type.

Step 10 - Hiring Employees

If you’re hiring employees, follow these 10 steps. If you’re working with a contractor or 1099, read 5 Things to Know About Hiring Independent Contractors.

http://www.sba.gov/community/blogs/starting-business-10-steps-every-entrepreneur-needs-know

President Obama emerged from offstage to bear hug Bill Clinton at the Democratic National convention tonight moments after Clinton giving a rousing speech nominating Obama for reelection, calling the president a man who is "cool on the outside," but "burns for America on the inside."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-embraces-bill-clinton-rousing-nomination/story?id=17162829#.UEis-kLhCqc

LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the appointment of Sabrina Johnson as judge of the 22nd District Court, based in Inkster.

“Sabrina has an impressive record as an attorney as well as strong ties to the community,” said Snyder. “We are fortunate to have someone of her caliber willing to serve on the bench.”

 Johnson, of Inkster, has served most of her career (1996-2002; 2008-present) as an assistant Wayne County prosecutor where she has handled more than 100 felony trials and reviewed more than 800 warrants. From 2002-2008 she managed her own private law firm, Sabrina Johnson PLLC., where she represented more than 1,000 clients before the 22nd District Court, including handling a number of high profile cases like the litigation over the Rosa Parks estate.

She is a graduate of Inkster Cherry Hill High School and received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from Wayne State University. Johnson fills a seat left vacant by the Michigan Supreme Court’s removal of Sylvia James for misconduct. Her appointment runs through Jan. 1, 2013. She will have to seek election in November 2012.

DETROIT -
Eberspaecher North America is holding a job fair today in Livonia to fill more than 50 fulltime positions.

The job fair runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Burton Manor, 27777 Schoolcraft Road.

The company is looking to fill positions such as manufacturing engineers, quality engineers, quality manager, controls engineers, product engineers, UGNX designers, buyers, plant Manager, production supervisors, programmers, welders, maintenance managers, materials planner, human resource generalist as well as many other professional level positions.

Eberspaecher North America is a full-service Tier I supplier, assuming complete responsibility for the conception, development and production of automotive, commercial and off road exhaust systems. They began our North American operation in 2000 and have six manufacturing sites, a state of the art Technical Center in Novi, and more than 900 employees.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Job-fair-today-in-Livonia/-/1719418/16502660/-/w7jsl1z/-/index.html