MSU professor's Midland talk to address Parkinson's research

Parkinson’s disease and the research that could offer new treatments are the subjects of a Michigan State University professor’s presentation here later this month. MSU College of Human Medicine Professor Jack Lipton will offer his insight at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Towsley Auditorium in MidMichigan Medical Center, at Saginaw and Orchard. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Call the MidMichigan Health Line at 800-999-3199. Lipton is among several researchers studying topics — including ways to overcome resistance to medications for movement disorders, possible protective effects of “deep brain stimulation,” adult stem cells and brain repair, and the effect of stress and depression on Parkinson's disease — at MSU’s Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research, a media release indicates.

Read the full story here!

Dave Camp travels to Brazilian slum with congressional delegation

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, and House Speaker John Boehner on Monday traveled to a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro, to kick off a trade-boosting trip, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune. Camp is part of a seven-member congressional delegation set to visit Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, the report said. The shantytown the congressmen visited apparently had recently been seized by police from drug traffickers.

Read the full story here!

Dave Camp less than impressed with December jobs report

Despite adding a net total of 200,000 jobs, U.S. Rep. Dave Camp was less than pleased with the December jobs report. "Despite today’s stronger than normal jobs report, the fact that the unemployment rate remains this high this long after the Obama Administration's so-called stimulus program makes it clear that Washington is standing in the way of sustained, strong economic growth," Camp, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said in a release. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics said the December unemployment rate was 8.5 percent, the lowest it has been in nearly three years, but Camp said it marks the 35 consecutive month of unemployment above 8 percent.

Read the full story here!

Dow Gardens exhibit shows how nature's own can spruce up winter landscape

via Midland Daily News

To most of us, the broken tree branches, pine boughs, and acorns scattered around the yard after a wind or ice storm are just rubbish to gather and put at the curb for pickup. But for about eight area floral and horticultural designers, they are raw materials to be used in natural container gardens such as the ones currently featured at Dow Gardens. The exhibit, “Containing Winter Creativity,” is on display now through February. The containers can be seen on a leisurely walk of about 30 to 45 minutes on the loop that runs from the Visitor’s Center, through the Boulder Pass, past The Bumps, over the Sun Bridge and toward the Conservatory, over the Red Bridge, and back along the Stream Walk toward the Waterfall. All of these landmarks are indicated on a map, which is available at the counter inside the Visitor’s Center at 1809 Eastman Ave. in Midland.

Read the full story here!

EPA report shows Dow Chemical uses preferred waste-management practices, company says

The Midland-based Dow Chemical Co. said the production related waste it managed in 2010 doesn't reflect poor stewardship of the environment, but the capacity of its operations. "Dow’s ranking on the report’s list of waste-generating companies reflects the relative size, scale, and complexity of Dow’s operations compared to other chemical producers," the company said in a release. "With more than 250 production units at 55 manufacturing sites and over 25,000 employees across the country, Dow is the largest chemical manufacturer in the United States." Dow said 97 percent of the toxics release inventory production-related waste created 2010 was managed through treatment, recycling, and energy recovery.

Read the full story here!

A golden opportunity: Midland's Servinski officiates at Armed Forces Bowl

via Midland Daily News

We all like to be rewarded for doing a good job. And in the case of Midland's Jeff Servinski, that reward came in the form of officiating a college football bowl game for the first time --as the side judge for the Armed Forces Bowl between Brigham Young and Tulsa in Dallas on Friday, Dec. 30. "I'm still pinching myself. I was humbled to have the opportunity," Servinski said. "It was a good game between two teams battling hard. It was a fun environment." Servinski, a 43-year-old Dow High graduate and an employee of Bailey Insurance Agency, has been officiating college football games for nine years. He has worked games in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Mid-American Conference and the Missouri Valley Conference.

Read the full story here!

Midland outdoor ice skating rinks not operational because of warmer temperatures

One winter activity in Midland has been put on hold this season because of warmer temperatures. The three outdoor ice skating areas at Midland's Emerson Park, Plymouth Park and City Forest, have not been operational at all this season because the weather has been less-than-cooperative. "We have no ice rinks up at this time, and based on the weather, we don't foresee any in the near future," said Marcie Post, recreation manager for the Midland Parks and Recreation.

Read the full story here!