Midland native set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for breast cancer awareness

 

Every day, 26-year-old Midland native Andrea Towlerton works to solve the on-going problem and challenge of cancer. Her involvement and appreciation of the power cancer holds has helped push her towards her own personal challenge, one that would help in the fight and raise awareness of the disease. After landing a job at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and moving from Midland to Seattle, Wash. in April 2010, Towlerton has devoted her life trying to help curb the disease and raise awareness. In July, as part of the Climb to Fight Breast Cancer team, she'll scale Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to help raise money for breast cancer awareness. The climb should take seven days. Mount Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet above sea level.

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Great Lakes Loons season preview, with roster predictions

The Great Lakes Loons' season officially begins April 6, with the roster officially expected to be announced April 1. But truebluela.com has published its Great Lakes Loons predictions, complete with an expected roster to begin the 2012 season. Some of the names are familiar, including outfielder Joc Pederson, pitcher Derek Cone and pitcher Gustavo Gomez. All played at some point with the Loons during the 2011 season. The strength of the team appears to be the outfield, which features Pederson and top prospect James Baldwin.

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Great Lakes Loons get early start on Dow Diamond preparations thanks to weather

 

The Great Lakes Loons begin their season on April 6 at Lansing, with a doubleheader April 7, also at Lansing. After a day off for Easter, the Loons kick off the home portion of their schedule on Monday, April 9. And, thanks to the warm weather, crews are well ahead of schedule preparing Dow Diamond for the 6:05 p.m. home opener. The Opening Day festivities will begin at 4:30 p.m. with a parade on Main Street in Midland, beginning at Gordon Street and ending at Dow Diamond. The parade will include players, bands and grant recipients, along with Midland businesses and organizations. Free hot dogs and bottled water are available during the parade at the corner of Main and McDonald.

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Midland author Jeff Vande Zande wins award for 'American Poet'

Writing “American Poet,” Midland author Jeff Vande Zande hoped he could bring attention to the Roethke House in Saginaw and the dedicated group of people determined to preserve Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Theodore Roethke’s boyhood home. But the tale of young poet Denver and his struggle to find his place in the world as he tries to save Roethke’s home won Vande Zande the Stuart and Vernice Gross Literature Award from Saginaw Valley State University. Vande Zande will sign copies of his novel, published by Bottom Dog Press, at a reception Thursday, March 22, at the Roethke House, 1805 Gratiot in Saginaw. It begins at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments and a chance to meet the author, followed at 7:30 p.m. with a reading from “American Poet” and the book signing.

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Dave Camp against proposed cuts to Air National Guard

 

Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, today is expressing concern over the Air Force's 2013 budget request and cuts proposed for the Air National Guard. Camp joined the Michigan delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives, each of whom signed a letter sharing their concerns with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. “Everyone understands the need to find savings in the military budget, but we must do so in a safe and responsible manner," Camp said in a release. "The disproportionate cuts proposed in the Air Force budget would degrade the Air National Guard’s readiness and severely diminish its capabilities for homeland defense, disaster recovery, and other state missions."

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Eat for a cause: Five Midland Subway restaurants to host fundraiser for St. Judes

If you're still looking for lunch plans, five Midland Subway restaurants today are raising money to find cures and save children by hosting a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Brad LaPoe, owner of Bradley R. Investments and the Midland Subway restaurants, will be hosting a Pay-What-You-Wish Event, during which customers can get one free 6-inch sandwich. In return, they are asking guests to Pay-What-You-Wish with the proceeds going directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Subway's at 1900 N. Saginaw, 983 S. Saginaw, 309 Jerome, 910 Joe Mann inside the Walmart, and 6800 Eastman inside the Midland Mall, are participating in the event.

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DEQ seeks public comment on Dow Chemical's Midland dioxin cleanup plan, will hold public meeting April 17

 

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is seeking opinions on the dioxin soil cleanup in the city of Midland. The DEQ’s public comment period on the cleanup plain is open through April 25. The DEQ is hosting a public meeting at 7 p.m. at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library Auditorium, 1710 West St. Andrews in Midland. People can submit oral or written comments, and DEQ and Dow representatives will be available to answer questions at 6:30 p.m. Residents can submit public comments at informal meetings from 4 p.m. to 8 pm. March 28 and March 29 at Dow Chemical Co.’s Midland Resolution Center, 1008 Jefferson in Midland.

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