BAD AXE, Mich. – Farmer Paul Holz looks from his home in Meade Township, Mich., to neighboring townships and regrets what could have been. Holz had signed leases with DTE Energy in hopes of placing wind turbines on his land. But resistance fomented by long-time anti-wind agitator Kevon Martis and allied out-of-town wind energy opponents… Read more »
A series of virtually identical zoning ordinances that restrict the development of wind farms has spread across parts of rural Michigan, a Checks and Balances Project analysis shows. Two of the three ordinances were drafted with the help of the Grand Rapids-based law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, whose partner Michael Homier is part… Read more »
Determining the benefits from wind energy for schools in Huron County required several steps. First, we had to learn how many school districts are in the county and their boundaries. Many covered multiple townships. Second, we learned the exact locations of each wind farm in the county and the locations of the turbines. We used… Read more »
Anthem, the largest health insurer in Virginia, has asked state Attorney General Mark Herring to investigate hospital giant Sentara for “anti-competitive harm” caused by the company, the Virginia Mercury reported. Herring’s office would not comment on whether any investigation was started or is ongoing, but Anthem’s action is one of the many such complaints about… Read more »
As the nation lurched toward a financial crisis in 2007 and 2008, leaders in central Michigan’s Gratiot County say they realized then that they had a lifeline to economic stability: Embracing wind energy. They used the county’s planning process to allow the placement of wind farms throughout Gratiot County. These wind farms now provide at… Read more »
Huron County governments and schools received $9.1 million in taxes from wind projects in 2020, records provided by the county treasurer show. That money has helped pay for improved roads, services and school facilities. County Treasurer Debra McCollum provided the information after Checks & Balances Project filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the… Read more »
A feature investigation Each year, wind farms throughout Michigan pay tens of millions of dollars in taxes that support the local school systems in rural communities that often have declining populations and tax bases. Just how that money reaches school districts depends on the state’s complicated school finance system and whether communities have approved bond… Read more »
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that Sentara Healthcare, the Hampton Roads area hospital and insurance conglomerate has paid a $4.3 million fine for the submission of “improper claims” for observation services for patients at Sentara hospital emergency rooms. In a release, the HHS Office of the Inspector General said “Sentara submitted,… Read more »
BAD AXE, Mich. – In multiple conversations with local residents of Huron County, Mich., a clear theme is that while the 472 wind turbines quietly circling above local farms are visible, the financial benefits they provide are not. One woman waiting in line at Emma’s Coffee House said she hears about how wind projects pay local… Read more »
Ray Locker is the new executive director of Checks and Balances Project, succeeding Scott Peterson, who takes on a new role as C&BP’s senior fellow. He is also the author of Nixon’s Gamble: How a President’s Own Secret Government Destroyed his Administration and Haig’s Coup: How Richard Nixon’s Closest Aide Forced Him from Office. While… Read more »
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