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Today’s edition · Thurs., Nov. 5

Kalamazoo County eyes Asylum Lake Preserve; dam sale deadline moves

Plus, state regulators now have until Dec. 17 to decide on Consumers Energy's plan to sell 13 dams.

The Daily Portage team2 stories11 sources4 min read

County GovernmentTop story

Kalamazoo County's board was set to vote on taking over Asylum Lake Preserve

The transfer isn't final until the Legislature acts.

WhoWhere it stands
WMU trusteesVoted unanimously for the plan
County boardExpected to approve Wednesday evening
State LegislatureMust act before the deed moves

Source: WKZO

Kalamazoo County's board was expected to approve an interlocal agreement Wednesday evening to take over maintenance and operation of , WKZO reported. Western Michigan University's trustees unanimously gave their vote of confidence to the transfer plan at their meeting on Friday. WKZO's report ran before the county meeting, so we don't have the vote itself.

  • Maintenance and operation: no changes planned
  • Deed: the state must turn it over to Kalamazoo County

Kalamazoo County voters also weighed in on ballot proposals this week. mlive has a rundown of how each one fared: 5 passed, 2 failed and 2 are still to be determined.

Five of nine Kalamazoo-area proposals passed.

Source: mlive

View as table
AmountShare
Passed555.6%
Failed222.2%
To be determined222.2%

Asked

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Asked

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Energy

Consumers Energy gave regulators until Dec. 17 to decide on selling 13 dams

Consumers Energy gave state regulators more time to approve the sale of its 13 hydroelectric dams to . The 's deadline moves from Nov. 9 to Dec. 17. Each dam would sell for $1, so the whole sale comes to $13.

The dam sale by the numbers

13
dams in the sale
$1
price for each dam
30 years
for the power supply agreement
$500 million
in savings Consumers claims versus decommissioning

Sources: FOX 17, WHTC

The Calkins Bridge Dam on the Kalamazoo River is on the list. It created the 1,600-acre Lake Allegan. WHTC says the extra time lets Consumers work “with interested parties to achieve a constructive settlement.” Opponents, led by Attorney General Dana Nessel and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, claim private equity ownership could lead to “catastrophic” dam failures.

$160starting price per megawatt hour Consumers would pay for the dams' power

That's about double the current rate, with a 2.5 percent annual increase over the agreement.

Source: WHTC

  • Buyer: Confluence Hydro, owned by Hull Street Energy
  • Rivers: Kalamazoo, Grand, Muskegon, Manistee and Au Sable

News Notes

City council

Portage's council was set to interview applicants Wednesday at 5 p.m. to fill the rest of Dr. Jim Pearson's term, according to WKZO. New City Manager Karen Dempsey Moran started Monday and was to preside over her first council meeting. WKZO

Thanksgiving

God's Kitchen of Michigan canceled its free Thanksgiving dinner in Kalamazoo because of insufficient donations. It will host a meal in Battle Creek on Wed., Nov. 18, at First United Methodist Church and Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. COOL FM

Election results

Incumbents Dorla Coleman-Bonner and Ian Kennedy, along with newcomer James Sebree, won three open seats on the Kalamazoo Public Library Board of Trustees, defeating Jeff Messer. mlive also reports a nonprofit CEO and a community center director were elected to the KVCC board. mlivemlive

Cross country

The Otsego boys scored 93 points at the Division 2 regional in Portage on Oct. 31, edging Paw Paw's 100 for the last team spot at state. The Bulldogs run Sat., Nov. 7, at Michigan International Speedway. Wilcox Newspapers

Otsego finished seven points ahead of Paw Paw at the regional.

Source: Wilcox Newspapers

View as table
Value
Vicksburg61 pts
St. Joseph61 pts
Otsego93 pts
Paw Paw100 pts
Plainwell250 pts

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Asked

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Asked

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Today’s puzzles

A new puzzle in each one every morning, played right here.

All 13 games

Quoted

The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

— Sylvia Plath

Things to Do

Things to Do

Portage, MI

Thursday, Nov. 5

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Around the Block

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Neighbors

It sure looks like a Blue Tsunami !

“! I haven't heard about the Michigan Senate race though !”

— A neighbor, Ashton Woods

3 likes · 8 comments

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The Wrap

Friendsgiving Pie Festival is tonight in Kalamazoo, and the pitch is simple: eat pie, support inclusion. It's billed as a celebration of friendship, community, and pie, and it runs 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ripple Effects Community Inclusion Center. Dessert first, then. Go ahead.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Vicksburg eyes a 10,000-person concert series; Portage Central plays Friday

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Every source in this edition11 links · 8 outlets
  1. The Weather Channelweather.com
  2. WKZOwkzo.com
  3. mlivemlive.com
  4. FOX 17fox17online.com
  5. WHTCwhtc.com
  6. WKZOwkzo.com
  7. COOL FMwqxc.com
  8. mlivemlive.com
  9. mlivemlive.com
  10. Wilcox Newspaperswilcoxnewspapers.com
  11. Portage events calendardailyportage.com

Past issues

  1. Wed., Nov. 4Vicksburg eyes a 10,000-person concert series; Portage Central plays Friday
  2. Tues., Nov. 3WMU hands Asylum Lake's day-to-day care to Kalamazoo County
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Daily Portageto me · Thurs., Nov. 56:00 a.m.

Kalamazoo County eyes Asylum Lake Preserve; dam sale deadline moves

Plus, state regulators now have until Dec. 17 to decide on Consumers Energy's plan to sell 13 dams.

The TLDR

  1. Kalamazoo County board set to vote on Asylum Lake Preserve
  2. Regulators get until Dec. 17 to decide on the dam sale
  3. Portage council welcomes its new city manager
Read this edition

More stories this week

From Daily Portage’s other editions

All the news
VicksburgVicksburg residents pack a meeting on a 10,000-person concert series at the old paper millIf you live in or near Vicksburg, Monday night brought details of the Mill Group's 2027 concert plan. Residents packed the high school auditorium as the group presented its outdoor series to the village council. The proposal calls for four concerts next summer, with up to 10,000 people in a village of around 4,000.Wednesday’s editionRead Higher EdWMU trustees vote to hand Asylum Lake Preserve's day-to-day care to Kalamazoo CountyIf you walk the trails at Asylum Lake, the people looking after the place are about to change. WMU's trustees unanimously approved an agreement Oct. 29 that moves day-to-day stewardship of the 274-acre preserve to Kalamazoo County on Jan. 1, 2027.Tuesday’s editionRead CountyKalamazoo County Jail water tests improve, but drinking precautions stay in placeIf you have someone at the Kalamazoo County Jail, there's good news on the water. September sampling showed improvements in lead and copper, with no detectable lead at most sampled locations. WWMT reports that all reported lead and copper concentrations were below the action levels used in the county's testing reports.Tuesday’s editionRead

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More local news

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  2. Harbor Country News4 hours ago

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