Controversial "Real ID" provisions (national, machine readable ID card with personal info attached) have slipped through Congress (attached to Iraq troop funding and tsunami victim relief) and now heads to President to sign.

Michigan Wines Bring Home the Gold
The Detroit News reports that Michigan wineries did well at the 10th annual Great Lakes Great Wine Competition. The state collected one double gold (Black Star Farms Arcturos Cabernet Franc NV) and 11 golds (Bel Lago, Black Star Farms, L. Mawby, Peninsula Cellars (2), St. Julian (3) & Tabor Hill (3)) of the 55 golds awarded.

Canadian Garbage Tax Legislation Shelved
The Canadian Press reports that Republican Rep. David Palsrok, chairman of the state's house environmental committee, will not take up Democratic legislation aimed at curbing the amount of Canadian trash coming into Michigan by increasing the dumping fee to $7.50 US a ton from 21 cents, saying that the higher fee would be passed on to business and residential customers in Michigan.

Michigan Has Difficulty Overseeing Charter Schools
The Detroit Free Press has an interesting feature about charter schools run by private companies like Charter School Administrative Services (CSAS), many of which have poor scores on standardized tests and high teacher turnover. Michigan has over 200 charter schools serving more than 80,000 students, but Michigan laws make it difficult to oversee the private companies that run 3/4 of the schools.

Volunteer Keepers Get Big Sable Ready
The Detroit News has a feature on members of the Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association who are getting the 138-year-old Lake Michigan beacon ready for the 35,000 people expected to visit it this season.

Huron County Part of Rural Broadband Study
The Huron Daily Tribune reported that Huron County is part of a $400,000 Michigan State University research project funded by the USDA under the National Research Initiative program is currently attempting to determine how high-speed Internet access might affect rural communities across the country. Huron was chosen for the Michigan study because of a broadband Internet access project by USDA.

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