The Free Press YAK Corner has a nice feature for kids on Michigan's nine U.S. wildlife refuges.

Study Finds Spring Getting Earlier in Michigan
The Detroit Free Press reports that every four springs, Michigan's state bird, the robin, arrives one day earlier (grackles arrive in the UP an average of 46 days earlier than they did 26 years ago). A study released Monday by Stanford University found that in just 30 years -- an eyeblink in geological time -- spring has moved forward 10 days and states man-made global warming is clearly to blame.

Huron Mountain Club Petitions Governor to Stop UP Mine
The Mining Journal reports that the Huron Mountain Club is asking Gov. Jennifer Granholm to join its stand against Kennecott Minerals' proposal to mine for nickel in the Yellow Dog Plains (north of Marquette). Kennecott is designing a shaft to mine a hard rock ore body beneath a portion of the Salmon Trout river headwaters. Under the right conditions, sulfuric acid can be produced by such a mine.

Williamston Math Teacher Tapped as Teacher of the Year
The Lansing State Journal reports that high school math teacher Dan Schab has been selected as the 2005-06 Michigan Teacher of the Year. He will travel the country talking to students, educators and policy-makers about Michigan's schools.

Port Huron Councilman Pitches Minor League Team
The Port Huron Times-Herald reports that Port Huron City Councilman Jim Fisher has told the city Downtown Development Authority he's in the early stages of trying to bring a minor-league baseball team to town. The team would come from the independent Frontier League, a group of 12 professional Midwest ballclubs that has a team in Kalamazoo and a Traverse City team starting in 2006.

Michigan Fans Brace for Final Star Wars Movie
The Detroit Free Press has a feature on metro area Star Wars faithful who are getting ready for tonight's midnight opening of Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith. The article also features a photo gallery of Reader Photos in Star Wars Costume (the Yoda is great!).

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