Do You Support a Sales Tax for Online Purchases?

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Vigilance and Responsibly Keys to Motorcylce Safety

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police discusses motorcycle safety and the heroes of Boston.

Don’t like the weather? Wait it will change. Speaking of weather, on those few warm days and some not so warm days one of the early signs of spring has made its presence known. I’m talking about motorcycles. I’m going to ask everyone to remember to be vigilant and look more than once for motorcycles. A few seconds of safe driving techniques could save everyone from years of heartache and pain. That being said, motorcycle operators and their passengers also have a responsibility for the safe operation of a motorcycle.  Drivers have you done your equipment safety check?  Is everything working? Have you re-acclimated to your motorcycle’s equipment, switches, grips, brakes and shifting?  Myself, I take a couple of days to re-acclimate myself …

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Michigan's Credit Rating Highest Since 2007

Lawmaker who represents Hartland provides updates and views on various topics.

By Cindy Denby Every day there is more evidence that Michigan's economy is becoming healthier, and I am confident that this trend is going to continue.  This month Fitch Ratings upgraded Michigan's general credit rating to AA which is the highest it has been since 2007. The upgrade reflects the solid economic and fiscal recovery our state has experienced over the past two years. Additionally, Standard and Poor has updated Michigan's credit outlook to positive. Over the past two years we have worked to make the budget in our state more structurally balanced as well as building up our budget stabilization fund. Michigan has made great strides and with positive ratings from all three Wall Street agencies that progress is being recognized. …

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NotLazy

11:29 am on Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Wow Angela! I forgot to look on the shelves for the prices...you're brilliant! By the way Sweetie, we are not in the late 20th century anymore, that ended in the year 2000.   more ›

Vote for Your Favorite Easter PEEPS Creation

Which of these designs do you like best? Tell us in comments.

Three Patch readers submitted entries for our PEEPS creation contest. Using the marshmallow candies, they made "5 Golden Peeps", "Peeps on the Virgina Beach Boardwalk" and "Peeps on the Farm". Two of the Patch users have a chance to win a Prize Pack worth $25. It includes a PEEPS® Plush Chick Basket valued at $15 and an electronic gift card valued at $10 from PEEPS and COMPANY®. Use the comments section to vote once for your favorite Patch entry. The two with the most votes will each win a prize pack. Voting ends at 12 p.m. EST on March 30. Which of the three entries is your favorite? Vote once in the comments below for "5 Golden Peeps", "Peeps on the Virgina Beach Boardwalk" or "Peeps on the Farm".

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Joni Hubred-Golden

1:49 pm on Saturday, March 30, 2013

Thanks to everyone who voted, we'll have an announcement soon about our winners!   more ›

Cracking Down on Bridge Card Fraud, Improving Michigan's Economy

Lawmaker who represents Hartland provides updates and views on various topics.

By Cindy Denby Protecting hard-working taxpayers in the state is one of my top priorities as your state legislator. With that in mind I voted in committee to pass a bill that will crack down on the fraud and abuse that has become prevalent within the Bridge Card system. The state Bridge Card program provides families and people in need with essential goods and services House Bill 4042 would require the state to perform a monthly check of the Social Security Death Index database. If a recipient is found to be deceased, the department would terminate Bridge Card access. The bill also would require the DHS to check if any recipients or applicants are currently in prison, in which case their access would likewise be terminated.  Such common-…

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pat

7:54 am on Friday, March 22, 2013

Kelly you make a lot of good points. The local grocery store owner told me that if not for the bridge card ,he would have no reason t put porterhouse steaks on the meat counter.As for michild,I personally know of couples that both work for GM and have their kids on michild.Evidently no checks are done to see if people are eligible for this program.Actually, if the families recieving michild are …   more ›

Enter Patch's Easter PEEPs Contest!

If you've got a creative streak and a passion for PEEPs, enter Patch's Easter PEEPs contest for a chance to win a prize package.

Editor's note: This contest is now closed. PEEPS, those famously delicious and delightful marshmallow candies, aren't just for eating anymore. These days, crafty PEEPs creations are all the rage. You can find them on display on Pinterest. And transformed into everything from the White House front lawn, to re-creations of children’s books, historical settings and other unusual situations. Think you can invent something fun with PEEPS? Now's the time to show us! Enter Patch's Easter PEEPs photo contest. Here's how: Read the complete contest rules here.

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Teresa Mask

5:15 pm on Thursday, March 28, 2013

And thank you to the user who submitted the creation via pdf. Need your name.   more ›

Healthy Living Kit, Free Online Tax Program

Lawmaker who represents Hartland provides updates and views on various topics.

By Cindy Denby Staying committed to a healthy lifestyle can be very difficult to maintain especially with a busy schedule. The Department of Community Health and the state of Michigan are committed to help Michigan residents get healthy and stay healthy.  The MI Healthier Now pledge is available on their website here. Once you take the pledge you will receive a free starter kit in the mail full of resources to help make healthy choices. The kit has many tools for helping to make healthy choices including motivation tips, a grocery planning tips booklet, and menu planner. The best part is that it is free. You can also sign up for twice monthly motivational emails or text messages to keep you going. In today's world everyone is so busy, and …

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Hey Hartland! Post Your Snow Photos on Instagram

Tag pics with #MIPatchSnow on Instagram and they'll appear on Hartland Patch.

We want to see how much snow you have in your area, so why not tag your Instagram photos so they appear on Patch? Hartland Patch will pull all Instagram images tagged #MIPatchSnow into this nifty photo grid.  What are you doing with all this snow? Are you building a snowman? Sledding? Use the hashtag with any snow-related adventures you're putting on Instagram today. You can also post your photos directly on Patch by clicking the "Pics & Clips" tab at the top of the page.

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Hartland Patch Introduces New Community Editor

Brooke Tajer, former White Lake-Highland Editor, will be your community contact at Patch.

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Brooke Tajer and I am your new community editor. At Hartland Patch, we want to encourage you, the readers, to take more control over the site, posting stories, events and announcements that are important to you. I will be working with your local editors and fellow community members to help get you more of the information you need about your town. The role is a regional one, and I will be working with eight other sites in Oakland, Livingston, Wayne and Washtenaw counties, in addition to my home site, White Lake-Highland Patch. You can send any questions you about uploading your events, announcements or blog to me at brooke.meier@patch.com or call 248-534-7203. I can't wait to work with all of you and…

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Brooke Tajer

8:31 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Thanks! :)   more ›

Saving for Your Child's College Education

Lawmaker who represents Hartland provides updates and views on various topics.

By Cindy Denby Saving for your children's college years can be a daunting task. Every year it seems the cost of a college education increases. The Michigan Education Trust (MET) is an excellent way to invest in your child's future. The trust allows individuals to pre-purchase credit hours toward future tuition at any of the state's public universities, colleges and community college to lock in today's tuition rates. The 2013 enrollment period is ongoing through Sept. 30 of this year. Prices for enrollment are still at 2012 tuition and will continue at that rate until April 30. Starting May 1 the prices will increase by 1.5 percent. Parents, grandparents, guardians, and other family friends can purchase a MET contract for a child. MET …

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