April 23, 2012: The Bay County Bulletin

Governor Rick Snyder visited troops
in Afghanistan along with the governors
of Rhode Island and South Dakota.

FROM THE TWITTERS: @onetoughnerd: Good news to report: #Michigan's unemployment rate dropped to 8.5% & total employment went up by 21,000 last month. #Michigan's unemployment rate is now a full two percentage points lower than it was a year ago #TheReinventionIsWorking

MICHIGAN'S 8.5% JOBLESS RATE HITS LOWEST LEVEL SINCE AUGUST '08: Michigan's March unemployment rate fell by three-tenths of a percentage point, down to 8.5 percent from the February rate of 8.8 percent and two full points below the same month last year. Payroll employment increased by 1,000 jobs, and total employment by 9,000, suggesting a gain in self-employed workers, according to data released this afternoon by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget. The number of jobless workers declined by 12,000 and the state labor force — everyone with a job or looking for one — climbed by 21,000. http://bit.ly/I5yzZn

JOE DAVIS FUNDRAISER: Commissioner Joe Davis is having a fundraiser on Thursday, April 26 at Webster House, 900 Fifth St., in Bay City from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $50; please mail a check payable to "Joe F. Davis for County Commissioner" to 900 N. Wenona St., Bay City, MI 48706.

SAGINAW COUNTY GOP PRECINCT DELEGATE TRAINING: Join the Saginaw GOP for a precinct delegate training session with pizza on Monday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at their headquarters, 3071 Bay Rd., Ste. 300, Saginaw. If you are currently a precinct delegate, a new precinct delegate, or aren't quite sure, attend this training session to learn how to make the most of your tenure as a precinct delegate.

Filing deadline is May 15: In order to be a candidate for precinct delegate, a person must file an Affidavit of Identity with the county clerk no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15. The form must be notarized. The clerk has forms in her office.

Santos' move from Bangor Township to Saginaw city clerk 'a giant step up,' boss says: Earlier this week, Janet Santos announced her resignation as Bangor Township clerk to accept the position as clerk in Saginaw. Santos had served as Bangor Township's clerk since 2000. http://bit.ly/JO1EsU

HATCH FACES UTAH PRIMARY FIGHT: Sen. Orrin Hatch failed to clinch his party’s nomination at the state GOP convention Saturday, ensuring a June primary against state Sen. Dan Liljenquist. The six-term Republican incumbent fell just short of the 60 percent threshold necessary to skirt a June 26 face-off. On the second ballot, Hatch notched 59 percent of the vote to Liljenquist’s 41 percent. While Hatch avoided the fate of former Sen. Bob Bennett — who was denied the renomination in dramatic fashion at this convention two years ago — he now enters a two-month campaign that he would have liked to avoid. In the end, Hatch fell short by fewer than 50 votes from avoiding a fight into the summer. http://politi.co/IcRLsz

Romney raises more campaign cash in Michigan than Obama: Despite the credit President Barack Obama gets for helping turn around Michigan's signature auto industry, he trails the man he's likely to face in November -- Michigan-born Mitt Romney -- in campaign fund-raising in the state. At least for a few more days. A Free Press analysis of Federal Election Commission records shows that as of the end of February -- the most recent period for which data are available -- Obama had raised about $1.6 million in Michigan. http://on.freep.com/INzuUT

Legislators' agenda will test Snyder's leadership: Lawmakers return from their spring break Tuesday — and back into a tug of war with Gov. Rick Snyder over the state budget that started before their vacation. Snyder and the Legislature have agreed to get the budget done by June 1 — like last year when they delivered the fastest budget in three decades. But with a year's experience under their belts, Republican lawmakers are showing more independence. http://bit.ly/I1lSCr

State Representative Dave Agema
is challenging Saul Anuzis for re-election
to the RNC from Michigan.

Tea party activists recruit Agema for high profile Republican race against Anuzis: In his bid to beat Saul Anuzis for the Michigan Republican National Committeeman position, term-limited state Rep. Dave Agema said Tuesday he’s not going to engage in negative campaigning against the party veteran. The Grandville resident was not as demure in an email sent the same day announcing his candidacy and seeking support of conservatives. He initially takes a veiled approach vowing not to work as a "paid political consultant while in a party office" without naming Anuzis, who runs the Coast to Coast Strategies firm, has held the national post since 2010 and served four years as the state party chairman. Agema later writes about his opponent inviting him to support the National Popular Vote, an effort to get states to combine their electoral votes behind the presidential candidate who wins the most votes overall, without full disclosure of his interest. http://bit.ly/J5QcOs

HERITAGE GUIDE TO THE CONSTITUTION: The Heritage Guide to the Constitution is intended to provide a brief and accurate explanation of each clause of the Constitution as envisioned by the Framers and as applied in contemporary law. Its particular aim is to provide lawmakers with a means to defend their role and to fulfill their responsibilities in our constitutional order. Yet while the Guide will provide a reliable reference for lawmakers and policy-makers, and be especially useful for the trained jurist, it is written to be explanatory and educational, accessible and helpful for informed citizens and students of the Constitution generally. http://herit.ag/Y0x

BIRTHWEEK: Tuesday: Todd Jones. Wednesday: Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ), Al Pacino. Thursday: Frederick Law Olmsted (designer of Bay City's Carroll Park, NYC's Central Park and U.S. Capitol grounds) (h/t a duck in the pond), Carol Burnett. Friday: Ulysses S. Grant, Jack Klugman, Casey Kasem (h/t a long-distance dedication). Saturday: Nicklas Lidstrom, John Daly. Sunday: The Duke of Wellington, Duke Ellington, Jerry Seinfeld, Mike Babcock, @MattFrendewey.

Philip Humber pitched the
21st perfect game in MLB history
on Saturday in Seattle.

PERFECTION: White Sox's Humber throws perfect game: For only a few seconds Saturday, Philip Humber's perfect game bid was out of his hands. "Go get it," Humber said as catcher A.J. Pierzynski chased down an errant slider that pinch-hitter Brendan Ryan was ruled to have swung at. "Throw him out." As soon as Pierzynski retreated and completed his throw to first base to complete the 27th consecutive out, the latest chapter in Humber's amazing ascent was completed. http://trib.in/JyyC0T

Spirit’s Greg Gilbert OHL Coach of the Year: The Ontario Hockey League Tuesday announced that Saginaw Spirit Head Coach Greg Gilbert is the 2011-12 recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy presented to the OHL Coach of the Year. Gilbert joined the Spirit midway through the 2011-12 campaign and in 36 games behind the bench earned a 20-10-1-5 record for 46 points helping the Spirit climb from ninth place in the OHL’s Western Conference standings with 28 points to a fifth place finish with 74 points. The sixth coach in club history, Gilbert becomes the first Matt Leyden Trophy winner in the Spirit’s 10-year history in Saginaw. "I am very honoured and humbled to be recognized with this award and this is something that I will always cherish," Gilbert said. "I have been fortunate to be involved with a great organization with a tremendous ownership group and supporting staff, and of course a lot of credit needs to go to the players who opened their minds with a willingness to learn and work hard." http://bit.ly/I2q3un

The Lions will have one
Monday Night Football game
on October 22 in Chicago.

LIONS SCORE FIVE NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES: The NFL has released its regular-season schedule and it declares the Lions must-see TV. The Lions will be featured in four prime-time games and five nationally-televised games (including Thanksgiving), the most allowed to any one team. The one drawback for Lions fans is three of those nationally-televised games are on the road (49ers, Bears and Packers) and the two at Ford Field aren’t until Week 12 (Thanksgiving) against the Texans and Week 16 against the Falcons. http://bit.ly/IVQlok