Call Center Company in Detroit, MI

Crews are expected to begin the project sometime this summer.

Patch Staff

DETROIT — The iconic water fountain at Belle Isle Park in Detroit is getting a massive upgrade.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials are planning a $6 million renovation of the James Scott Memorial Fountain, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this month.

Crews are expected to begin the project sometime this summer. Officials say the renovations are meant to ensure the fountain keeps its beauty and functionality for the next century.

To ensure public safety throughout the project, the fountain plaza, adjacent sidewalk and Fountain Drive will close to the public through 2026. Construction fencing will be erected by Friday, May 16, and the fountain will run again in May 2027.

"This investment, made possible by American Rescue Plan funds, will ensure the long-term preservation of an iconic feature in Belle Isle Park," said Ron Olson, DNR Parks and Recreation chief.

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The project includes installing new concrete beams and replacing the underlying fountain plumbing to strengthen its structure and its underlying mechanical room.

Additionally, crews will install a watertight seal and marble elements around the fountain's lower bowl to help prevent water infiltration.

The funds are part of a $273 million boost in federal American Rescue Plan relief funding that has enabled the DNR to tackle a decades-long backlog of infrastructure and rehabilitation projects in state parks and trails.

"Two years ago, results of the concrete core samples taken from the lower bowl showed the basin structure needed to be addressed," said Thomas Bissett, urban district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. "Although the project will have an impact on visitors, we're grateful that ARPA dollars were available for this project to strengthen and protect fountain structure and operation for future generations."

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Michigan regulators have been cracking down on cannabis businesses that commit violations.

State regulators fined 40 cannabis businesses in April for violations ranging from selling bags of edibles with cartoons on the packaging to growing marijuana in buildings that failed safety inspections.

Nine of the businesses operate in metro Detroit and one in Ann Arbor. Together, those 10 were fined a total of $98,500.

The Cannabis Regulator Agency took against these local businesses:

• Distro 10 Inc, a cannabis processor in Warren, was fined $9,000 for packaging edibles called Rocket Bites with a cartoon rocket ship and rainbow smoke, which violates rules prohibiting cartoons on edible cannabis products.

• Pure X LLC, a cultivator in Warren, was fined $10,000 — $5,000 for using unapproved CO₂ extraction equipment and having multiple safety violations, and another $5,000 for allegedly selling an edible product with a cartoon cowboy on the packaging.

• Free Reign LLC, a cultivator in Warren, was fined $1,500 for failing to submit a required reporting form before renovating the building and installing noncompliant door locks and AC units that altered the building’s electrical system.

• Remedi LLC (Joyology in Orion Township), a dispensary, was fined $10,000 in total—$1,000 for failing to accurately tag a product and $9,000 for failing to timely file its annual financial statement.

• Madhaus LLC, a cannabis business in Warren, was fined $9,000 after an anonymous tip led to findings that it transferred trade samples to House of Dank in Centerline beyond allowable limits.

• Cherry Industries, a cannabis processor in Detroit, was fined $20,000 for allowing employee beverages in a trim room with exposed cannabis and having large surveillance gaps during a CRA inspection.

• 222 Companies LLC (Joyology of Mount Clemens), a dispensary, was fined $6,000 for failing to retain 30 days of surveillance footage, as required by state regulations.

• Revolution Strains (Nirvana Center Processing in Center Line), a cannabis processor, was fined $17,000 for possessing marijuana products that weren’t properly labeled or entered into the statewide monitoring system.

• Private Stock LLC, a grower in Warren, was fined $12,000 for failing to accurately track all inventory in the statewide monitoring system.

• XYZ Ventures LLC (JARS Cannabis in Ann Arbor), a dispensary, was fined $4,000 for failing to maintain the required 30 days of surveillance footage.

In each of the cases, the businesses admitted fault and pledged to make corrections.

Elsewhere in the state, Favrd, a popular cultivator in Mount Morris known for its flavorful, high-quality cannabis, was fined $25,000 after inspectors found a building on the premises that was not inspected or authorized to be used for growing purposes.

At a state Senate committee hearing last month, representatives of the cannabis industry complained that state regulators are heavy-handed in their approach to regulatory fines. Business owners reported significant financial stress due to steep fines for minor violations, sometimes for self-reported infractions.

Overview:

-The abrupt termination of Michigan's AmeriCorps funding by the Trump administration has halted the MI Healthy Climate Corps, affecting nonprofits, universities, and public agencies. -Launched in March 2024, the Corps aimed to foster climate professionals and support Michigan's carbon neutrality goals by 2050. -"We were doing a lot of projects directly working with the community," said Lucas Aguirre, who had been placed at Eastside Community Network in Detroit.

Michigan nonprofits, universities, and public agencies were ordered this week to suspend all work under the MI Healthy Climate Corps after the Trump administration terminated Michigan’s AmeriCorps funding.

The Michigan Community Service Commission, which oversees AmeriCorps programs in the state, issued a Stop Work Order following the federal decision.

The Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, or CEDAM, which manages the MHC Corps program, informed host sites and corps members of the order in an email sent late Monday. Members were instructed not to report for service beginning Tuesday, April 29. A copy of the email communication was shared with Planet Detroit.

“The Department will not pay for activities, Grantee’s incurred expenses or financial losses, or any additional compensation during a stop work period,” states the grant agreement cited in the memo.

The shutdown came less than two weeks after CEDAM had initially reassured partners that federal AmeriCorps agency changes would not immediately impact the MHC Corps.

In an April 18 email, CEDAM said that while National Civilian Community Corps teams were being demobilized, there was “no information at this time about how AmeriCorps State programs may be impacted,” and added, “We do not believe the current cohort will be affected.”​

The sudden reversal has left many organizations scrambling.

Young clean energy professionals suddenly unemployed

Launched in March 2024, the MHC Corps was a partnership between the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Office of Climate and Energy, the Michigan Community Service Commission, and CEDAM. The program aimed to build a network of climate professionals while helping Michigan meet the goals outlined in the MI Healthy Plan, which targets carbon neutrality by 2050.

The program initially placed 30 AmeriCorps members at host organizations for eight-month terms. A second cohort of 31 members began service in November 2024 and was expected to continue through October 2025. Each member served in a role tailored to their host organization, with all positions geared toward advancing the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan.

Corps members were working on a range of initiatives, including expanding public transit, conducting energy audits, recommending solar development sites, publishing green workforce guides, protecting shoreline ecosystems, and promoting food waste reduction. Other members supported projects aimed at building resilience in underserved communities.

Members were responsible for providing capacity support to their host sites, serving as community ambassadors for state and federal climate resources, and participating in professional development and leadership training opportunities. Benefits for members included a living allowance totaling $35,200 over the service term; biweekly direct deposits; an education award of $7,395 upon completion; fully covered health care, including dental, vision, and mental health; qualified student loan forbearance; and eligibility for interest accrual repayment. Members were required to serve full-time for about 40 hours per week and attend four statewide, in-person cohort meetings.

At Eastside Community Network in Detroit, Climate Corps member Lucas Aguirre had been coordinating multiple community-based sustainability projects. Aguirre was managing minigrants for mobility-related projects such as installing bike repair stations and mobile charging units, helping operate a community air quality monitoring program, and planning bike repair workshops and pop-up events.

Erin Stanley, a manager at ECN, said Aguirre was playing a leadership role in these initiatives, and losing him left a critical gap. “It feels very jolting,” Stanley said. “He was a key component of a lot of this work plan that we’ve been doing lately to try and keep things moving.”

Aguirre said he learned about the termination when he arrived at work on Tuesday. “Technically they said don’t even come in today and just stop working,” he said.

He expressed concern that programs supporting resident-led sustainability initiatives would lose momentum. “We were doing a lot of projects directly working with the community,” Aguirre said​.

The shutdown is also affecting work at the Detroit 2030 District, where Climate Corps member Mason Christerfield had been providing technical assistance to building owners and managers to help them comply with Detroit’s building energy benchmarking ordinance.

Kendal Kuneman, executive director of the Detroit 2030 District, said Christerfield was a critical addition to their small team, adding full-time capacity to deliver work under a contract with the city’s Office of Sustainability. “Currently, I am the sole employee of the organization,” Kuneman said​.

The broader AmeriCorps shutdown is affecting other nonprofits like Green Living Science. Natalie Jakub, executive director of the organization, said the cuts were “really upsetting” and emphasized that “small organizations rely on this capacity building significantly.” She added that many AmeriCorps members are young professionals who now must quickly find new ways to support themselves with little notice.

31 Michigan organizations lose AmeriCorps members

According to a December 2024 CEDAM blog post, several members from the first cohort have transitioned into full-time roles in environmental and community development.

Julia Cunnien was hired as a special projects manager at Michigan Saves, continuing work on community-based outreach frameworks. Avi Gurfinkel transitioned to Barr Engineering Co. as a data management technician after conducting energy benchmarking projects with the Detroit 2030 District. Dionna Brown became director of youth environmental justice programs at Young, Gifted, and Green, overseeing initiatives like the Flint Youth Environmental Council.

Michigan leads the Midwest and ranks sixth nationally in clean energy job growth, according to EGLE. State officials had positioned the MHC Corps as a key part of building workforce capacity to support the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

CEDAM said it plans to provide members with resources, including access to the Member Assistance Program for mental health support. “We remain here to help in whatever way that we can,” wrote Sarah Teater, CEDAM’s director of capacity building, in the email to host sites and corps members.

The second MHC Corps cohort was placed with the following organizations:

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