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The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld state laws that bar transgender girls and women from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams, ruling unanimously that the laws do not violate the federal civil rights law Title IX. Michigan does not have a statewide law prohibiting transgender students from participating on school sports teams. Instead, the state has civil rights protections that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. As a result, legal advocates say Tuesday’s ruling does not automatically change how Michigan schools handle transgender student-athlete participation.

Jason Gatties of Dowagiac writes, “In an era dominated by intense partisanship, Michigan needs a senator who looks past party politics to focus on pragmatic, systemic reform. While we may disagree on some federal regulations, El-Sayed’s fundamental approach aligns with core libertarian & moderate values: dismantling government protected monopolies & eliminating corporate welfare.”

Commissioners will look to finalize a contract to make Doug Terry the city’s interim city manager replacing Andrew Kuk once his resignation becomes final on July 24. Commissioners interviewed Terry during their June 22 meeting and voted to extend him a conditional offer pending a contract agreement, background check, and reference check. Terry was the lone candidate as the other potential replacements the city reached out to were unable to apply due to prior commitments.

Reader Dray Perkins writes, “I expected the storm to bring damage. I expected it to bring power outages. What I did not expect though was the sheer resiliency and camaraderie that were put on display following the weather event.”

During the presentations portion of the meeting, SAFEbuilt, an outside firm that handles much of the city’s building inspection and construction-related work, will give a presentation. The company is presenting per the request of Mayor Angel Johnston and Commissioner Lucas Allen who together requested City Manager Joe Bippus put the item on the agenda. Johnston said the presentation would give SAFEbuilt an opportunity to address concerns she has heard from residents about the company’s conduct, responsiveness, and work throughout the city.

As of now, the case has been filed as a class-action lawsuit against Hyperscale Data Inc. in the Kalamazoo U.S. District Court. The case alleges that because of the constant noise being emitted from the Hyperscale Data Inc. data center, property values for residents living within a mile of the facility are declining.  Attorneys Laura Sheets and Steven Liddle acknowledged there are other impacts associated with the data center — such as environmental concerns and a lack of transparency — however, the case in its current state is only alleging property damage and seeking compensation for those claims. The defendant — Hyperscale Data Inc. — has reviewed those claims and asked for an extension to give an answer, which was granted and is due July 24.