Lt. Gov. Calley among CMU commencement speakers

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is among the speakers set for Central Michigan University's commencement events next month. The Mt. Pleasant school says more than 3,500 spring graduates are expected to participate in four commencement ceremonies on May 4 and 5. Calley is scheduled to be the keynote speaker during a 1 p.m. ceremony on May 5. He'll also receive a Doctor of Public Service honorary degree.

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Trey Zeigler interested in Michigan, but has not heard from U-M coaches

Former Mount Pleasant star Trey Zeigler is going through his second round of recruiting, but this time the University of Michigan basketball program is not included. So far. Zeigler, who played the last two seasons for his father Ernie Zeigler at Central Michigan University, was granted his release from CMU after his father was fired at the end of the 2011-12 season. Zeigler was a top recruit after his high school career at Mount Pleasant, turning down Duke, UCLA, Michigan State and Michigan. Zeigler, who averaged more than 31 minutes and 15 minutes a game as a sophomore for CMU, has made recruiting visits to Duke and Pitt.

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Westboro Baptist Church will return to Central Michigan University on journalism professor's invite

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church are returning to Central Michigan University on the invite of a journalism professor who is using the widely-reviled group as a foil for a lesson on freedom of speech. Shirley Phelps-Roper, her brother Fred Phelps Jr., and two other women from the Topeka, Kan.-based independent family church will appear in three of Professor Timothy Boudreau’s classes on Monday, April 23. Phelps-Roper previously brought her two daughters, Rebekah and Megan, to CMU on Boudreau’s invite in November 2010. The trio debated students about their practice of protesting at funeral services for American soldiers killed in Iraq.

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Central Michigan hires ex-Providence coach Keno Davis to take over basketball program

Central Michigan is hiring Keno Davis as its new basketball coach. An athletic department spokesman says CMU will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to introduce Davis, who replaces Ernie Zeigler at the helm. Zeigler was fired last month after back-to-back 21-loss seasons. CBSSports.com first reported Davis’ hiring. Davis was the AP’s national coach of the year in 2008 when he was at Drake. He then went to Providence, where he coached three seasons before being fired last March. Davis went 19-14 and reached the NIT in his first season at Providence, but the Friars went 8-28 in Big East play over the next two seasons.

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Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe opposed to proposed building of new casinos across Michigan

Despite the Committee for More Michigan Jobs campaign that the eight new casinos across Michigan would be good for the state, not everyone agrees. Frank Cloutier, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe public relations director, said that the tribe has strongly opposed further gaming. He also added that taxpayers should be able to vote on whether the new casinos are built.

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Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce employs social media to improve community

The presidential race of 2012 is in full swing and we have all been touched by campaign ads or phone calls. With this comes increased attention and interest in local economies and small business. While people know they can buy anything from anywhere in the world, Mt. Pleasant continues to demonstrate higher local economic growth than other areas in Michigan. The reality is that the vast majority of people in our community shop locally for most items. We live in neighborhoods or rural areas full of people that spend 75 to 90 percent of their time working, playing and shopping in our local area. For more than 100 years the chamber has helped support this positive economic environment in Mt. Pleasant because this local presence is vital to our growth and sustainability.

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New Venture Competition showcases future of Michigan business

The New Venture Competition brought 30 teams of Central Michigan University and Michigan Technological University students together to compete with the entrepreneurial business plans for a prize of $30,000. Michigan State Rep. Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant, said he was impressed by the presentations and the progress of the competition, which started last year and was held Friday in the Education and Human Services Building and McGuirk Arena. “This competition goes right along with things going on at the state level to make Michigan more entrepreneur-friendly and provide jobs for others,” Cotter said. Charles Crespy, dean of the College of Business Administration, said he saw many viable business plans outlined in presentations throughout the day, and win or lose, the competition provided good experience and all still had great potential to succeed in the marketplace.

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