December 25, 2024

Juneteenth is now officially a national holiday.

Earlier this evening, President Joe Biden “signed a bill into law to make June 19, known as Juneteenth, a national holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States ….

The House on Wednesday voted 415-14 to pass the bipartisan legislation, called the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. All no votes came from Republicans. The bill had won unanimous support in the Senate on Tuesday.

The law created the US’s 11th federally recognized holiday. The latest one, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, was established nearly 40 years ago ….

Juneteenth, often referred to as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, or Emancipation Day, celebrates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers traveled to Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced that the region’s 250,0000 enslaved African Americans were emancipated, thus effectively abolishing slavery in the last Confederate territory.

The holiday has been celebrated since the late 1800s and had been recognized in 47 states and the District of Columbia for several years ….

Complete article by Eliza Relman and Oma Seddiq titled “Biden makes Juneteenth a national holiday, giving federal employees Friday off” can be read online at Business Insider.

Independence Day— via Billy Graham (1970): "I find that there is a certain fear and expected cosmic judgment that hangs over our country at this hour, as the Devine timepiece ticks away. Thomas Jefferson felt this deeply when he said, 'I tremble for my country, when I reflect that God…

– July 4, 2022
via Baptist Beacon (April 1, 2022)— "Called: Living the life God created you to live," by Karen Blanchard, women's life group leader with Lakepointe Church in Shelby Township, Michigan: The words “called” and “purpose” are buzzwords in our culture today. People are constantly searching to find their calling and purpose…

– May 1, 2022
via TED Conferences (February 1998) "Billy Graham: Technology, faith and human shortcomings": In Monterey California, The Reverend Billy Graham delivered a talk of just over twenty-six minutes to a Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) conference before a screen that projected a title of no more than, matter-of-factly, his first and…

– July 10, 2022
Good Friday— "By no means is Good Friday an isolated event, said Winn Collier, the pastor of All Souls Charlottesville, a partner church with the Baptist General Association of Virginia. "Following the church calendar is a congregation’s way of following the footsteps of Christ throughout the year. And for both…

– April 15, 2022
via Baptist Beacon (February 2, 2022)— "Peace during a pandemic," by Dr Dan Russell, Executive Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Southgate, Michigan: To help strengthen the pastors and church families of our Convention as we face this coronavirus crisis, here are some encouraging reminders on how to keep your…

– February 6, 2022
via Jesus Calling (2004), by Sarah Young— "I am with you, watching over you constantly ...." Matthew 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" [King James Version] Psalm 34:5…

– May 29, 2022
re United States Supreme Court decision in Carson v Makin— Lifeway Christian Resources referenced Article 12 of the Southern Baptist Faith and Message, which "deals specifically and uniquely with the topic of education. ... our confessional statement affirms, Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. As we shall see, one…

– June 21, 2022
National Day of Prayer for Law Enforcement Officers— via National Police Association (June 23, 2021), by Stephen Owsinski, retired law enforcement officer with experience in Field Training Officer (FTO) unit and the Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST): "Like anyone else, our nation’s cops harbor every desire to return home each day…

– June 17, 2022
via Samaritan's Purse— "Samaritan's Purse is operating multiple medical facilities in various parts of Ukraine and providing food and non-food relief items through church partners in both Ukraine and Moldova": Samaritan's Purse continues to provide medical relief to displaced Ukrainians, serving them at our Emergency Field Hospital on the outskirts…

– March 13, 2022

Fourth Annual Michigan Humane “Mega March” Provided a Fun Way to Help Dogs

October 6, 2009

Each year Michigan Humane Society holds a signature walk-a-thon through the streets of downtown Detroit to raise funds that will help find homes for dogs in need. This goes toward financing support for more than 100,000 animals each year. [1,2,3] The organization describes this as the largest walk on behalf of animals in Michigan. This march also helps raise awareness about cruelty and neglect. I arrived for this event on Sunday thinking there would be ....

FIRST Robotics Competition team "Saline Singularity" watches 2019 game on televisions at local high school reveal via satellite

Saline Singularity FIRST Robotics Team week 1 progress report: Here’s what happened after the 2019 game was announced

January 9, 2019

Last Saturday, the symbolic starter pistol was fired at 10:30am sharp, starting the six-week clock for high school teams to build custom robots for 2019 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). [1,2,3] For our own Team 5066, “Saline Singularity,” that meant the first day of work — all business. Along with providing a video overview of concept, field, and scoring, an access was opened to extensive resources page that includes a list of Mechanical Resources. [4,5,6,7] Well ....

Washtenaw County Sheriff Open House Event Held To Build Stronger Relationships Within The Community It Must Serve

August 18, 2018

Local law enforcement packed a lot into two-and-a-half hours today during the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office open house. Interest and engagement were still going stong through the lunch hour before things were scheduled to wind down at 12:30pm. [1,2] Event promotions via social media featured images of accessible officers, excited children, and impressive vehicles. Washtenaw County Detective Mark Neumann told Saline Journal that offerings such as this had grown out a “company picnic” concept akin ....

On September 30 You’ll Learn More Than How Saline Resident Levi Haynes Became Wealthy With Enhanced Farm Crop Yields

August 22, 2018

In the late 1800s, United States wheat consumption stood at 225 pounds per capita. Difficulties related to production in many areas of the country and high transportation costs advantaged alternatives such as corn. Wheat bread was consumed primarily by the well-off. [1] Levi Haynes was a former dry goods merchant of the period here in Saline who ultimately made opportunity out of this challenge. This started with his idea of selecting the best seeds from ....

“31 Day October 2020 Photo Challenge!” offers a number of great opportunities to present the case for Saline

October 1, 2020

During a March 7 session at the 2019 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Courtney Sheffer of West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) shared details from the experience of her organization in its effort to attract attention for her constituent destinations. [1,2] In her position as marketing director for WMTA, she faced the same challenges that destinations such as Saline, as well as their venue advocates including the A2Y Regional Chamber are facing in the wake ....