They will be held Nov. 29 at Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, Nov. 30 at Northern Michigan University Marquette and Dec. 7 at the Lansing Center in Lansing.

The rules will implement a mining law signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in December 2004. Before then, Michigan had no law governing nonferrous operations, or mining of metals other than iron ore.

A proposal by Kennecott Minerals to dig a nickel mine in northwestern Marquette County spurred the Legislature to enact the law. The company has yet to apply for a permit, which would amount to a formal declaration to proceed with the project.

"Kennecott supports having a technically sound set of mining rules in place," project manager Jon Cherry told The Mining Journal for a story Thursday. "Our money is better spent doing it right in the beginning."

The hearings will deal with the proposed regulations, not any specific project, state geologist Hal Fitch said. If Kennecott applies for a permit for the Marquette County mine, dubbed Eagle Project, additional hearings will be scheduled.

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Tech University students and military cadets want to make sure Upper Peninsula reservists stationed in Afghanistan aren't forgotten this Christmas.

For the past month, they've teamed to collect thousands of care package ingredients, from disposable cameras and DVDs to razors, batteries and home-baked cookies.

"The cadets just took the ball and ran with it," said Maj. Paul Heslin, assistant professor of military science at the university's Army Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Heslin said package recipients will be Michigan National Guard troops based out of 107th Engineers headquarters in Ishpeming, plus units in Baraga, Ironwood and Escanaba.

Cadets spent Wednesday evening packing hundreds of boxes in the ROTC gymnasium, helped by other students volunteering through clubs, fraternities, sororities or individually.

Volunteers placed a personal handwritten message inside each package, sending thanks and best wishes for the holidays and telling troops about the first snowfall of the year.

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Technological University has received a $75,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to protect students, staff and area residents from a range of possible natural and planned disasters, Gov. Jennifer Granholm says.

"By being the first public university to develop a plan, Michigan Tech will set a precedent that I hope other universities will follow," Granholm said in the statement.

The plan will include identification of possible hazards and targets, assessing risks and setting goals and priorities. The university and the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Regional Development Commission will collaborate on the plan, which they will have three years to finish.

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