Having lost all their court cases, opponents of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians hope to block the tribe from a Class III gaming compact with the state of Michigan. As the litigation was proceeding, the tribe signed a deal with Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D). But the compact did not receive final approval in the state Legislature. “Now we have to go back to the state and renegotiate a compact. The sooner it’s approved, the sooner we can get something going out there," John Shagonaby, the chief executive officer for the tribe’s economic development corporation, told The Allegan News. The tribe expects the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place 147 acres in trust for the casino in a matter of days. Opponents were unable to stop two other Michigan tribes from acquiring land and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Indians says 15,000 people applied for 1,500 jobs at the FireKeepers Casino, which will open this summer. Get the Story:
Lawsuit’s end opens door for casino (The Allegan News 1/29)
Over 15k seek jobs at casino (The Coldwater Daily Reporter 1/29)