Thursday News Summary 10-06-22
Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:37:03 EDT


(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)


WEST MICHIGAN JOBS
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced Michigan Strategic Fund support for a critical infrastructure project spanning Ottawa and Muskegon counties that will help to secure additional investment and jobs in West Michigans food and agricultural industry. The Southeast Regional Force Main project will allow the city of Coopersville to redirect wastewater north to the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center, providing additional wastewater capacity necessary for continued growth of agricultural employers in the area, including Fairlife, Continental Dairy, DeVries Meats, Applegate Dairy and Swanson Pickle. The project will result in the creation of up to 145 new jobs and a capital investment of up to $187 million in Ottawa and Muskegon counties.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS
A record number of absentee ballots are being requested ahead of the November election. According to the Michigan Secretary of State, more than 1.5 MILLION voters have REQUESTED an absentee ballot -- already surpassing the 1.16 million absentee ballots CAST in the 2018 general election. The Secretary of State says voters who already received their absentee ballot should complete it, sign the envelope, and either mail or hand-deliver it to their local clerks office. Voters have until 8 p.m. on election day to return their absentee ballot.

POLL ON BALLOT PROPOSALS
A new poll shows Michigan voters are crossing party lines on the state's three ballot proposals. Proposal one -- which would cap state legislator terms at 12 years -- is supported by 66 percent of likely Michigan voters... a significant majority. Proposal two -- providing absentee ballot drop boxes and a voters' right to verify their identity with photo ID or signed statement -- has an even bigger majority... 70 percent. Proposal three -- enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution -- is picking up a 61 percent majority... with Republicans presenting the most opposition.The poll was conducted from Sept 26th to the 29th -- commissioned by WDIV and The Detroit News.

SECOND GOVERNOR DEBATE
A second debate has been added as the race for governor enters the home stretch. Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer will debate Republican challenger Tudor Dixon on October 25th at Oakland University. The pair will add the event to their schedules alongside a previously-scheduled debate on October 13th in Grand Rapids. Over the summer, Whitmer agreed to participate in both debates -- but Dixon only committed to the first. Her decision to now participate in the second debate comes one day after a new poll showed her 17 points behind Whitmer ahead of the November election.

LANSING ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
Two Lansing police officers are on administrative leave after a deadly shooting. Police say it's department policy to place the officers involved on leave as Michigan State Police conduct an investigation. Police say 31-year old Terrance Robinson was shot and died after he fired several shots at officers who found several stolen vehicles at a home. Investigators say the home was known to police.

MID MICHIGAN THREATS
Authorities in mid-Michigan say tips to the State Police OK 2 SAY program led to the arrest of three juveniles accused of making threats at Alma High School. The Gratiot County Prosecutor says the three students were taken into custody after guns and ammunition were seized from a home. A 45-year old man is facing weapons charges, although his connection to the kids is unknown.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD
The leader of Planned Parenthood of Michigan says there are a number of women from other states coming here to get an abortion. Paula Thorton Grear tells the Free Press that some health centers are seeing triple the number of people in some weeks as the number of out-of-state residents coming to Michigan seeking an abortion has more than doubled since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Abortions are legal in Michigan as the courts have blocked a 1931 state law criminalizing most abortions. Voters will decide the abortion issue in November as Proposal 3 would amend the state constitution.

WASHTENAW COUNTY SPILL
Authorities near Ann Arbor are assessing a giant spill of partially treated sewage into the Huron River. Officials at the Washtenaw County Health department say there was a problem with the ultraviolet processing system and an overflow of 1.3 MILLION gallons of raw sewage went into the river Tuesday morning. Officials say this will NOT affect the drinking water as the intake is further upstream.

HEALTH FRAUD
A Florida doctor has entered a guilty plea in connection to a health care fraud scheme. According to prosecutors, 48-year-old Michael Ligotti was a doctor at more than 50 addiction treatment facilities and billed his patients for fake tests, office visits and therapy sessions. He treated Jamie Daniels -- the son of Red Wings play-by-play announcer, Ken Daniels. Ligotti treated Jamie for addiction recovery before his death in 2016. According to ESPN, Ligotti authorized three separate urine tests when Daniels was NOT in Florida. They were billed around $60-THOUSAND dollars from various facilities claiming to treat Jamie. Ligotti faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250- thousand dollar fine.

LATEST COVID STATS
The Michigan health department reported 12,880 COVID-19 cases over the last week, an average of 1,840 cases per day. There also were 143 new reported deaths over the last week. Michigan now has a total of 2-million-849-thousand cases and more than 38- thousand deaths due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, as of Tuesday. This includes both confirmed and probable cases.

PIE SURVEY
The holiday season is almost upon us- and there's a new survey out - about pie! Wise Voter analyzed search results in the 50 states to find out their favorite pie this holiday season and - in Michigan - it turns out to be - Apple! 15 states like an apple pie at the holidays - including our neighbors in Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. Number two in Michigan is Sweet Potato pie, followed by Blueberry, Pumpkin and Key Lime. 16 states chose pecan. More stats on pie - Wise Voter says 20-percent of pie lovers admit to eating a whole pie by themselves.

SOUTH LYON SCHOOL THREAT
One teenager is in custody after a threat was found in a South Lyon East High School bathroom. According to school administration, a student has confessed to writing a school shooting threat on a wall in the boy's bathroom. The student attended school Wednesday, but was removed by deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Deputies also searched the teenager but did not find a weapon. School activities will continue as normal at the high school..but an increased police presence will continue for the rest of the week.

DTE AUDIT
The Michigan Public Service Commission has ordered an audit for DTE and Consumers Energy. M-P-S-C will hire a third-party to audit both company's electric distribution systems -- it will include a review of their equipment and operations. DTE and Consumers are ALSO required to file a report on their compliance with regulations. The report must be filed by November 4th and explain how technologies are being used to detect downed wires and monitor the power grid. The decision to audit comes after the August thunderstorm, which left nearly 500-THOUSAND Michiganders without electricity. The commission's goal is to reduce outages and increase safety, especially in the event of a downed power line.

GRAND RAPIDS WEDDING VENUE CITED
A wedding venue in Grand Rapids, Broadway Avenue, that won't serve LGBTQ couples, has been cited by the city. A Grand Rapids spokesperson says the venue is violating the city's human rights ordinance. The city's Office of Equity and Engagement started investigating after there were several complaints about the venue. An attorney for Broadway Avenue , David Kallman, says he'll urge the city to dismiss the case . He says the city is violating his clients' first amendment right after making statements about their religious beliefs. He says the city is not claiming any LGBTQ couple was turned away.

EMONI BATES IN COURT
Eastern Michigan University basketball star Emoni Bates will be in court today... after he was arrested last month on two felony gun charges. The 18-year-old allegedly ran a red light on September 18th -- leading to police pulling him over and finding a gun in his car. After being arrested, Bates was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and altering the identity of a firearm. Bates is scheduled to appear in court today for a probable cause conference. Bates was once the No. 1 overall high school basketball recruit in the nation -- leading Ypsilanti Lincoln to a state championship his freshman year.

PRODUCE GROWING IN HUMAN WASTE-NEAR JACKSON
State health officials issuing a warning, saying NOT to eat some produce sold from a southern Michigan farm after it was allegedly growing in fields containing raw, untreated human waste. During a routine produce safety inspection at Kuntry Gardens just West of Jackson, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development investigators making the discovery. The impacted product now seized and officials with the state working with the farm to oversee disposition and corrective action.

CRASH-W MI
A woman was critically injured in a crash near Hudsonville in west Michigan yesterday afternoon. The crash happened in Blendon Township when the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office says a driver leaving a driveway failed to yield and crashed into another car. The first driver, a 32-year-old Hudsonville woman was pinned in her car and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The other driver was treated at the scene.

SPOOKY MONROE
If you liked to get spooked out this Halloween season - you might want to head to Monroe. GhostsOfAmerica.com says Monroe has the most reported ghost sightings in the state. 48 people say they've seen ghosts in Monroe, including at the River Raison National Battlefield Park - the only national Battlefield marking the War of 1812. Other sightings were at the old paper mill and the Mall of Monroe. Your odds of seeing ghosts, though, are still low - estimated at under 2-percent.

BOMB , DRUG ARREST-N MI
In Grand Traverse County, state police say a Buckley man was arrested with a bomb, firearms and drugs in Blair Township. Troopers believe they saw a drug deal going down in a parking lot and recognized an absconder on felony probation with a warrant for his arrest. They pulled him over later on M-37, taking 33-year-old Vincent Kelly into custody. They found an explosive device, two guns, meth and other items in his truck.

IMHOFF DROPS OUT
A 20-year-old state house candidate from Jackson has ended his campaign after damming allegations against him surfaced on social media. Maurice Imhoff -- a democrat running to represent the state's 46th District -- allegedly threatened to carry out a school shooting. He is also accused of using compromising personal photos of a woman as leverage against her. The allegations were posted on Facebook over the weekend. Imhoff also told The Detroit Free Press that he's been suspended, arrested and convicted of things of which he's not proud of. Governor Gretchen Whitmer has pulled her endorsement of Imhoff -- who will still appear on the ballot.

WMU-GRAND RAPIDS SCHOOLS DUAL ENROLLMENT
Western Michigan University is offering a dual enrollment program for high school students in integrated design and manufacturing fields. The Grand Rapids Public Schools will take part as the students take courses with Western instructors and work in the college Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Lab downtown. If they complete the program, they will receive an undergraduate certificate from WMU, which can be used to continue their studies in design, manufacturing and engineering.

ALPENA HOTEL DROPPED
Rising inflation has affected a northeast Michigan project. A deal for a downtown Alpena hotel has fallen through. Developers working with Marriott International were planning to build a 70 room Fairfield Inn at the site of the former Alpena Power Company. The informed city officials this week that rising costs of building materials and rising interest rates are among the key factors that have made the project cost prohibitive.

TC ISSUES
Two controversial issues in Traverse City are now in the hands of the state court of appeals. Earlier this week, the judges made a trip up north to Petoskey to hear several cases on appeal. Two of them involve lawsuits against the city of Traverse City. These include the Fish Pass lawsuit regarding a proposed project at the Union Street Dam , and the suit by "Save Our Downtown", arguing the height of new buildings in Traverse City. The court of appeals heard from both sides on these issues and will announce a ruling at a later date.


   

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