WATZ Today's Country

Tuesday News Summary 10-11-22
Tue, 11 Oct 2022 12:19:36 EDT

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

BENTON HARBOR WATER
Free bottled water continues to be provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for City of Benton Harbor residents for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, and mixing powdered infant formula. To arrange water delivery to homebound or residents without transportation in the City of Benton Harbor, contact 211, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. City of Benton Harbor residents can pick up water at Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor Fettig Youth Campus.

STEALING FROM VULNERABLE ADULT
A Saginaw County woman has been charged with stealing from a vulnerable adult. 59- year-old Valda Cork was arraigned on two counts of Embezzlement from a Vulnerable Adult over $100-thousand dollars and two counts of Taxes-Failure to File/False Return/ Payment, a five-year felony. In 2018, Cork was appointed her mothers guardian and conservator after her mother suffered multiple strokes and was unable to care for herself. Over a 12-month period, Cork allegedly spent approximately $1.1 million of her mothers money, which included over $228-thousand in spending Cork did not report to probate court and more than $664-thousand for a condo in Pompano Beach, Florida, for which Cork did not have court authorization. It is alleged that Corks plan was to inherit the condo from her mothers estate without having to go through probate court, thereby cheating her mothers estate of the money.

BOAT COMPANY TO CLOSE
After serving the West Michigan area for nearly 60 years, Grand Valley Marine owners have decided to retire. The company started in Grandville and quickly expanded and began to offer boating equipment from name brands . More locations opened across Michigan in Lansing, Benton Harbor, Nunica, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and more. They have hired Orbitbid.com to sell all of their inventory in a one day online auction which includes over 180 lots of used & new inventory. Items will include: Several late model tritoons, pontoons, new motors, fishing boats, trailers, forklifts, and tools.

HOUSING EVENTS
The state of Michigan will host informational housing events around the state. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority announced that they plan to host five Regional Roadshows to spread awareness on different housing-related initiatives. Communities are encouraged to come and speak-up about different challenges in the housing market. According to the M-S-H-D-A, 38-PERCENT of Michigan households struggle to afford basic necessities -- including housing, childcare and food. Information will be given out about programs aimed to help those in need. The events will take place in Detroit, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, Alpena and Marquette.

SLOTKIN REMARKS
Michigan democratic representative, Elissa Slotkin calls for younger representation in the democratic party. In an N-B-C interview , the 46-year-old Slotkin said that the Democrats need "a new generation" and "new blood" across the party. While she said she'd still support President Joe Biden if he were to run in 2024 -- he is the oldest person to become president AND will turn 80 next month. Other Democrats have already hit that age -- including Speaker Nancy Pelosi. President Biden has not formally announced if he'll run for re-election in 2024.

BROWNFIELD GRANTS
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has awarded $820-THOUSAND dollars in brownfield grants for redevelopment of contaminated properties in Mid-Michigan. The plans include a new credit union in Sebewaing (SEEBwing), a restaurant and brewery with loft-style apartments in Bay City, and a new pharmacy in West Branch.

WHITMER RALLY AT CMU
Hundreds of students and community members rallied at Central Michigan University on Sunday for a meet and greet with Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The election is now less than a month away. The first debate between Whitmer and challenger Tudor Dixon is Thursday. Whitmer made four campaign stops Sunday with the final one at CMU. Most of the rally attendees were students, most of them voting in a governors race for the first time. But all of them are dealing with the cost of secondary education.

U.P. BRIDGE REPAIRS
The $3 million painting project at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge has been completed and all lanes on the bridge are now open. The project finished three weeks early. Segments of the lanes on the north end of the bridge had been closed for painting crews. The project, which coated the curb and service walk railing on the Canadian half of the bridge and included minor steel repairs, was fully funded through The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited with the help of a capital budget allocation approved by the Government of Canada.

NHL PLAYER SUSPENSION
The NHL has suspended a Michigan native after sexual assault allegations. Defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ian Cole was suspended from the NHL after he was accused of grooming and sexually abusing a minor while she was in high school. The accusations were posted to Twitter on Friday. The accuser said that Cole groomed her for four years -- saying that their first sexual encounter happened when Cole was already in the NHL and she was a minor. The Lightning announced that Cole was suspended pending the results of an NHL-led investigation. Cole is an Ann Arbor native who went to Pioneer High School and played on the U-S development team -- he denies all allegations.

POT BUSINESS SUSPENSION
A marijuana business in Detroit is slapped with a fine from the state. The license was also suspended for the House of Mary Jane. The Cannabis Regulatory Agency says the business had multiple bags, backpacks, and duffle bags of suspected marijuana products that did NOT have the required tracking numbers. The state says the business also failed to provide the 30 days of video surveillance, as requested.

MISSING BOATER-MONROE COUNTY
A boater is missing at Sterling State Park in Monroe County in Frenchtown Township. Rescue crews responded to a pond near the pedestrian bridge last night for a small boat that was sinking. Crews are searching for one person that went under the water.

CUSTER MONUMENT VANDALIZED
TWO people are in custody after they allegedly vandalized the George Custer monument in the downtown Monroe area. Someone driving in the area saw THREE people spray painting something on the statue. Police pulled up -- and the vandals ran. TWO were arrested after a short chase -- the THIRD remains at large.

DEARBORN SCHOOL BOARD MEETING POSTPONED OVER BANNED BOOKS
Cheers and jeers erupting at a fiery Dearborn School board meeting last night over the potential banning of books. Six books are currently being challenged by parents that feel the books have sexually explicit content. The district is putting them through an initial review process. The meeting was forced into a recess after the crowd became rowdy. When members of the school went to address the crowd after a half hour recess, they were drowned out by boos and chants crying out "Vote them out!", prompting the board to postpone the meeting until Thursday.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASE-METRO DETROIT
A Detroit man , arrested after allegedly forcing a 21-year-old woman into sex trafficking at a Southfield motel. Michigan State Police say the 33-year-old suspect met the woman -- who was missing for many days -- through social media. Investigators say he would control her cell phone and guard the parking lot of the motel while she was inside. The woman was eventually tracked down at Marvins Garden Inn on Northwestern Highway... after her family found multiple commercial sex ads for her posted in Oakland County. The man was later arrested during a traffic stop. An investigation continues.

HURRICANE IAN MICHIGAN VICTIM
A Michigan man is among the victims who died as a result of Hurricane Ian. 35-year-old Craig Markgraff Jr. -- known by friends and family as CJ -- split his time between Michigan and Florida. His sister -- who lives in Garden City -- says Markgraff was last seen clinging to a tree as the flood waters rose near his home in Hardee County, Florida. Markgraff's body was later found when the waters receded. His family says Markgraff was a construction worker who built many homes in Fort Myers destroyed by the storm.

GRAND RAPIDS CRASH-MURDER
Grand Rapids Police were investigating a two vehicle crash just after one this morning, when they found a woman in a vehicle who had been shot. A preliminary investigation shows the suspect was a passenger in the vehicle that the shooting victim was driving. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured in the crash. Police are looking for the suspect, who fled on foot.

WHITMER KIDNAP PLOT
The jury in a trial against three men charged in connection to a plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer will not hear the results of two federal trials a judge ruled on Monday. Defense lawyers had pushed for the judge in Jackson to let the jury know what happened to the six men who had been charged separately with conspiracy in federal court. Joe Morrison, Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar are charged in state court with providing material assistance for a terrorist act. They were members of a paramilitary group, the Wolverine Watchmen, that held training sessions, but theyre not accused of having a direct role in the kidnapping plot.

KIDNAPPING SEX ASSAULT-GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY
In Grand Traverse County, Christopher Thomas, of Traverse City is charged with kidnapping, torture, criminal sexual conduct and aggravated stalking after deputies say he entered a woman's home in Blair Township and forced her to go to a rented storage unit and sexually assaulted her. Thomas has been denied bond.

LONG SERVING OFFICIAL-KINGSLEY
Monday marked the end of an era for Michigan's current longest serving elected official. Rod Bogart, the village president of Kingsley is stepping down after 51 years. It all started in 1972 when he was elected to village council when he was 24.

ROYAL OAK FIREFIGHTERS WALK KIDS TO SCHOOL
Firefighters in Royal Oak will be walking over 600 students to school this morning -- continuing a 23-year annual tradition. The fire department says the walk is important because firefighters will be encouraging children to stay SAFE on their way to and from school. Every October is fire safety month -- which prompted Royal Oak to start the tradition 23 years ago. State fire marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer and other community leaders will join the firefighters for the walk -- which will pas by the Royal Oak fire station.