Wednesday News Summary 10-12-22Wed, 12 Oct 2022 12:09:21 EDT
(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)
COOPERSVILLE INVESTMENT
Governor Whitmer announced that the Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved a $60 million grant through the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund for the Southeast Regional Force Main project. The $65 million 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
Some 1.6 MILLION voters in Michigan have requested absentee ballots and 150- THOUSAND have cast ballots for the general election, which is less than a month away. The state is expecting high voter turnout because of several high-impact races -- and a ballot initiative seeking to enshrine abortion in the state constitution. A spokesman for the Michigan Secretary of State says the early absentee numbers point toward this being the most votes ever cast in the state for a governor's race. With returns indicating high early absentee voting, a looming debate Thursday between Republican challenger Tudor Dixon and Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer takes on added significance.
FAITH AND BLUE
The Sault City Police chief, the Chippewa County sheriff, and the Michigan State Police post commander met together as part of the national Faith and Blue event, a four day event that is critical in reducing crime. This is the first time for this kind of event in the eastern U.P. where law enforcement not only invited the public, but also welcomed local pastors and church representatives. Nationally, there were over 2,000 meetings held this weekend as part of the event.
CAMP SHUT DOWN
The former boy scout camp in Grand Traverse County has been the source of debate for months. The East Bay Township Board was scheduled to vote Monday night on a proposal to expand the Greilick Outdoor Recreation and Education Center. But Rotary Camps and Services pulled their application.The plan would have allowed the venue to host events, like classes and weddings. Some neighbors expressed concern about potential noise and traffic. Rotary Camps and Services said the property will be permanently shut down at the end of the month.
EMMET COUNTY FUNDING
Emmet County's senior center will get the funding it wants following a decision by the Emmet County Commission Monday evening. The senior millage allocation was one of the main things on Monday nights docket. Emmet Countys Friendship Center staff were concerned the center would be receiving $150-thousand dollars less than they expected. The board voted to give the friendship center the full funding. The rest of the money from the senior millage will be divided among Bay Bluffs Medical Care, the Petoskey Library, and Habitat For Humanity.
BEAUMONT NEW NAME
Beaumont Health is getting a new name. Following the merger of Beaumont with Spectrum Health... the combined group has come up with a new identity: Corewell Health. A planned rollout of the new name that includes signage will begin soon and be phased over the next two years. The announcement comes nine months following the launch of the integrated health system.
AMTRAK REFUND
450 Amtrak customers are being offered a refund or a credit for another trip after their train from Pontiac to Chicago was delayed for hours last Friday. The trip was supposed to take just over five hours -- but ended up lasting over 10 -- after two separate delays. The train stopped just west of Ann Arbor due to a mechanical issue -- and near Jackson when a passenger had a medical emergency. The train was without lights, heat or running toilets during both of the delays. Dozens of passengers got off the train during both stops to find different ways to get to Chicago.
COLLEGE AID BILL
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed bipartisan legislation that aims to reduce college tuition for most high school graduates. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will save students thousands of dollars each year. Students are eligible if their family requires financial aid following completed FAFSA applications. 94% of community college students, 76% of public university students, and 79% of private college/ university students should be eligible for the scholarship. The class of 2023 will be the first to take advantage of the scholarships.
MISSING BODY RECOVERED
Authorities in Monroe County say they've recovered the body of a man who went missing in the water Monday night at Sterling State Park in Frenchtown Township. The Sheriff's Office says diver teams recovered the body of 49-year-old Corey Michael Carrabino -- a Monroe resident -- just before 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon from the lagoon south of the boat launch at the park. They say his body was found in approximately 8 feet of water and abouty 50 yards from shore. They say he entered the water to retrieve a disabled remote control boat he was operating with his 13-year-old son.
CRUMBLEYS TO SUPREME COURT
James and Jennifer Crumbley are taking their case to the Michigan Supreme Court. The parents of accused Oxford High School shooter -- Ethan Crumbley -- both charged with manslaughter in connection with the shooting, are asking the state's highest court to release them. Their lawyers say making them wait until their trial in January is "unreasonable." They also say Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald is making "unfair comments" about them, despite a gag order. The couple has another hearing scheduled for later this month.
REBUILDING MICHIGAN
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist joined other dignitaries to tour the I-496 Rebuilding Michigan project in Ingham County. This $80 million investment to rebuild two miles of I-496 from Lansing Road to the Grand River, which supports one thousand jobs, is part of the Whitmer-Gilchrist administrations Rebuilding Michigan Plan to rebuild the states most economically critical and most used highways and bridges. Both directions of I-496 traffic are detoured between Lansing Road and the Grand River during this project. Activity includes rebuilding the freeway and interchange ramps, including operational improvements from the Lansing Road and M-99 interchanges, preventive maintenance on 17 bridges, and upgrades to the service drives from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the east.
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a new national paid media campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of illegally passing stopped school buses. The campaign will run through October 31. Every State and the District of Columbia have laws requiring drivers to stop when a school-bus stop arm is extended, because the greatest risk to a child isnt riding a school bus but boarding or leaving one. From 2010 to 2019, there were 1.6 times more fatalities among pedestrians than occupants of school transportation vehicles.
FLINT WATER CHARGES
Lawyers for former Governor Rick Snyder are urging a judge to dismiss misdemeanor charges related to the Flint water crisis. Tuesday's request comes a week after another judge took that step with seven other former officials. Snyder wasn't covered because his case is with a different judge. But his legal team says the "same law and logic" must be applied. The Michigan Supreme Court said in June that a judge sitting as a oneperson grand jury can't return indictments. Flint managers appointed by Snyder took the city out of a regional water system in 2014. River water that was used instead contributed to lead contamination.
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS COMING TO DETROIT AREA
Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit metro Detroit this weekend... just weeks before the midterm elections. Harris will be here Saturday for a private democratic party fundraiser... as well as an appearance in Detroit where she will showcase the administration's efforts to spur the production of semiconductor chips. Harris is also planning to attend a voter education event with students in Southfield. The exact locations of her stops haven't been announced.
PORTAGE PRINCIPAL ON LEAVE
The interim principal of a high school in southwest Michigan has been placed on administrative leave. Portage Public Schools says that Michael Huber was placed on administrative leave due to an incident during the Portage Northern Homecoming dance. The school district has not released information about what happened, calling it a "personnel matter." Police say it's not a criminal matter.
HURRICANE DOGS-KALAMAZOO
24 dogs rescued from Florida and Puerto Rico after hurricanes hit there are now looking for new homes in southwest Michigan. Wings of Rescue flew 116 dogs and cats to Chicago and Kalamazoo with 24 landing in Kalamazoo. The dogs are housed at SPCA of Southwest Michigan in Kalamazoo until they can find forever homes.
TROY BANK ROBBER
A Detroit woman is jailed on felony charges -- after allegedly trying to rob a Chase Bank in Troy. It happened back on September 28th -- when police say 24-year-old Zeenat Jana ScottMusa walked into the bank carrying a backpack and passed the teller a note stating that she had a bomb. When the teller alerted the bank manager, the suspect ran out of the bank without any money. Police say the would-be robber left the threatening note at the scene, and investigators used a fingerprint on that note to confirm her identity. Scott-Musa she was arrested Monday. She was arraigned on charges of armed robbery and bank robbery.
MACOMB COUNTY JAIL UPGRADE
Upgrades could be coming to the Macomb County Jail. But do they have enough bids for construction? The Board of Commissioners last week approved $5.1 million in improvements to the jail.. But according to reports... only one bid was received for the project. Some point to supply chain issues and labor shortages scaring off bidders or leaving companies unable to do the work.
COVID MI
There have been 12-thousand-548 new cases of Covid-19 in Michigan in the past week and 152 deaths. It's an average of nearly 18-hundred cases a day. The state's positive rate is about 14-percent as of October 4th, a bit lower than it's been in the past two weeks...according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
GRAND RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
The wait continues for the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians to see if it will be recognized as an official tribe. MiBiz reports the decision has been delayed until next year, as delays have been going on for years. The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians has been recognized by the state, but not by the federal government. That federal recognition would bring the Native American group benefits like federal programs and the use of sovereign treaty rights.
FATAL CRASH-ROSCOMMON COUNTY
In Roscommon County, a fatal side by side accident has left a St. Helen man dead and a Canadian man arrested. Deputies say three people were in the vehicle when it rolled over in Richfield Township. One passenger, Floyd Meir died from his injuries. A second man was taken to the hospital. The driver, 44-year-old William Simard, of Stoney Point, Ontario, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death.
SALVATION ARMY-EMMET COUNTY
In Emmet County, the Petoskey Salvation Army is moving to a new, bigger home. They are planning to host an open house at the new space tomorrow at the former Red Cross building. They plan to actually move into the new location next Spring. It became available when the Red Cross relocated to Traverse City.
PRIEST RAPIST TRIAL-METRO DETROIT
A trial is underway in Wayne County for a Waterford Township priest... accused of raping a young boy in 2004. Father Joseph Baker is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct... sexual penetration with a person less than 13 years old. The incident allegedly happened at St. Mary Catholic Church in Wayne. Baker was pastor of St. Perpetua Parish in Waterford when he was arrested in 2019.
KROGER HOLIDAY HIRING
Kroger is putting out the "help wanted" sign for the holidays. Kroger of Michigan says it plans to hire one thousand new associates as they gear up for the holiday season and beyond. The grocer is looking to fill various roles, both in stores and in multiple business units.
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