WATZ Today's Country

Tuesday News Summary 12-13-22
Tue, 13 Dec 2022 12:04:04 EST

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

SCOTUS AND MSU TITLE IX CASE
The US Supreme Court won't take up a dispute from Michigan State University that
could have impacted how Title 9 is applied to college athletics programs. The case
stems from the universitys decision in 2020 to eliminate its mens and womens
swimming and diving teams. The school cited cost as the reason, but members of the
women's team sued saying the decision violated federal anti-discrimination law,
commonly known as Title IX. The high court rejected the university's appeal of a lowercourt ruling in favor of the former members of the team who say MSU violated Title 9 by
not providing enough opportunities for women athletes to participate in sports.

ECONOMIC REPORTS
Theres plenty of economic news developing and it could affect your family budget and
your money. The government is getting ready to release the Consumer Price Index.
Thats our inflation rate. Inflation peaked this summer at 9.1-percent, but has been
trending lower. The November figures come out at 8:30 this morning. Also today the
Federal Reserve begins a two day meeting where they will discuss that inflation rate
and other data and figure out how much to raise interest rates. Theyll announce their
decision tomorrow.

WHELAN NEGOTIATIONS
The State Department says that Russia has not been willing to negotiate seriously or
constructively to release Michigan native Paul Whelan who has been in a Russian
prison for four years. Biden administration officials met virtually with Whelan's sister
Elizabeth Whelan to assure her of President Biden's commitment to get his release.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan says Russia was being
unreasonable in negotiations. Whelan, who lived in suburban Detroit, was sentenced
to 16 years in prison after being convicted of espionage.

SCREEN TIME AND KIDS
A new study shows the relationship between screen time and emotional health in small
children. According to a new University of Michigan study, using digital devices to help
calm down a child could reduce emotional coping practices and increase emotional
dysregulation -- which include quick mood shifts and heightened impulsivity. Over 400
parents and children ages 3-5 participated in the study between August 2018 and
January 2020. Researchers analyzed caregiver responses and how often they used
devices as calming tools. The study found an association between device-calming and
emotional consequences -- especially with young boys and already hyperactive
children.

SUBARU RECALL
Subaru is telling the owners of nearly 272-thousand SUVs in the U.S. to park them
outdoors due to the risk of a fire. The company is recalling the 2019 through 2022
Ascents after getting reports of two fires with no injuries. Subaru says a bolt that holds
the ground terminal of a heater may not have been fastened properly during assembly.
That can cause the terminal and surrounding parts to melt, increasing the risk of fire.
Subaru says the Ascents should be parked away from structures and should not be left
unattended with the engine running until repairs are made.

CONGRESSWOMAN HAS COVID
Michigan congresswoman Debbie Dingell has tested positive for COVID-19. Her office
says she learned of the positive result Sunday night and it's the first time she's had
COVID since the start of the pandemic. Dingell has been fully vaccinated -- including
all available boosters -- and has minimal symptoms, and will continue to work while selfisolating at home.

PATMOS LIBRARY THREAT
The Patmos Library in Jamestown Township, southwest of Grand Rapids, closed early
on Monday because of safety concerns. That's what the library posted on its Facebook
page, but did not explain what those safety concerns were. The Patmos Library has
been the subject of controversy over LGBTQ books. Voters rejected a millage to keep
the library running and it has announced it will close in 2024.

KALAMAZOO SUPERINTENDENT RESIGNS
The superintendent of the Kalamazoo Public Schools has resigned . The school board
accepted the resignation of Superintendent Rita Raichoudhuri (Ry-chow-der-ee) on
Monday. In a statement, the board said her resignation was a mutual decision and that
she is leaving the district in good standing. It says she wants to pursue other
professional opportunities.
Former assistant superintendent Cindy Green will serve as interim superintendent of
Kalamazoo Public Schools.

OXFORD SCHOOLS SECURITY
A number of new security measures are now in place to help protect students in the
Oxford School District. The enhanced features come at a cost of $1.7 million and
include a new third-party security team, an ammunition and weapons detection dog,
student monitoring software ... which uses artificial intelligence to monitor activities and
flag incidents ... and a district-wide mass notification system.
The district says training will continue for teachers in assessing threats and mental
health evaluation and training is ongoing for students in how to use the state's OK2Say
anonymous reporting system.

HOLLAND HOUSE FIRE
Two pets were rescued from a house fire in Holland last night in west Michigan. No
one was hurt. The fire caused damage in the basement and first floor. Firefighters
found a dog and a cat in the house and got them out. They are expected to be okay.
The cause of the fire will be investigated.

BAVARIAN INN EXPANSION
There's a groundbreaking later this morning on a big project in Frankenmuth. This is an
80 million dollar expansion project at the Bavarian Inn Lodge --which is along the Cass
River, that will feature more than 20 new attractions. They include many water slides, a
wave pool, and an adult swim up bar. When this is complete, it will made the Bavarian
Inn Lodge Michigan's largest indoor water park and family entertainment center using
140-thousand square feet of space. It'll open in the Spring of 2024.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS
A couple of school districts are closed in Michigan due to illness. The Carson CityCrystal Area School District in mid Michigan is closed today and tomorrow because of
what they says is an excessive amount of student illness.
Meantime, Hillman Schools in northern Michigan are closed today and tomorrow due to
the amount of student and staff illness.

MAN HIT & KILLED
There's been another fatal pedestrian accident in the Grand Traverse region. An 86-
year-old man from Grawn was killed Sunday night while walking on U.S.-31 in Blair
Townmship. The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department says the elderly man
was crossing the highway near State Street when he was hit by a vehicle.

WATER MORATORIUM ENDS
Detroit's moratorium on water shutoffs will come to an end this month. The moratorium
was instituted in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when the state
required utilities to keep residents' water on despite nonpayment. When the
moratorium ends, to avoid interruption, city officials say it is up to customers to ask for
help if they need it. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says customers can
also apply for its Lifeline Plan. That program offers fixed monthly rates based on
income and water use.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Human trafficking, prostitution, and other charges have been filed against two men
nearly seven months after they were pulled over in Inkster.
Michigan State Police say 28-year-old Steffan Harris was arraigned Monday on
charges which include activity related to child sex abuse.
A girl, who was reported missing by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, was found in
the vehicle with the two suspects. She was returned to her parents and is recovering.
The second suspect, who was already behind bars, is expected to face a judge
Thursday on the latest charges.

DETROIT LIONS SHOP WITH KIDS
The Detroit Lions will take a break this afternoon to go shopping .. with kids. The team,
working with Meijer, to spend a few hours out with kids from Downtown Boxing Gym.
Each child will have a 250 DOLLAR Meijer gift card to spend in the store .. with help
from Lions players, cheerleaders and Roary the mascot. The team has been
partnering with Meijer for the past SEVEN YEARS ... to spread holiday cheer with kids
from Detroit.

PURE MI CAMPAIGN
Pure Michigan has started a new ad campaign promoting the state's history as a winter
wonderland. The two-point-three million dollar national campaign highlights northern
Michigan destinations. Areas targeted for marketing include: Chicago, Cincinnati,
Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Columbus. Travel Michigan says winter
tourism season generated almost three Billion dollars last year.