WATZ Today's Country

Friday News Summary 12-16-22
Fri, 16 Dec 2022 12:18:26 EST

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

GOV KIDNAP PLOT
Three men who forged an early alliance with the leader of a plot to kidnap Michigan's
governor have been sentenced to prison terms for assisting him in 2020. Pete Musico
was given a minimum term of 12 years while his son-in-law Joe Morrison got 10 years.
They'll be eligible for parole at that time. Defendant Paul Bellar of Milford will spend
seven years in prison. They were convicted in October of providing material support for
a terrorist act. Morrison, Musico and Bellar were members of a paramilitary group
known as the Wolverine Watchmen. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was never physically
harmed by the plot. Separately, four people were convicted of a kidnapping conspiracy
in federal court.

DINGELL DENTAL HEALTH
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell has introduced a bipartisan bill... aiming to
expand access to private dental coverage for millions of Americans. The Increasing
Access to Dental Insurance Act would eliminate the rule that prohibits Americans from
purchasing dental coverage on the federal marketplace unless they also purchase
health insurance. Dingell says dental care is the pathway to good health for the entire
body -- but access to quality dental coverage is out of reach for too many Americans.

SESAME ALLERGY
Foods containing sesame will be subject to food allergen regulatory requirements in the
new year.
Starting January 1st -- manufacturers will have to label foods containing sesame and
follow certain manufacturing requirements. Sesame joins milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree
nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans as the major food allergens recognized by the
Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act. Food already containing
sesame does NOT need to be removed from shelves or relabeled before the new year.

VAPING SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Vaping has soared to be one of the most common types of substance use for teens.
According to a new study from the University of Michigan, 7 percent of 8th grade
students nationwide vaped in the past 30 days in 2022 -- compared to 6 percent who
used alcohol and 5 percent who used weed. For 12th graders -- the 30-day prevalence
of vaping was 21 percent. Richard Miech -- who led the study -- says many people
aren't aware of just how common vaping has become among teens.

MAZI SMITH DELAY
Sentencing for University of Michigan football player Mazi Smith has been delayed until
after the Wolverines' possible appearance in the College Football National
Championship game in January. Smith pled guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge,
following his arrest back in October for possessing a Glock 19 without a concealed
pistol license. He was to have been sentenced December 29th. His new sentencing
date is now set for January 12th in Washtenaw County District Court. The Wolverines
play Texas Christian University in the semi-final of the College Football Playoff, on
News Year's Eve, with a possibility to play in the national title game, on Monday,
January 9th.

UM OPEN PRACTICE
Michigan football is holding an open practice ahead of its College Football Playoff
showdown with TCU on New Years Eve. The Wolverines are welcoming 200 fans to Al
Glick Field House on Saturday to watch practice. Fans are being told to line up at the
southeast entrance to the field house on State Street... doors open at 3:15. Space is
limited to the first 200 people in line. Photo and video is NOT allowed at the event.
Michigan takes on the Horned Frogs in the Fiesta Bowl at 4 o'clock on New Years Eve.

MISSING MOM-SW MI
A mom of eight is missing in Portage, near Kalamazoo. 35-year-old Heather Kelley
was reported missing on Saturday after she left her Kalamazoo home and told her kids
she would be home shortly. She never arrived and her truck was found abandoned in
Kalamazoo. Word of her disappearance is spreading on the Missing in Michigan
Facebook page. Kalamazoo County sheriff Richard Fuller says there's a lot of detail
they're not going to be able to go into. Kelley is 5'10 , 130 pounds with long blonde hair.

ANN ARBOR SICK SCHOOLS
THREE schools in Ann Arbor are CLOSED today because too many teachers are out
sick. The schools affected are Ann Arbor Open, Burns Park Elementary School and
Tappan Middle School.
In an email to families -- the superintendent says they are unable to ensure staffing for
a safe in-person learning environment for students. There's NOP remote instruction
either ... because of the high number of staff illness. The districts custodial teams will
work to thoroughly disinfect the buildings so classes can resume next week.

GUN-DRUG CHARGES -W MI
In west Michgian, eleven people have been charged with drug and gun related crimes.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, says eight suspects are
from Benton Harbor and three are from Grand Rapids.
Court documents show that the year-long investigation involved the buyand selling of
firearm switches. They are used to turn a semi-automatic Glock into a machine gun.
Totten says the devices can enable a semi-automatic pistol to fire more than one
thousand rounds in a minute. He says the switches pose an emerging threat to our
communities, children and law enforcement officers.

FLINT WATER SETTLEMENT
An engineering firm has settled a lawsuit with four families after being accused of not
doing enough to stop lead contamination in the Flint, Michigan, water supply. The deal
involving Lockwood, Andrews & Newman comes four months after a jury couldn't reach
a unanimous verdict. No details were disclosed.
LAN and another company, Veolia North America, were accused of not doing enough
to get Flint to treat the highly corrosive water or to urge a return to a regional water
supplier. Flint's water became contaminated in 2014 because water pulled from the
Flint River wasn't treated to reduce the effect on lead pipes. The families' new trial
against Veolia is scheduled to begin in February.

COVID LOAN CHARGES
A west Michigan man, Kurtis Vandermolen, of Kentwood, has pleaded guilty to bank
fraud and money laundering. Vandermolen reportedly applied for a government loan
through the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020 and it's alleged it was for a fake
company called Breakout Strategies Corporation. He was given a 100-thousand dollar
loan, which prosecutors say he used for personal expenses , including a convertible
BMW. He got another 69-thousand dollar loan in 2021 which he used to pay for a
wedding in Florida.

SOO LOCKS FUNDING
Thursday, the U.S. Senate gave final passage to a wide ranging Pentagon spending bill
that included more money to build a new Soo Lock. The Army Corps of Engineers was
looking for more funding to complete its work on a new supersize navigation lock for
Sault Ste. Marie. It could be as much as 3.2 Billion dollars....more than the initial
amount of $922 million, because of overruns attributed to design modifications , labor
shortages and inflation.

FLU RISING
Flu cases are soaring headed into the holidays... packing emergency rooms as
Michigan continues to experience a "tripledemic" -- the flu, RSV, and COVID-19.
Dr. Matthew Sims is director of Infectious Disease Research at Corewell Health East --
formerly Beaumont. He says RSV cases have peaked and are on the decline... but the
flu is spreading at a dangerous rate. He recommends getting a flu shot.

FATAL CRASH-OTSEGO COUNTY
Otsego County authorities say two people died in a head-on crash yesterday in Hayes
Township. It happened Thursday morning. Deputies say a pickup driven by a
Lewiston man tried to pass a car while going around a curve and hit the victims' vehicle
head-on. A 66-year-old female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The
driver, a 69-year-old man, was taken to the hospital and later died.
UPDATE ON WOMAN FOUND DEAD-WEXFORD COUNTY
Wexford County authorities have now released the name of the woman found dead
Wednesday morning in Haring Township. The victim has been identified as 26-year-old
Laken Clark, of Missaukee County. Investigators are still awaiting autopsy results.

PENGUIN SWALLOWS DIME
A reminder from the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids to NOT throw objects and food into
animal habitats. The zoo posting on its Facebook page that during a routine exam, a
round, metal object was seen on an x-ray in Picchu the penguin's stomach. The zoo
says, using endoscopy (en-doss-cuh-pee) equipment they were able to purchase
thanks to generous donors and matching funds from the Michigan Arts and Culture
Council, the veterinary team was able to go in and remove the object, which turned out
to be a dime.
The zoo says the dime closely resembled the appearance of silver fish, a main part of a
penguin's diet.

HILLSDALE COLLEGE RARE INSTRUMENTS
Hillsdale College in south central Michigan has received a collection of rare string
instruments that will be used by a newly established student ensemble-the Joy String
Quartet. David and Bonnie Joy Hough donated the instruments, which include: a
Nicolo Amati violin and a Guilio Gigli viola were crafted during the 17th, 18ty and 19th
centuries.

FERRIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Fans and alumni across Michigan will have an opportunity to watch the Ferris State
Bulldogs play in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game this Saturday
afternoon as Buffalo Wild Wings plans to hold watch parties at different locations
across the state.
The Bulldogs' matchup with the Colorado School of Mines kicks off at 1 p.m. A fan bus
left last night and is set to arrive this afternoon in Allen, Texas for the game.