WATZ Today's Country

Monday News Summary 01-23-23
Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:15:10 EST

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

ABBOTT LABS INVESTIGATION
Executives at the Abbott Laboratories infant formula plant in southwest Michigan are
cooperating with a federal investigation focused on the plant's shutdown a year ago.
The U.S. Justice Department's Consumer Protection unit is looking into conduct at the
plant which is located in Sturgis. The plant was shutdown for several months due to
contamination. The closure led to an infant formula shortage that forced parents to find
formula at places like doctor's office and food banks.

HEALTH CHECKUP
Be prepared. That's the advice from a new University of Michigan Study, telling
parents to prepare a list of questions and concerns for the doctor before you take your
child for their regular checkup. And C.S. Mott Children's Hospital Poll Co-Director
Sarah Clark says you should also encourage your kids to ask any questions they might
have for their provider. Clark says there are also books and videos that can help
prepare the child for the doctor's visit. But she says don't promise the child they won't
get a shot, because parents don't always know when the child is due for an
immunization.

TAX SEASON BEGINS
The tax season kicks into high gear today when taxpayers can begin filing returns. Tax
experts says refunds are expected to be lower than previous years because various tax
credits and other programs put into place during the pandemic have been cut or are
ending. The filing deadline is April 18th.

TSA HANDGUNS
TSA officers see a slight uptick in the number of guns caught at security checkpoints at
Detroit Metro Airport in 2022. Officers making one hundred stops -- up from 94 in 2021.
Thankfully, the airport was outside of the top-ten list of guns found. TSA says the
amount found at Detroit Metro was around the national average. Passengers can only
travel with firearms in checked bags. The guns must be unloaded, packed separately
from ammunition in a locked hardback case, and declared at the airline check-in
counter.

COACH FIRED
University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel announcing the dismissal of cooffensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss. Manuel releasing the
statement Friday afternoon -- just days after Weiss was put on administrative leave as
university police investigate alleged computer crimes he may have committed at
Schembechler Hall, where the offices of head coach Jim Harbaugh and other staff are
located. The alleged computer access crimes occurring from December 21st to the
23rd. Manuel says there will be no further comment from the athletic department.

WOLF POPULATION
One of the nation's most endangered animal species continues to thrive in Michigan.
Wildlife biologists from the DNR published a study showing that the gray wolf
population remains stable in the Upper Peninsula. The study is conducted every other
winter. It estimates that there are 631 wolves in the Upper Peninsula... plus or minus
around 49 wolves. A total of 136 packs were estimated... with 4 to 5 wolves in each
pack. Gray wolves are on the federal list of threatened and endangered species. They
cannot be killed legally unless in defense of human life.

PIE DAY
It's National Pie Day. The cost of making those pies has gone up... especially with the
cost of eggs jumping. The co-founder of Grand Traverse Pie Company, Mike Busley,
says they've had to pass those higher costs on to their customers. But, today, anyone
who makes a purchase will get a free slice of pie. Busley says they get most of their
ingredients, cherries, apples , blueberries, flour and sugar in Michigan.

NURSES STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE-MID MICHIGAN
Nurses at a couple of mid Michigan hospitals will holding strike authorization votes this
week. Nurses at MyMichigan Alma and McLaren Central Hospitals have been working
under expired contracts since November. President of the local Michigan Nurses
Association (MNA) bargaining unit for MyMichigan Alma, Shenan Shinabarger, says
nurses are rising up because they know that something fundamental needs to change
in health care if they're going to be able to keep their patients safe.
MyMichigan Alma will hold a strike authorization vote on Wednesday and nurses at
McLaren Central will hold their vote on Thursday.

MAN DRIVES INTO LAKE WITH TWO DAUGHTERS-W MI
A terrifying experience for two children as their 52-year-old father crashed into Lake
Macatawa early Sunday morning in west Michigan's Park Township..near Holland and
died. The eight and ten year old girls managed to escape from the car and huddled on
a porch nearby before knocking on someone's door for help. They were taken to the
hospital for treatment of exposure and have been released.
The vehicle with the man's body was found in the afternoon. There's no word yet what
led up to the Otsego man crashing into the lake.

GAS PRICES
Michiganders are paying more at the pump this week.
Gas prices in Michigan are up 7 cents from a week ago.. drivers are now paying an
average of $3.37. The higher prices are due to an increase in demand, according to the
latest study by Triple A.
The least expensive gas price averages can be seen in Traverse City, Ann Arbor and
Benton Harbor.. while Metro Detroit is seeing some of the most expensive average gas
prices in the state at an average of $3.38 a gallon.

GAINES TWP SHOOTING
A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the shooting of a 22-year-old
man in Gaines Township, in the Grand Rapids Metro area. The shooting happened
early Saturday at the Grand village Movile Home Park , according to the Kent County
Sheriff's Office. No victims were found at the scene, but a victim arrived at St. Mary's
Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds a short time later. He's in stable condition .
Detectives say that after being shot, the man drove off with some others and was
chased by the shooters and the vehicle was shot at on US-131. The vehicle broke
down and a passerby drove the man to the hospital. The sheriff's office says they are
looking for others involved in the shooting.

NARCAN VENDING
A lifesaving drug could be closer than you think.
Wayne State University is expanding a program to set up free Narcan vending
machines in places where there's a high risk of overdose from opioids.
Matt Costello, who manages the program, says its modeled on successes in places like
Chicago's Cook County Jail.
Each dose comes with a QR code that links to a resource for addiction help near where
each machine is located.
The program's first recipient of 2023 is Live Rite Recovery in Roseville. The goal is to
deliver 20 more such vending machines across Michigan this year.
In 2022, the program was funded by a grant from the Michigan Department of Health
and Human Services.

WHITMER ROE V WADE
Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement following the 50th anniversary of Roe
v Wade. She celebrates bills introduced in the Michigan Legislature which will eliminate
penalties for nurses and doctors providing abortions. Whitmer says Michiganders
"spoke with a clear voice" in November after passing Proposal 3 to enshrine abortion
rights into the Michigan constitution. Moving forward, Governor Whitmer says she'll
continue to defend reproductive freedom and work with the legislature to repeal
Michigans 1931 abortion ban.

HOUGHTON MARCH FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
People marched across the Houghton County Bridge in the Upper Peninsula to
advocate for abortion access. It happened on Sunday, the 50th anniversary of the U.S.
Supreme Court legalizing abortion , a ruling it overturned last year. Michigan voters
last year legalized access to abortions.
About 30 people marched , members of women's activism groups in the U-P.

SW MI CRASH
Two people were injured in a crash in southwest Michigan Saturday night when they
crashed into a tree in Jefferson Township. The Cass County Sheriff's Office says the
driver had to be extracted from the minivan and her injuries are life threatening. Her
passenger was taken to the hospital. The sheriff's office says speed, alcohol and drugs
appear to be factors in the crash and neither person was wearing a seatbelt.

MISSING T.C. WOMAN
A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help the family of a Traverse City woman , who
was found dead last week in a wooded area. The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's
Department says they received reports last Wednesday that 36-year-old Tristan Dostal
hadn't been seen or heard from since Tuesday, when she was believed to be in the
Brown Bridge Quiet area.

SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK
It's National School Choice Week. Families, students and educators around Michigan
will bring awareness to schools of choice -- while parents explore new school options
for next school year. It's a national celebration with over 7-HUNDRED school fairs,
rallies, contests and talent shows around Michigan. According to reports, over 53-
PERCENT of families have thought about changing schools.