WATZ Today's Country

Monday News Summary 02-13-23
Mon, 13 Feb 2023 12:18:46 EST

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

WATCH FOR NEW DETAILS ON THE LAKE HURON SHOOT-DOWN
U-S officials say an "unidentified object" was shot down by military fighter jets
SUNDAY over Lake Huron. It's unclear what the object is and where it
came from, but Michigan government officials will continue to ask Congress for a full
briefing.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell says that we NEED to protect our national
security:Senior administration officials at the White House say they have no indication
that this latest unmanned object has surveillance capabilities.. but aren't ruling it out.
They also said it wasn't a military threat to anything on the ground.

NEW FORD SITE
The nearly 2,000 acre Megasite west of Marshall will likely be announced today as the
site of a joint venture between Ford and Contemporary Amperex Technology Company
Limited, the largest EV battery producer in the world. The $3.5 billion factory would
revitalize Marshall, bringing in 25-hundred new jobs. Ford is expected to own the plant
and directly employ workers, allowing the venture to qualify for incentives. Their
Chinese partner will provide the tech and expertise. Ford will hold an event in Romulus
this afternoon to make the announcement. State officials have been working to bring
EV battery manufacturing to Michigan after losing to Kentucky and Tennessee with
Ford's $11.4 billion Blue Oval City project in 2021.

FLINT BOIL WATER ADVISORY
A boil water advisory for the entire city of Flint is expected to last through today.
Officials say a water main break near the the Cedar Street reservoir prompted the
advisory. The Flint Water Department said a 24-inch transmission line failed shortly
before midnight causing a drop in water pressure. Crews are working to repair the
break but officials say it will take until later today before adequate bacterial testing can
be completed. Residents citywide are advised to boil water for drinking and cooking
during the advisory.

SHANTY REMOVAL
The ice fishing season is coming to a close in Michigan. The Michigan Department of
Natural Resources has set the shanty removal date of February 26th on Lake Saint
Clair. Shanties in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula must be removed
by midnight on March 15 -- including Alpena, Cheboygan and Mecosta counties. The
D-N-R is warning anglers to use extreme caution when ice fishing as temperatures
continue to fluctuate, weakening the ice strength and its ability to support the weight of
people and fishing equipment.

AG WARNS OF SCAMS
After more than 67-thousand Draft King customers had their personal data exposed
during a cyber attack -- Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding people of the
security risks that comes along with online gambling and gaming if people aren't
proactive about securing their information. According to the A.G. -- if you have BET
MGM, Draft Kings, or Fanduel you should take steps to make sure your information
stays private. She also urges people who had their information leaked in the breach to
freeze their credit -- so scammers can't open accounts in your name.

MISSING GIRL-DETROIT
Michigan State Police searching for a missing 3-year-old girl and her father...
Police say 54-year-old Wardell Tyrece Jones did not follow a court order to surrender
zuh-ny-yuh Jones to Child Protective Services.
According to State Police, Jones is aware of the court order.
ZaNiyah is about 3-feet tall and approximately 40-pounds. Wardell Jones only
described as about 5'10" and 160-pounds. It is not known what the child or father are
wearing or what they are driving. A police spokesman says while the little girl lives in
Detroit, they are not sure where the father may have gone.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call Michigan State Police or
CrimeStoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

MISSING BOATER-MID MICHIGAN
A boater is missing after boat capsizes in a mid-Michigan river.
Thomas Township Fire Chief Michael Cousins says 26-year-old Nathan James
Robbins of Saginaw County was traveling down the Tittabawassee River with a friend
when their vessel capsized around 1:30 Sunday morning.
The Saginaw County Sheriff's Office says that when the 10 to 12-foot-long aluminum
boat stalled, Robbins attempted to get it running again but his sweater became snared
in a motor mechanism, and efforts to free himself caused the boat to capsize.
His friend was able to swim to shore and call for help.

SUPER BOWL ADS
For some, the highlight of yesterday's big game was the commercials.
Michigan State Professors in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations have
ranked the ads for the 26th year in a row. Coming in at number one is the Google Pixel
7 "Fixed On Pixel" advertisement. Followed by GM's EV commercial featuring Will
Ferrell and the Amazon dogs ad. The Game Scan and Fanduel commercials were
ranked last.
According to M-S-U, advertisers paid a record high $7-MILLION for 30 seconds of
television time for an ad in the Super Bowl this year.

GRAND RAPIDS SHOOTINGS
Three people are hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a shooting in Grand
Rapids Sunday afternoon. Police say it happened at a beauty supply store. Police
Chief Erin Winstrom says they are still investigating , but it appears to be a targeted
incident likely involving three men who may have been shooting at each other. One
weapon was found.

GAS PRICES
Gas prices are down eight cents from last week to a statewide average of $3-31 a
gallon. That's two cents more than this time last month, but still five cents less than this
time last year.
The highest gas prices are in Jackson, Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor with the cheapest
prices in Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor.

ANIMAL CRUELTY-N MI
In Alpena County, a 29-year-old woman has been charged with animal cruelty. 29-yearold Stingray Thompson, of Alpena, was arraigned on a felony charge. This stems from
when deputies responded to a complaint of abandoned animals inside a trailer.
Officers found several dogs and a bearded dragon in deplorable living conditions. All of
the animals were removed and placed into animal control protective care. If convicted,
Thompson could get up to two years behind bars, fines and community service.

SHOOTING NEAR GVSU
Grand Valley State University Police and the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office are
investigating a shooting Saturday night at an apartment near the University. Deputies
were first told that someone was hurt, but when they arrived, they didn't not find a
shooting victim , but did find evidence of a shooting.

NOROVIRUS CLOSURE-LIVONIA
A Livonia school remains closed today due to a norovirus outbreak.
Administrators at St. Michaels Catholic School say students in every grade have been
sick along with some teachers.
The school has been closed since last Wednesday. Officials say the Norovirus is
contagious for at least three days after a person recovers from symptoms.
Classrooms and other areas of the school are being sanitized and disinfected so
students can return to the building tomorrow.

TRAVERSE CITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING
In Traverse City, the topic of housing will take center stage tonight during a city
commission study session. Experts from Housing North, the Traverse City Housing
Commission, and the Woda Cooper Company will discuss affordable housing
development in Traverse City. Traverse Connect will ask for renewal of the city's $50-
thousand dollar contract for economic development for another year with the goal of
focusing on housing this year.

STRAITS REST AREA
For those traveling through the Straits area, a welcome sight. The Mackinaw City
Welcome Center is open. M-DOT says the rest area re-opened last week after
extensive remodeling. The $400-thousand dollar project includes upgrades of the
restrooms and windows. The project also brought the 65-year-old building up to
standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act.