WATZ Today's Country

Friday News Summary 02-17-23
Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:17:39 EST

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

RELIEF CHECKS
At the State Capitol Thursday... the Senate has approved legislation that calls for a
repeal of the retirement tax, increase in the earned income tax credit and payout of
$180-dollar Inflation Relief Checks. The legislation also puts millions into an account to
help attract businesses to the state. At this time, it doesn't appear the bills will be going
into effect immediately. That could eliminate the $180 checks. Democrats have
supported the package saying it will provide additional money for working families.
Republicans called the plan a scam and say it will only help some residents.

MARIJUANA RAID
Michigan State Police have collected more than five-thousand marijuana plants from an
illegal grow operation in northern Michigan. Detectives with the Marijuana and Tobacco
Investigation Section worked with the Ogemaw County Prosecutor's office to execute
search warrants near West Branch. Along with the hundreds of marijuana plants,
troopers also took more than 100 pounds of processed marijuana from the site.
Authorities say the suspects were growing and processing marijuana in direct violation
of several marijuana laws. Charges are pending.

MSU SPORTS
Michigan State athletics has announced that home and road games for all teams on
campus will resume TODAY, following the shooting on campus. The first events will
both be on the road -- a wrestling match at Central Michigan and a track and field meet
at Michigan. The first event back on campus is set to be a men's tennis match against
Drake on Saturday morning. Also in East Lansing on Saturday -- thousands are
expected to attend the women's basketball game against Maryland at 3 o'clock. The
men's basketball team will travel to Ann Arbor to play Michigan later that night.

UM CAMPUS PROJECTS
A pair of major projects will soon break ground on the campus of the University of
Michigan. The school says it plans to dramatically reshape central campus by building
a 23-hundred bed residence hall and a 900-seat dining facility. The nearly 500
MILLION dollar project -- which is happening between East Hoover Avenue and Hill
Street -- will be ready to welcome students in fall of 2025. A separate 15 MILLION
dollar project will transform Elbel Field -- also on central campus -- into a state-of-theart marching band practice facility. That project will be completed for the upcoming
football season.

NESSEL METHANE
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wants to clear the air when it comes to
methane emissions. Nessel is joining a multi-state coalition in support of an EPA
proposal to regulate those emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. The EPA
estimates the plan will reduce emissions of methane by 36 million tons. Nessel says
the oil and natural gas sector is the nation's largest industrial emitter of methane. And
she says reducing greenhouse gas emissions -- especially from methane -- is
essential if were going to address climate change and protect the health of our
communities.

MSU FUNERALS
Funerals will be held this weekend for the THREE Michigan State students who were
killed on campus Monday night.
A service for Arielle Anderson is scheduled for FIVE O'CLOCK tomorrow at the First
English Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grosse Pointe Woods. Her family says the
public is invited to attend.
The visitation for Alexandria Verner is this afternoon .. with a Scripture service
beginning at 8:30 P-M at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Clawson. The funeral
Mass is tomorrow morning, also at Guardian Angels.
Visitation for Brian Fraser will be this afternoon at Verheyden Funeral Home in Grosse
Pointe Park. A Saturday morning funeral will be at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic
Church in Grosse Pointe Farms.

ARIELLE ANDERSON FUND
There's now a GoFundMe for Arielle (ARE-ee-el) Anderson, the 19-year-old Grosse
Pointe North High School graduate, who was among three students killed at Michigan
State University on Monday. The fundraiser was organized by Anderson's uncle, Tim
Davis, who says he launched the page after hearing from people who wanted to
support the family. As of this morning, the fundraiser has raised nearly 15-thousand of
its 50-thousand-dollar goal.
A service for Anderson will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday at the First English
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Grosse Pointe Woods. The public is welcome to
attend.

N MI DRUG BUST
Five people have now been arrested in connection with a drug ring in northern
Michgian. 47-year-old Ricardo Roman Junior was arrested in December in Leelanau
County after drugs were found at his hiome in Elmwood Township. A search warrant
uncovered cocaine,and meth. While reviewing evidence the Traverse Narcotics Team
identified and arrested four other people in connection with the drug ring.

TRAIN DERAILMENT-METRO DETROIT
Officials say a train hauling hazardous materials derailed near Detroit, but none spilled.
The Norfolk Southern train derailed nearly two weeks after a Norfolk Southern
derailment in Ohio left a mangled and charred mass of boxcars that had been carrying
various hazardous chemicals. Video recorded of the Thursday derailment in Van Buren
Township, Michigan, showed that more than a half-dozen cars derailed, some of them
left sideways across the tracks. The derailment just before 9 a.m. west of Detroit
Metropolitan Airport left the tracks damaged and wheels disconnected from some rail
cars. Police say there were no reported injuries and no evidence that hazardous
materials were exposed in the derailment.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS-S MI
There are a lot of school closings in southern lower Michigan today because of snow
and icy conditions. West Michigan could see up to six inches of snow.
There have been a couple of freeway closures this morning in Metro Detroit because of
crashes on on icy roads.

EX MSU GUARD ARRESTED
A former guard for Michigan State and current NBA free agent Bryn Forbes has been
arrested in Texas on a domestic assault charge. The 29-year-old was reportedly
arrested in San Antonio. Forbes allegedly got upset with a woman in public and an
altercation ensued when they got home. Police say the woman was hit several times
and needed medical care.
Forbes played two seasons at Michigan State, then played with the San Antonio Spurs,
Milwaukee Bucks, Denver, and Minnesota, before being waived earlier this month.

MICHIGAN RUBBER FIRE
A fire at Cadillac's Michigan Rubber late last night caused heavy damage to
equipment. The fire started around 11:20 last night and was put out a couple of hours
later. No one was injured.

GYM CAMERA-METRO DETROIT
Police are investigating in Metro Detroit's Van Buren Township after a woman found a
camera in the ceiling of an Anytime Fitness bathroom. She reportedly got the phone,
pointed at the gym bathroom, and took it to gym management. She called the police
because she was suspicious that an employee might have been involved. The
suspected employee left the building through a back door.

HAIRCUT SETTLEMENT-MI MI
A settlement is imminent after a man filed a one million dollar lawsuit against the Mount
Pleasant school district and two staff members after his bi-racial daughter's hair was
cut first by a student, and then by staff in 2021. You may remember the incident made
national news and was called a "modern day scalping" by the National Parents Union.
Court records show a settlement has been reached , although details have not been
finalized. Jimmy Hoffmeyer filed the suit on behalf of his seven-year-old daughter
Jurnee.

DIMONDALE DEATHS
Two people are dead in mid Michigan's Dimondale, a shooting that caused a brief
shelter in place order Thursday morning. State Police say they found two people dead
in a home and that order was lifted after about 30 minutes. No arrests have been
made.