WATZ Today's Country

Friday News Summary 03-03-23
Fri, 03 Mar 2023 12:02:02 EST

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

WINTER STORM
Weather watches have been posted for much of southern lower Michigan as a
snowstorm moves toward the state. Forecasters are predicting many areas will see six
to ten inches of snow. There will also be high winds. A statement from the National
Weather Service says slippery and snow-covered roads are possible, and may greatly
impact the afternoon and evening commute. Hazardous travel conditions may continue
into Saturday. Police departments always advise drivers to slow down when it's
snowing.

GUN REFORM HEARING
The debate over gun reform continuing in Lansing in the wake the shooting at Michigan
State University. There was testimony in a Senate committee Thursday. Students from
MSU and Oxford were among several people who testified. The package of bills
includes universal background checks, safe storage, and Red Flag laws. Kalamazoo
County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said the laws aren't focused on taking guns away from
people. National gun rights advocate John Lott testified the laws don't work. There
will be more testimony next week.

2 KIDS DIE IN WEST MICHIGAN FIRE
Two young children have died in a fire in west Michigan. The Benton Harbor
Department of Public Safety says nine people were in the home early Wednesday
morning when the fire started. The two kids who died were three and four-years old.
Three adults and four other children were able to escape. No cause has been
determined.

DEGREES FOR MSU STUDENTS
The three Michigan State University students who were killed in a mass shooting last
month will receive honorary bachelor's degrees. A spokesman for Michigan State says
they are still in the process of determining what degree Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser,
and Alexandria Verner will receive and when. Posthumous degrees like these are
awarded at the request of a college's dean then given to families on their student's
behalf.

SEX ASSAULT INVESTIGATION
Michigan State Police have arrested a 71-year-old man for having inappropriate contact
with a minor. Detectives were made aware of possible criminal sexual conduct
involving a 15-year-old and the older suspect -- who they say is a member of an
aviation club in Macomb County. They discovered that the conduct had been taking
place for several months. Police executed two search warrants -- one at the suspect's
home and one at an airport. Detectives are working with the Macomb County
Prosecutor and federal prosecutors to determine possible charges.

CHILD METH-SW MI
Two Southwest Michigan parents face charges after their child allegedly brought meth
to school.
The four-year-old was discovered to have an ounce and a half of the drug during snack
time.
The school in Lawton notified police, and deputies searched the home of thirty-oneyear-old Jamie Carrizales Jr. and twenty-five-year-old Rasheida Cunningham.
A large amount of cocaine and a digital scale were found at the residence, and the pair
was arrested.
The child is now with other family members. The school's name was not immediately
disclosed.

FIREFIGHTER FUNERAL-PAW PAW
Funeral services will be held on Saturday for Paw Paw firefighter Ethan Quillen, who
was killed after being hit by a power line that was brought down by a falling tree in an
ice storm last week. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Paw Paw High School,
followed by funeral services at 12:30.
The 28-year-old Quillen is survived by a wife and young daughter. A GoFundMe
fundraiser has raised more than 131-thousand dollars.

FLAGS LOWERED FOR FLINT FIREFIGHTER
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the State
Capitol Complex and across all public buildings be lowered to half staff today to honor
and remember Flint firefighter Ricky Hill Junior, who passed away in the line of duty.
Whitmer says her heart breaks for the Flint community and the family of Ricky Hill
Junior. The flag lowering coincides with Hill's funeral.

FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY TO CLOSE
Citing declining enrollment and heavy debt, Finlandia University located in Michigan's
Upper Peninsula, has announced it will be closing for good at the end of the school
year. Opened in 1896 by Finnish immigrants, the private school had less than 500
undergraduate students enrolled in the fall of 2021. Finlandia's president, Timothy
Pinnow, says the university is now working to help students find other options to
complete their education and ensuring that employees are paid for their work.

BARRICADED GUNMAN -OAKLAND COUNTY
Michigan State Police officials say a barricaded gunman situation in Groveland
Township in Oakland County is now over, and the individual involved in negotiations
with Troopers, is dead from a self-inflicted gun-shot wound.
For several hours
last night (Thursday) the scene closed to traffic and students nearby on a temporary
lockdown while Police officials were trying to end the situation peacefully.
The investigation is on-going.

DETROIT MERCY STAR FALLS SHORT OF RECORD
Detroit Mercy star Antoine Davis falls agonizingly short of college basketball history.
Davis scored 22 points Thursday night in the Titans Horizon League Tourney loss at
Youngstown State, falling just three points shy of Pistol Pete Maravichs seemingly
unbreakable all-time NCAA scoring record.
Davis finishes his five-year career with 3,664 points.

OTTAWA COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER
The Ottawa County health officer fired in January, Adeline (Ad-uh-Line) Hambley, will
remain on the job a while longer. A judge has granted a temporary restraining order to
stop the dismissal of Hambley as her lawsuit against county commissioners moves
ahead. Her lawsuit claims that state law prohibits the firing of a health officer without
cause to prevent the health officer from doing her duties and that they haven't provided
evidence that she's not doing her job.
An attorney for the commissioners says it's disappointing that the judge did not hear
from all sides before issuing the order.

HOLLAND SHELTER IN PLACE
Residents of a neighborhood on Abbey Court in Holland are being asked to shelter in
place this morning after a shooting at an apartment . WOOD TV reports police found
one person shot at about 3:15 this morning , but they have not yet found a suspect.
Police are looking for a suspect.

6 COUNTY CHASE
A man is under arrest after allegedly stealing a Dodge Ram in Kalamazoo County and
leading police on a chase along US-131 north through multiple counties and some 100
miles. State Police chased the truck to Kent County and then sheriff's deputies used
spike strips on US-131 in Algoma Township, but it kept going into Montcalm and
Mecosta Counties. Reed City Police used stop sticks near US-10. The suspect drove
on just rims before being arrested.

SAUGATUCK DREDGING
Good news for Saugatuck as the Army Corps of Engineers has allotted $895-thousand
dollars to dredge the harbor and portions of the Kalamazoo River. Congressman Bill
Huizenga says the dredging will help boost the economy. He says it will help the
summer tourism season reach its full potential while also strengthening the local small
business economy.

LETTER GRADE LAW REPEAL
The Michigan Alliance for Studen Opportunity supports an effort to repeal Michigan's
letter grading system. Executive director of the Alliance, Peter Spadafore, says the
legislation introduced to repeal Michigan's A-F letter grading system is long overdue.
He says the current system fails to measure student growth, doesnt inform parents,
and doesnt help student learning. He says the letter grading system was ill-informed
when it was signed into law and has not led to improved student performance since.