WATZ Today's Country

Monday State News Summary
Mon, 20 Jun 2022 06:21:51 EDT

MODULAR BUILD FUNDS
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced seven local government and nonprofit
organizations across the state will receive nearly $1.4 million to construct seven
modular build/modified technology homes. The grants will reduce the typical single
family home construction timeline and allows housing to be made available for
immediate occupancy. Communities receiving the grants include Albion, Imlay City,
Flint, Three Rivers and Cassopolis.

FIREWORKS SAFETY POLL
As communities prepare for Fourth of July festivities, some parents may be overlooking
burn and injury risks for children, a new national poll suggests. Fireworks and sparklers
are often part of the seasons celebrations, with over half of parents polled reporting that
someone in their family or neighborhood have set off fireworks in the past two years.
But parents dont consistently cover all safety precautions, according to the University of
Michigan Health C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital National Poll on Childrens Health. One
major mistake: only one in five said children sat at least 100 feet away from where
aerial fireworks were being set off. The poll suggests that over a third of parents say
that their children or teens helped set off fireworks in the past two years, with one in
five parents saying theyd allow their child aged 10 or younger to help.

ROAD WORK PROJECTS
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced that major road projects are expected to
begin this week in Iosco, Ogemaw, Saginaw, Tuscola and Washtenaw counties. The
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) projects include the M-55 bridge repair
project in Ogemaw and Iosco counties, the M-46 resurfacing project in Saginaw and
Tuscola counties and the next phase of work on the M-17 resurfacing project in
Washtenaw County. These investments are expected to support over 283 jobs.

STOLEN TRUCKS
A Ford plant in Dearborn had thirteen F-150 Raptors stolen, the second theft from one
of their facilities in the past week alone. Police have arrested one suspect and have
managed to retrieve multiple trucks in nearby cities. Authorities continue to investigate
the incident and will soon release a more detailed report. The recent thefts could lead
to higher insurance rates for Dearborn residents.

GR FIRE CHARGES
A Grand Rapids man blamed for a fire that killed his wife and 3 sons has been found
guilty of four-counts of involuntary manslaughter. A Kent County jury deliberated
yesterday, convicting 40-year-old Robert Scales. Prosecutors said he used a fire pit too
close to his family's home. Scales said the fire was out when he left for work, but
investigators said they believe winds picked up and possibly sent a burning ember
toward a mattress stacked next to the house. The February 4, 2020 fire killed 35-year
old Wanedia Scales and the couple's 3 sons -- 15-year-old Xavier, 14-year-old Robert
Jr., and 10-year-old Elijah. Scales will be sentenced August 25th.

GAYLORD TORNADO COMPLAINTS
Many Gaylord residents are voicing their anger over the cleanup of the city three weeks
after a deadly tornado swept through. Nottingham Forest Mobile Home Park was
ravaged by the E-F-3 tornado and while work crews were removing debris and rubble,
there may have been "salvageable treasures" that were taken away. Residents say
they weren't given ample notice to retrieve those belongings such as family heirlooms
and even money. Ten lots have already been cleared and five more are expected to be
cleared.

MOBILE WEAPON DETECTORS
New security technology will debut in Detroit this 4th of July. 10 mobile weapon
detectors will be deployed by Detroit Police in an effort to curb the recent surge in gun
violence ahead of major summer events, including the city's annual fireworks. The
fireworks are back for the first time since 2019. The next-gen detectors are similar to
traditional metal detectors but are able to scan two people at one time. The
Independence Day fireworks saw shootings in recent years and the new detectors are
designed to deter people from bringing weapons.

STELLANTIS LAYOFFS
Indefinite layoffs are expected to start today at Stellantis. The automaker said last
week that it would begin laying off workers from its Sterling Heights stamping plant as
early as today. The company says the decision was made to, in its words, operate the
plant in a more sustainable manner. According to a letter posted on the Facebook
page of UAW Local 1264, which represents employees at the plant, the layoffs will be
from the bottom up.
The plant employs nearly 22-hundred workers. Two thousand of those workers are
hourly.

GAS PRICES
This may come as a surprise, but gas prices have actually dropped a bit. According to
Triple-A Michigan, prices at the pump are down five cents compared to the same time
last week. Drivers in Michigan are now paying an average of $5.17 per gallon for
regular unleaded.
The most expensive gas is in the Metro Detroit area at $5.27 a gallon. The least
expensive gas is in Traverse City at $5.01 a gallon.

FATAL FIRE-DETROIT
Two people have been killed in a house fire in Detroit. It happened at about 1:30
Sunday morning. A woman was being taken to the hospital with third degree burns, but
she died on the way. A man in the home was pronounced dead at the scene. The
cause is being investigated.

FOUR KILLED-GIRARD TWP CRASH
Four people were killed in a head-on crash in southern lower Michigan's Girard
Township, north of Coldwater. The Branch County Sheriff's Office reports the driver of
an SUV was heading south and crossed the center line and hit a northbound pickup
truck. Both drivers were killed , a 62-year-old woman and 44-year-old man along with
two passengers in the pickup...a 44-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man.

GRAND RAPIDS SHOOTING
A man was shot in Grand Rapids last night near a Juneteenth Festival that was going
on at Heartside Park. WOOD TV reports Grand Rapids Police say his injuries are not
life threatening. The shooting occurred at about 7:30, but festival organizers say it did
not affect the festival ....which wrapped up at 8. Organizer Duke Turley Junior says
they told their people to stay in and away from the gunfire. Once police arrived, they
escorted people out of the event.