WATZ Today's Country

Friday News Summary 07-15-22
Fri, 15 Jul 2022 07:28:17 EDT

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

RYAN KELLEY
More legal trouble for one of the leading Republican candidates for Governor of Michigan. A lawsuit from the liberal group Progress Michigan has been filed against Ryan Kelley that seeks to keep him off the November ballot because of charges he participated in the Jan. 6th riot at the nation's Capitol. Kelley is one of five Republican candidates for governor of Michigan on the Aug. 2nd primary ballot. Kelley -- in a written statement -- calls the lawsuit against him, "laughable.

GOV ED BUDGET
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a 19-point-six billion dollar bipartisan education spending bill. The Governor says the budget provides more money for school buildings, students, teachers, safety, and mental health resources. The education budget also provides more money for higher education, scholarships, teacher recruitment, and infrastructure improvements.

ADOPT A HIGHWAY CLEANUP
A warning for drivers to be on the lookout for volunteers cleaning up up along state freeways this weekend. Starting tomorrow and continuing for a week, Adopt-AHighway volunteers will be out along state roadways from Copper Harbor to Benton Harbor picking up litter. The Michigan Department of Transportation says every year Adopt-A-Highway volunteers regularly collect more than 60-thousand bags of trash. More than 19- hundred groups are involved in the cleanup program.

ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC
can't-lay zal-uh-toris fee-now -- three golfers in the top 20 of the world rankings -- will all be in attendance. The Rocket Mortgage Classic will be played from July 28th to the 31st with tournament officials expecting record crowds.

BIG LOTTO
Feeling lucky? Tonight's megamillions jackpot is a whopping $480-million dollars. Your odds of winning- one in 302 million.

ROAD RAGE-ROSEVILLE
A man is in custody and another in critical condition following a road-rage shooting in Roseville. Deputy Chief Mitch Berlin says around 5:30 yesterday -- a man got out of his truck to exchange words with another driver at a red light . The man in the vehicle shot the driver of the truck then drove off and waited in a parking lot near-by for police. The man who was shot currently listed in critical condition.

AUSTIN TWP MURDER CHARGES
A man accused of shooting and killing his wife and three children and then shooting himself....has now been charged with four counts of open murder and other charges. Charles Robert Gillard Senior, of Austin Township, was charged after a month in the hospital. He's accused of killing his 40-year-old wife Dawn, six year old daughter Katelynn, four year old son Ronald and three year old son Joshua in their home....south of Big Rapids. Gillard had shot himself in the head. He's being held in the Mecosta County jail without bond.

DROWNINGS UPDATE
The body of a fourth drowning victim has been recovered from Lake Michigan. The body of an Ohio man has been recovered in Lake Michigan at South Haven.. marking the fourth drowning from a day earlier. Authorities say Anthony Diehl may have been trying to help a 7-year-old boy who was struggling Wednesday in the water in South Haven. The boy also drowned. Separately, the body of a 60-year-old man was recovered from the Grand River channel to Lake Michigan in Ottawa County. And a 16- year-old boy drowned Wednesday at another park along the lake in Ottawa County. Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott says swimmers need to pay heed to the red flags, which signal rough waters.

BODY OF MISSING FORMER DETROIT POLICE OFFICER FOUND
Police in Detroit believe they have found the body of a missing retired police officer. The body was discovered Thursday morning at Stoepel Park. An autopsy is being conducted to determine whether the victim is Stefon Hodo, who hasn't been seen since June 30th. A suspect - whom Hodo was seen arguing with - was arrested last week after police say he used Hodo's gun to shoot someone. Police believe the victim in the park was murdered somewhere else, then dumped there.

SEX STING
We'll learn later this morning about a sex sting in Huron, Tuscola, Genesee and Sanilac Counties. Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson says three men have been charged with seeking sex from underage children. They are being held in the Huron county jail. The F-B-I and Bad Axe Police also took part in the sting operation.

GAS PRICES-MI
It's been a while since we've seen this. Gas for under four bucks a gallon in Michigan. Gas selling for 3.95 a gallon at the Citgo Station on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, causing a big lineup of cars at the station yesterday. Gas Buddy says the station is the only one in Michigan selling gas for under four dollars. We're seeing gas prices finally falling across the country. Triple-A spokesperson Alec Slatky tells us they're the lowest they've been since their peak a month ago. Triple A says the average price of gas in Michigan is currently 4.68 a gallon, down four cents from yesterday.

PICTURED ROCKS RESCUE
Rangers at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising are warning visitors to stay on the trails and not go past the fences at overlooks. That's after rangers and volunteers from Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals rescued someone who injured themselves at the base of Miners Falls on Wednesday. The person was found with a possible broken leg and taken to the hospital. On the Pictured Rocks Facebook page, rangers say ,many areas with overlooks have fences to ensure safety of visitors, especially in areas with tall cliffs.

OFFICER COURTS PRAYER VIGIL-DETROIT
The Detroit Police Department will be honoring officer Loren Courts this afternoon at the 2nd Precinct. Courts was killed last week while responding to a shots fired call . Family, co-workers and friends will gather for a prayer vigil at 4:30. The Police Department says Courts will also be remembered for his heroism and service to the community. A funeral is planned for next Monday.

HISTORIC SITES
More than a dozen historic places in Michigan are getting special recognition. Fishtown in Leland in northern Michigan and a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed neighborhood in Kalamazoo are among the newest sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan. On Detroit's east side -- Luther Burbank Elementary School has been singled out for its impressive Art-Deco Architecture. More than 96 thousand properties across the country, including nearly two thousand in Michigan, have been listed in the National Register since the program began in the 1960s.

NEGAUNEE CEMETERY FENCE
They need a new fence for the Negaunee Cemetery in the U-P...west of Marquette. The Negaunee City Council are concerned about some 18-hundred feet of fencing at the cemetery being taken down because of dead or dying trees. The council reportedly voted to restore parts of the fence that could be saved. They want to see if they can get the community involved in restoring the fence.