WATZ Today's Country

Tuesday News Summary 08-16-22
Tue, 16 Aug 2022 11:54:10 EDT

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

GOVERNOR PLOT UPDATE
A crucial informant on the witness stand Monday in the trial of two men charged with scheming to kidnap the Michigan governor in 2020. Jurors heard Adam Fox declare, "That's it!" when he drove past Gretchen Whitmer's vacation home in 2020. Dan Chappel was driving the pickup truck and secretly recording conversations. Fox and Barry Croft Jr. are on trial for the second time on conspiracy charges. A jury in federal court in western Michigan couldn't reach a unanimous verdict last April but acquitted two other men. Fox, Croft, and four other men were arrested in October 2020. The government said they were making plans to get money for an explosive.

ALLEGED SAULT STE. MARIE HOMICIDE
Troopers from the Sault Ste. Marie Post are investigating an alleged homicide that was reported Sunday night. The incident took place in Pickford. The victim is a 42 yr-old female. Troopers are looking for a person of interest wanted for questioning in the investigation and are asking anyone who has information as to the whereabouts of Jared Woodgate to contact the Sault Ste. Marie Post . Woodgate is a 49 yr-old man from the Sault Ste. Marie area.

ANOTHER WATERWAY SPILL
Another potentially dangerous spill into Michigan waterways over the weekend. Western Wayne HAZMAT workers tracing an oil spill on the River Rouge to a damaged 55-gallon drum on the property of Wayne Industries on Michigan Avenue in the city of Wayne. The spill was first reported to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Saturday evening. Cleanup started Sunday evening but it remains unclear how many gallons of oil spilled. State pollution responders are still investigating and are yet to hand out any violations or fines.

BENTON HARBOR WATER
Free bottled water continues to be provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for City of Benton Harbor residents for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, rinsing foods and mixing powdered infant formula. To arrange water delivery to homebound or residents without transportation in the City of Benton Harbor, contact 211, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

TRAINING EXERCISE
The Eaton County Sheriffs Office, the Grand Ledge Police Department, Grand Ledge Fire Department and Grand Ledge Public Schools will be conducting a full-scale Active Violence Training exercise at Grand Ledge High School on Wednesday. The Grand Ledge High School Campus and Neff Elementary will be closed to the public from 7am-5pm. Beagle Middle School will be closed until noon. The access drive from Beagle Middle School to M-43 will be closed to anyone not participating in the event until about noon. They are asking the public to avoid the area if possible and stay clear of the training sites.

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
Mott Community College will expand its study abroad and service abroad programs with funding support from the U.S. Department of States Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students Program. MCC is one of 44 colleges and universities, and one of only 10 community colleges, across the United States to receive this funding.

CAMP GRAYLING
The debate over a possible 162-thousand acre expansion to Camp Grayling continues after photos show soldiers performing an exercise outside of a training area. Early Sunday evening, residents say they saw soldiers in large rafts in the Manistee River floating by with about nine soldiers per boat with fully automatic rifles. The DNR is reviewing the situation. Camp Graylings Post Commander apologized, saying it was an out of state unit and it was not approved or coordinated with the camp.

DEER HUNTING
Deer hunters will have 72 hours to report that they killed a deer to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources this season. Last year, nearly 7,000 deer hunters voluntarily reported their deer harvest online to help test the Michigan Department of Natural Resources new reporting system. Starting with the fall 2022 deer seasons, online harvest reporting is required for all hunters who successfully take a deer. Hunters can report their harvest through the DNR website or the DNR's new mobile app.

KIDS DRINK RECALL
Some kids drinks are being recalled because they could contain a cleaning product. Kraft Heinz is recalling thousands of cases of Capri Sun over concerns about trace amounts of cleaning chemicals in its juice. The voluntary recall affects more than 57- HUNDRED cases of Capri Sun Wild Cherry sold across the country. They say diluted cleaning solution was inadvertently introduced into a production line at one of its factories. The recall affects only the Wild Cherry flavor with a "Best When Used By Date" of June 25, 2023. Multiple customers complained about the taste of the affected juices, but no illnesses have been reported.

HYDROPLANE RACING
Next year, hydroplane racing will return to the Detroit River as officials with Detroit Riverfront Events announce that HydroFest will take place on the Detroit River. It's the first time since 2019 that the event will be held - the races in 2020 and in 2021 were each canceled because of the pandemic. The next step for organizers: finding businesses to sponsor the races, which was a struggle for officials back in 2019. Hydroplane racing has been a staple of summer in Detroit since 1916, when the first races were held on the Detroit River. At it's most popular, HydroFest drew more than 20,000 THOUSAND fans to the waterfront - and to Belle Isle - to watch the races.

BRIDGE DEDICATION
A 142-foot-long bridge installed last fall over the Tahquamenon River just got an important addition: a name. Friends, family, Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials and other colleagues gathered Monday morning at the Lower Tahquamenon Falls to dedicate the Ronald A. Olson Island Bridge, honoring the man at the helm of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division for 17 years. The fabricated, all-aluminum pedestrian bridge at Tahquamenon Falls State Park, located in Paradise in the eastern Upper Peninsula, officially opened for use over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

COMMUNITY INFORMATION EXCHANGE
The Office of Policy and Planning at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is announcing the formation of the Community Information Exchange task force. CIE builds the technology and relationships required to address the social needs like food, housing and education for people and their communities.

EASTPOINTE ARSON
Thirty-one year old Brian Austin Harvey is in custody, accused of setting a two-story apartment building in Eastpointe on fire Sunday night. His bond has been set at one- hundred thousand dollars and he's ordered to wear a tether. Fire-fighters responding to the apartment complex finding a unit on the top floor billowing smoke, and fully engulfed in flames. Fire-Fighters from several surrounding departments assisting to battle the blaze and officials say the efforts resulting in minimal damage to other units in the building. No injuries were reported, but three- families are homeless.

GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO SUPERINTENDENTS
With the school year about to kick off in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer met with more than 50 superintendents from around the state. Whitmer touted the recent education budget which includes the highest per student investment in Michigan history. Money will also be used for school safety, student mental health, teacher recruitment and training. She stressed the importance of students learning in the classroom. Whitmer shut down the schools for in-person learning in March of 2020 for the year because of the pandemic/

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE
Like much of the state, there's a shortage of school bus drivers in west Michigan. WOOD TV reports many school districts are having to make adjustments including Thornapple Kellogg Schools which has had to shut down some bus routes. Dean Transportation, which oversees routes for several districts, is looking for drivers too. Spokesman Kevin Harkness says they're having turnover and are not getting anything close to what they need. He says they lean on substitutes and other staff to fill the gap.

TRUMP SOS FUNDRAISER
A major Michigan Republican candidate is having a fundraiser hosted for her today by former President Donald Trump. Secretary of State candidate Kristina Karamo will be the focus of a fundraiser hosted by Trump at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump will speak at the event -- the money raised goes to Karamo's campaign account and a political action committee (PAC) called "Karamo SOS Fund," which was established in May. The event is being called a sign of Trump's emphasis on key races in Michigan, and on campaigns for positions that oversee elections.

FLIGHT 255 ANNIVERSARY-DETROIT
Today marks 35 years since the crash of flight 255 upon takeoff from Detroit Metro Airport. The crash killed everyone on board - except for one. A four-year-old girl name Cecilia Sheehan. Sheehan is now 39. She stays out of the spotlight - speaking out only once in a documentary called "Sole Survivor." Some firefighters believe Sheehan's mother Paula shielded her body from the crash.

ISLE ROYALE WILDFIRE
Firefighters continue to work to suppress a wildfire at Isle Royale (Roy-el) National Park. The park says the fire has seen little growth over the last couple of days and is estimated to cover about five and a half acres, less than initial estimates of 11 acres. Campgrounds and some trails were evacuated on Saturday because of the fire. No one was injured.

WRONG ARREST
Michigan State Police have released a man who was arrested in connection to a deadly crash last Friday after they discovered that he was not at fault. State Police say after more investigation, they determined that Renato Florez was not the driver of a van that hit a motorcycle , killing Darek Jamal Bullock-Mills. Charges have been dropped against Florez. Witnesses say a different person was driving the van and state police are looking for them.

DPS ABSENTEEISM
Detroit is the worst city in the nation for school absences -- but community leaders are looking to change that. Ahead of the new school year, the non-profit "Helping Kids Go To School" is partnering with Detroit churches to help city children get to school every day. The goal of the program is to increase communication about the issue by connecting parents, school officials, churches, and businesses. Over 50 percent of Detroit students are chronically absent. Community leaders will be discussing the issue this morning. Stay with WWJ for the latest updates.

EMMET COUNTY CRASH
Emmet County authorities continue to investigate a fatal accident in Bear Creek Township. It happened last Friday. Deputies say a vehicle driven by 71-year-old John Marczak crossed the center line, left the roadway and hit an embankment. Witnesses said they saw the driver slumped over the wheel before the accident happened. Marczak later died at the hospital.

STOP GAYLORD
A new outreach organization has been established by members of the state police in Gaylord. It's called the state trooper outreach partnership, or the acronym, STOP. The northern Michigan chapter is modeled after those started in Paw Paw, Niles and Wayland. The effort is dedicated to improving the lives of community members, providing mentorship, outreach and volunteer assistance.

MICHIGAN'S FAVORITE SNACK
There's a showdown coming this fall to determine Michigan's favorite snack. 20 Michigan small businesses will be serving up their top salty or sweet snack at a competition in Port Huron in September. The winner of "Michigan's Favorite Snack" will win 50,000 dollars in prize money -- some of the competitors include a peanut butter chocolate bar made in St. Clair, potato chips from Waterford, and candied pecans from Manistique. A judging panel and public vote will determine the winning snack.