WATZ Today's Country

Friday News Summary 09-09-22
Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:06:52 EDT

(Stories Courtesy of Michigan News Radio)

SUPREME COURT
The Michigan Supreme Court has cleared the way for a pair of proposed constitutional amendments to make the ballot this November -- namely the "Promote the Vote," and "Reproductive Freedom For All" initiatives. By a pair of 5-to-2 votes, the Supreme Court has effectively overturned the Board of State Canvassers -- which deadlocked along party lines last week, effectively neither passing or denying the two proposed amendments. Republican members of the Board voting against certification, over concerns with font size and spacing on the petitions... which were signed by hundreds of thousands of Michigan voters. In Thursday's decision, Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack wrote: Republican canvassers "would disenfranchise millions of Michiganders ...because they think they have identified a technicality that allows them to do so, a game of gotcha gone very bad. What a sad marker of the times." Both, again, now will be on the ballot.

TREASURY SECRETARY IN MICHIGAN
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the U.S. economy can be both pro-growth and pro-fairness. Speaking at Ford's Rouge complex in suburban Detroit yesterday, Yellen touted the passage of plans that aim to improve infrastructure, fight inflation, and invest in computer chip production. Yellen says the administration will increase its efforts to fight inflation and also work for a fairer tax code.

QUEEN ELIZABETH DEATH REACT
Some people who have family and friends in England are reacting to the death of Queen Elizabeth the Second who died yesterday at age 96. The president of the Commonwealth Club in suburban Detroit says the club and its members are devastated by the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. Allison Schwartz, who immigrated to Michigan from London, says Thursday was a very sad day. Despite the Queen's age, she says she has a hard time believing she is gone. Schwartz says the Queen has been an institution not just for her entire life, but her parents' lives as well. Meantime, Governor Whitmer has ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the State Capitol Complex and across all public buildings and grounds to be lowered to half-staff until sunset on the day of interment to honor and remember Queen Elizabeth II.

BORDER SMUGGLERS
Border Patrol Agents say they have interrupted another smuggling operation across the St. Clair River from Canada. A boat was spotted just after midnight Monday morning, shortly before three men were dropped off in the U.S. side in Marysville. The men were from Chile, Brazil and Spain. In late August, border agents halted a smuggling operation involving four people sneaking into the U.S. on jet skis. The three men will be deported.

MSU ATHLETES NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS
It's a win for Michigan State University women athletes. United Wholesale Mortgage has announced it will expand their Name, Image and Likeness Activities deal with Michigan State University athletes. Women's basketball and volleyball will be added to the sponsorship. The initial agreement, launched last year, only included men's basketball and football. This year, both men's and women's basketball, football and volleyball will be included in the sponsorship. The company will give sponsored athletes 700-dollars a month for completing a social media promotional post.

GOVERNOR OCT. DEBATE
A date has been set for a debate between the Michigan candidates for Governor. Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon announced that she has agreed to debate Governor Whitmer on October 13th at 7PM. Absentee voters will receive ballots before the debate at the end of September. A second debate has NOT been set.

KALAMAZOO GAS LINE
Authorities have evacuated several homes in a Kalamazoo neighborhood after a ruptured gas line caught fire. Police and firefighters evacuated all homes within a oneblock radius of the fire Thursday evening. Police diverted traffic away from the area. Firefighters tell the Kalamazoo Gazette that a 4-inch natural gas line ruptured and was burning under ground in a construction zone. Gas meters to nearby homes were shut off as a precaution.

IZZO CONTRACT
Michigan State University's hall of fame basketball coach -- Tom Izzo -- has agreed to the terms on a new contract. Formal approval is still needed by the M-S-U Board of Trustees at their meeting today, BUT the contract is a five-year rollover and includes non-performance related compensation at over 5-MILLION dollars a year. If the contract is approved, the upcoming season will be Tom Izzo's 28th year as head coach for the Spartans.

MICHIGAN TECH STUDENT ENROLLMENT
Enrollment at Michigan Technological University is up one percent over last year's record breaking enrollment. Seven thousand and 73 students arrived on campus this fall. More than 13-hundred are first year students. Women will make up nearly 30% of the student body the Universitys highest percentage ever. There are eleven and a half percent minority students.

MIS BLOOD DRIVE
There will be a Spirit of America Blood Drive this Sunday, September 11th on the track of Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The blood drive by MIS and Versiti Blood Center of Michigan was first held on Sept. 11, 2002 as a way for Michiganders to honor the victims of 9/11 and emergency responders who answered the call. Versiti area vice president Dawn Kaiser says donating blood is a small way to be an everyday hero and to honor those who lost their lives on that tragic day. This year's blood drive will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BEACH HAZARDS-LAKE MI SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY
There's a beach hazards statement along the northern Michigan lakeshore in Southern Schoolcraft County Near Lakeview Park . The National Weather Service says there's High wave action and dangerous currents will lead to life threatening swimming conditions through this evening.

9-11 EVENTS
Sunday marks 21 years since the terrorist attacks on New York , Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. More than than 29-hundred people were killed. Events will be held all over Michigan for the Community Day of Remembrance and Scout Salute. Events will be held in Farmington, Grand Rapids, Muskegon , Traverse City and Bay City.

REPLACEMENT NAMES
The board on geographic names has voted on the final replacement names for nearly 650 geographic features around the country that include the name "Squaw." In northeast Michigan, the board has selected "Birdsong Bay" to replace Squaw Bay along Lake Huron in Alpena County.

WAYLAND BALLOONFEST
The Wayland BalloonFest will be held today and tomorrow in Wayland, north of Kalamazoo. There will be a hot air balloon launch and a balloon glow in the evenings. The BalloonFest raises money for suicide prevention.

WEEKEND EVENTS
Some of the events this weekend include the 71st Posen Potato Festival, and the 13th Antique Tractor crossing of the Mackinac Bridge on Saturday. More than one thousand tractors are expected to take part. There's also the Art and Apples Festival in Rochester and the Plymouth Fall Festival in Metro Detroit.