The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two people from Saginaw Bay Sunday after their boat began taking on water.
The rescue occurred around noon. By the time the Coast Guard arrived, the boat had completely capsized and the two mariners were standing on top of the vessel. They were wearing life preservers, and were displaying signs of hypothermia.
Hypothermia is still a very real threat, even as we enter June. Water temperatures throughout the Great Lakes are still generally in the 40s or low-50s.
A new Dow Chemical Company website is hoping to teach researchers, and the general public, about lab safety.
The academy is designed to give research labs a better understanding of the industry's safety standards.
Though the program is aimed toward students and teachers working in academic labs, the academy is online and available to the public.
Lori Seiler with Dow said the need for a program like this has become clear.
"Unfortunately there have been some very serious accidents in the academic environment that have received a lot of media attention over the last few years," Seiler said.
Seiler said the goal of the program is to promote safe practices while students are still learning, so when they enter the workforce, safety is already a habit.
The online video modules cover a broad range of topics and can be found at safety.dow.com
A state program has reached a new milestone educating one million students across Michigan the importance of online safety.
Now the Attorney General is in the process of developing a new CSI curriculum.
The Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative, or CSI, began in 2007 educating students from kindergarten to eighth grade.
The program includes customized presentations by trained professionals. It addresses problems like sexting, how to avoid internet predators, the impact of digital footprints and cyberbullying.
Joy Yearout is the spokesperson for Attorney General Bill Schuette.
"We're very excited to be starting a program that will be specific to high schoolers 9th through 12th graders. So we can reach kids of every age in Michigan. It's a new endeavor and we're very excited about it there is certainly a demand for it, the schools have been asking us for it. So it's something we're looking forward to launching in the next school year." Yearout said.
Yearout said, every generation is more technologically advanced and there are younger and younger children accessing the internet. She said that's why this program is so important.
Michigan is looking to reverse the decline of seatbelt use.
The annual Click it or Ticket ad-campaign is focusing on a specific group of individuals this time around.
The effort's primary audience is young men.
In terms of seatbelt use, officials say men have some work to do. They're rate of buckling up is lower than women.
Young men also have a higher likelihood of being involved in a car accident.
Anne Readet is the Communications Manager with the Office of Highway Safety Planning. She said there are a variety of reasons why men don't buckle in.
"Well we know that young men often feel they're invincible. It's true in a lot of areas of their lives. We know that young men are not different from many drivers and feel like they're all not only good drivers, but excellent drivers; so, if something happens, they'll be able to avoid it." Readet said.
Studies say seatbelt use is lowest among young males driving pickup trucks.
This Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The Michigan State Police are partnering up with the DEA to provide a place for people to drop off unwanted prescription drugs.
According to national study a majority of teens who abuse prescription drugs are getting them right out of the home medicine cabinet. Not just from friends and family.
Shanon Banner is a spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police.
She said Michigan has been participating in the national drug collection effort for the past 3 years and it has been successful.
"I just encourage people to really take a look inside their medicine cabinets cause you might be surprised just how many expired prescriptions you have or prescriptions where you didn't you know take all the medicine and you don't intend to take it any more. It can be surprising how quickly that stuff adds up." Banner said.
Banner said this one day event provides a free convenient way for people to drop off old prescriptions, anonymously with no questions asked.
All 29 Michigan State Police posts and communities are serving as drop off venues. The event runs Saturday, April 27 from 10 am to 2 pm.
Freeland Community Schools is taking the traditional doorbell to a whole new level. Visitors will now have to be identified, then buzzed into the building.
The new security takes effect April 8, when kids return from spring break.
Freeland Superintendent Matt Cairy said students won't be directly affected by the change.
"They won't see a lot of difference because they'll enter the same way in the morning. The difference will be during the school day, while they're in class. From bell to bell during the day our main doors will be locked." Cairy said.
Cairy said the controlled access program is the most common sense way to keep kids safe.
The state's new cell phone ban for drivers under the age of 17 takes effect Thursday.
Police say the law is more about education than enforcement.
Don't expect to see a flood of added patrols looking for teens on their cell phones. Michigan police say the ban is a tool to educate kids about the dangers of distracted driving.
Some local officials say the law will be hard to enforce. They say it means having to judge someone's age based on how they look.
But Michigan State Police Lieutenant Mike Shaw said there are a lot of ways to enforce the ban.
"Our troopers are pretty smart guys out there, and gals. And they can take a look at somebody and decide if they should be talking on a cell phone or not." Shaw said.
The state is also launching a public information campaign to go along with the new law. It will include billboards, brochures, and posters urging teens to put down their phones while driving.
UPDATE 10:55 a.m.:Robert Scott Cornelius was located in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe Wednesday morning, according to the Midland Daily News.
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Previous story: Police in Midland County are searching for a missing elderly man who reportedly suffers from dementia.
Robert Scott Cornelius left his Mt. Haley Township home at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, in a black 2006 Ford F-150 pick-up truck. He has not returned. He was last seen at an insurance agency on Columbus Street in Bay City around 10:00 a.m.
He is described as 79-years-old, 5'11", 180 to 200 lbs, with gray flat top hair, green eyes and fair skin. He was last seen wearing reading glasses, a long blue plaid flannel coat, a brown flannel shirt, khaki dress pants, tan slip-on shoes and a baseball hat.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Midland County Sheriff's Department at 989-839-4600.
Incidents of gun violence in 2012 including the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado and the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut are still resonating with the public's emotions and raising questions of safety in schools and public places.
Gun violence can happen anywhere, tragic incidents have taken place in large cities and small towns, in big schools and small rural area schools.
One of those smaller schools is Clare High School.
"We have pretty good visual from the secretary's desk there but we're thinking of having both my desk have a monitor and hers so that we can buzz people in." Turner said.
Turner said past incidents and most recent in Newtown made officials across the country re-examine safety plans to make sure his and all schools are prepared in the event of an active shooter.
"Having perhaps exercises or practice lockdown drills or even table top scenarios, which we've had in my experience at least once in the county and I think that we need to do more of those if we can, it would serve all the schools in the county very well." Turner said.
Al White agrees, he's the school police officer for Clare. He thinks having teachers carry guns could be an option to provide more safety.
Protection of the students, one thing that all school shootings have in common is the only person with the firearm is the person that's murdering people.
White said it would have to be a decision made individually by each school.
Lori Haas works for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, she doesn't agree.
"Well that's not happening right now is it. We are a country with more rounds per capita than any other country in the world and yet our violence is 20 times higher than the next." Haas said.
Haas has a perspective much different than most parents, her daughter, Emily, was a victim in the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech University.
The professor and 11 students were killed, 7 survived with varying degrees of injuries and Emily was one of those who was injured although her injuries were less significant than the others
Emily was shot twice in the back of the head, but survived.
When Haas heard the news, she said the first thing she felt was.
"Panic...just not understanding what could possibly be going on, my knees buckled down, I almost fainted, my companion drove me home." Haas said.
The small community of Bath, near East Lansing, Michigan experienced that same feeling of panic.
In April 1927, Bath Elementary School was bombed by its school board treasurer, seeking revenge on the community after he lost an election for township clerk.
That bombing killed 38 children and 6 adults, and injured at least 58 others, it is still the deadliest mass murder in a school in U.S history.
Jake Huffman is the superintendent of Bath Community Schools.
"It had a huge impact on the families in the community and people in the community are still very sensitive to any threats or perceived threats that may happen in the community regarding bomb threats that we may occasionally get or when we have breaking and entering that have occurred on occasion." Huffman said.
A common reaction to situations of violence is the feeling of "we never thought it would happen here."
Mark Ostapowicz is the lieutenant of Grand Rapids Police Department.
He said before a mass shooting in 2011, "nothing of this scale ever happened in Grand Rapids."
He had killed seven people, shot at another one, fired shots at officers, led them on a high speed pursuit throughout the city, eventually breaking into a house and taking three people hostage.
Ostapowicz said fear spread throughout the city.
"They were on edge because for a while after the discovery of all of the homicides, we had no idea where he was for a period of time so the whole city was on edge wondering where he was, what he was going to do next, that type of thing." Ostapowicz said.
"In shopping malls, in schools, in the everyday workplace, people and institutions share the hope that implementing new rules and procedures will make them safer in the event of an attack." He said.
Aurora, Newtown, and other places are the snapshots of a wider society that feels the impact whenever gun violence happens.
Michigan's beer and wine industry could have wider distribution if a bill to expand licensing gets approval.
The legislation is facing opposition from the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. Their spokesman said the bill would make alcohol more accessible..
The bill's sponsor, Senator Howard Walker of Traverse City, said that's not the case.
"I don't believe that any of these measures are going to increase alcohol consumption in our state. Alcohol is available in our state through a lot of imported sources. A large thrust behind my effort is that alcohol products can be available to our citizens through Michigan producers." Walker said.
The bill would also allow microbreweries to have off-premise tasting rooms and provide complimentary samples.
TUSCOLA COUNTY -- The Coast Guard has rescued one person in Saginaw Bay, and is searching for another, after an airboat capsized Saturday night off Fish Point in Tuscola County.
The call for help was received at 7:50pm. A Coast Guard airboat from Essexville and a rescue helicopter from Air Station Detroit responded, along with crews from Tuscola County fire and police departments and a rescue airboat from Huron County.
The rescued person was found clinging to the hull of the capsized airboat. The second person was last seen trying to swim to the nearest ice floe.
State lawmakers say letting Michigan's drunken driving limit increase to .1% would be a mistake. A state House panel Wednesday unanimously approved keeping it at .08%.
The law that sets the state's blood alcohol limit for drivers is set to expire in October. If that happens, the state could lose up to 50 million dollars a year in federal highway funding.
But Representative Andrea LaFontaine said her bill to keep the limit at .08 is not about the money.
"We all know drivers. You have family, you have friends, you have everybody that's on the road, and what this bill does is it puts their safety at the forefront of everything." LaFontaine said.
No one testified against the legislation during two public hearings this month.
The measure now goes to the floor of the state House.
A new law will soon ban cell phone use by probationary teen drivers unless they're using a hands-free device or reporting an emergency. Governor Rick Snyder signed "Kelsey's Law" Tuesday.
The law is named for Kelsey Raffaele. The 17-year-old Sault Sainte Marie girl was chatting with a friend on her phone when she crashed her car and was killed. Bonnie Raffaele said her daughter's death convinced her a law was needed, and she lobbied the Legislature for more than a year.
"I know that Kelsey is up in Heaven just clapping and screaming for joy over this because of the lives that can be saved." Raffaele said.
Michigan has already outlawed, for everyone, texting while driving. Governor Snyder said he would consider expanding the talking-and-driving ban to all drivers, but first wants to see how this new law works.
Recent studies show that Michigan driver's have a tendency to not be as careful on roads during the holidays.
Mother's Against Drunk Driving are promoting their annual campaign, Tie One on for Safety.
The campaign hands out red ribbons to promote awareness against drunk driving.
Doctor Sherry McGee, State Executive Director for MADD Michigan, said it is one of group's major prevention efforts.
"We set a massive distribution of red ribbons tied to vehicles that symbolize two things: One, it's the driver's pledge to drive safe and sober. The other is the driver's support for law enforcement crackdown efforts on drunk drivers." McGee said.
McGee said the distribution of thousands of ribbons is underway and will continue through the first of the year.
For more information about MADD, their events, and Tie One on for Safety, you can visit their website at www.madd.org.
A new report from a consumer watchdog group urges parents to be on the lookout for dangerous toys as they complete their holiday shopping.
According to the Public Interest Research Group, many toys being sold this year contain toxic chemicals or small parts that young children can choke on.
Spokesperson Monica Flores said parents should also be on the lookout for toys that produce loud noises.
"The report talks about a 'Dora the Explorer' guitar, a little plastic guitar that you press a button and it plays songs. I mean, it looks safe, but it actually emits 93 decibels, which is well above the 85-decibel regulation limit."
Flores said parents should trust their own judgement when toy shopping. If a toy looks too small or sounds too loud, she said it probably is.
The PIRG has put together a mobile website to help parents with their holiday shopping: toysafety.mobi
Police officers in Bay City could begin training as soon as next month to also work as firefighters.
Police Chief Michael J. Cecchini and Fire Chief Karey Prieur laid out specific details of the proposal at a city meeting earlier this week.
The proposal would save the city 1.8 million dollars, and help the fire department stay within budget.
But Fire Chief Prieur said there's a downside.
"Right now the reorganization plan calls for the layoffs of 14 personnel from the fire department. The fire union is opposed to it and rightfully so because it calls for a loss of jobs. It will have to be negotiated with them through contract negotiations so we will have to sit down and negotiate with them."
Prieur said at this time it's still uncertain if the cross training will be a permanent fix.
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the City of Flint Human Relations Commission is co-hosting an anti-bullying forum this evening.
The event will feature several guest speakers who will share their personal experiences with bullying.
Melanie Brown is with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights she said speakers range from state house representatives to an NBA basketball star.
She said the forum will also include a discussion, concentrating on ways to solve the crisis of bullying.
Input from everyone in the community is encouraged.
"Whether you are a parent of children and you're worried about the issue affecting your kids or you are active in the schools, whether you're a teacher or an administrator or you deal with young people in general because you are active in the youth group."
Brown said the issue of bullying is serious and needs the community to address it.
BY KAITLYN CAMILLERI
In Michigan, alcohol and drug related auto accidents and fatalities have decreased by double digits over the course of a year.
The Michigan Drunk Driving Audit for 2011 shows a decrease of more than ten percent in alcohol and drug related crashes.
Specifically, drug-related deaths declined by 17 percent, while alcohol-related deaths decreased by three.
Lynn Sutfin, is with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. She said state agencies, like Secretary of State and State police have been working together to reduce deaths.
"So we are working with law enforcement to train them on the finds of drug drivers as well as some techniques to determine what kind of drugs they are and these folks know how to recognize the signs of impairment and drivers that are under the influence of drugs other than or in addition to alcohol."
Sutfin said the increase in enforcement plus years of "don't drink and drive" messages have helped to decrease incidents.
NEWBERRY -- A large wildfire is burning out of control in Luce County.
As of late Thursday evening, 9,526 acres had burned. The Department of Natural Resources is describing the blaze, named the "Duck Lake Fire," as "burning explosively."
The fire was sparked by a lightning strike around 4pm Wednesday afternoon, and quickly grew Thursday under hot, windy conditions. Forest management officials say the fire is burning in Jack Pine forest, a type of vegetation known for beng highly flammable.
The fire has triggered several evacuations in the Pike Lake area, and a Red Cross shelter has been opened at the Newberry Youth Center.
According to the DNR, over 40 personnel are working to contain the fire. They are operating six tractor plows, seven wild land fire engines, and a marsh unit among other equipment.
Additionally, firefighters from Bay Mills, Newberry Village, Portage Township, White Fish Township, Superior Township and Garfield Township are providing support.
The Upper Peninsula has been plagued by wildfires this week. In Schoolcraft County, over 3,200 acres have burned inside the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. That fire is about 65 percent contained.
And earlier this week, 22 acres burned near Pike Lake in Luce County.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms were forecast for the region early Friday morning, some of which could contain heavy rain. But government forecasters warned that dangerous fire conditions could return Friday afternoon, with temperatures forecast to rise into the upper-70s and winds topping 20 mph.
On the Web Map of Duck Lake Fire: Yellow Dots are structures. Pike Lake is in section 15 and 14. Fire origin is the green dot in section 27. Duck_Lake_map_20120524.pdf
Photo Credit: Sara Giles, United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Two northern Michigan Coast Guard stations will see cuts under President Obama's proposed federal budgets.
The President wants to shut down the Coast Guard's summer search-and-rescue facility near Muskegon and shift responsibility for the region to the air station in Traverse City.
However, that could cause even more problems for distressed boaters, said Senator Carl Levin, because the President wants to reduce resources in Traverse City as well...
"The number of helicopters has been reduced, and we've got to restore that. And that's an additional one helicopter."
Right now, five helicopters are based in Traverse City. The President's budget reduces that number to three, and the Coast Guard said at least four are needed to properly serve the region.
Levin, and Senator Debbie Stabenow, are hoping to restore funding for both facilities through the appropriations process.
Police in Emmet County are searching for information on a local family that's been reported missing.
33-year old Timothy Medsker, his 34-year old wife Sabrina and their 4-month old son Joshua were last seen February 16 in Petoskey.
Petoskey Director of Public Safety, John Calabrese says at this point there's no indication that a crime has occurred, but the family's disappearance is unusual. He says police were notified by Medsker family members that they had been unable to contact Timothy or Sabrina. Calabrese says right now, police are conducting a 'well-being check', "it's not against the law to take your family and leave, and up till now that's really the only indication we have that's what's happened. There's a lot of questions that we don't have answers to, but the main focus of our involvement with the situation is just trying to help the family make contact with their family members so that they would feel comfortable about their well-being"
The family is believed to be traveling in a silver 2010 Ford F-10 pickup truck with license number B X C 0 3 5 9.
Anyone with information on the family's where abouts is asked to contact the Petoskey Department of Public Safety.(231-347- 2500)
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said he still hopes the Legislature will approve his proposal for one thousand new police officers to be hired in the state. Governor Rick Snyder did not include Schuette's plan in his budget proposal last week.
Attorney General Schuette said he hopes lawmakers are forward-thinking when it comes to the importance of improving public safety in Michigan.
"It's so important that we understand that there cannot be a complete economic recovery in the state of Michigan unless we've fulfilled our first obligation of government, and that means public safety."
Schuette wants lawmakers to approve a budget that would allow for one thousand new cops to be hired. And he wants the Legislature to strengthen sentencing guidelines against repeat violent offenders.
Governor Snyder will unveil details of his own plans for public safety next month.
The Super Bowl this weekend in Indianapolis will attract thousands of revelers, football fans and people who just like a big party. It will also lure human traffickers who will set up in hotels to offer paying clients the chance to have sex, sometimes with children.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates 100 thousand kids in this country between the ages of 12 and 14 are drawn into a life of prostitution every year.
There is an outreach effort aimed at connecting with teens trapped in that life. Project SOAP is in Indianapolis this weekend.
It conducted a similar operation before the North American International Auto Show last month in Detroit.
Just before the auto show. Volunteers like Jamie and Ana dropped by hotels with boxes filled with bars of soap. The wrappers have the phone number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The hotels were picked because they're located near clusters of sex-related businesses, strip clubs and adult bookstores.
Almost all the hotels offered hourly rates and sold condoms and sex aids. Some were clean. Some stank of garbage and urine.
"Hi there. How you doing tonight?"
The pitch starts softly, a request to hang a poster of missing children. Then the offer of free soap for their hotel rooms.
The hotel manager unlocks the security door to take the soap.
The pitch wraps up with a request that hotels train their staff to look out for signals that a child is being held captive by a trafficker.
"Maybe a young girl coming in with a much older man, or lots of people coming in and out."
Project SOAP, it's an acronym for Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution, is the brainchild of Theresa Flores. Flores said she was blackmailed as a teenager living in Oakland County into two years of a life of forced sex with strangers. She said events with large crowds like the Detroit North American International Auto Show and the Super Bowl also attract sex traffickers, many of whom travel from event to event.
"This is their business and they feel like they're a businessman, an entrepreneur. And they're making a lot of money. The average pimp makes about a thousand dollars per night per girl -- tax-free, cash."
Flores said traffickers will roll into town in the days before a big event, find a place to stay, and start posting ads online offering women, girls, and sometimes boys for sex.
Flores said she figured out that big events like the Detroit auto show, and the Super Bowl also offer an opportunity to connect with girls and women at what she calls "their lowest moments." She said a few minutes in the bathroom is often the only alone time for the victims. She hopes girls will take the soap and use the hotline number when the opportunity presents itself.
She said, in Detroit, at least one girl being trafficked during the auto show used the number to ask for help.
Michigan, like many states, is fighting human trafficking, that is people being coerced and forced into involuntary servitude. Sometimes it's being a servant, or forced labor, and often it's vulnerable girls and boy who are taken in and then forced to perform sex for money.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said that's why his office formed a unit to specifically prosecute traffickers.
"It's wrong in 21st Century Michigan and 21st Century America that should not be occurring."
Schuette's office filed two sets of charges last year under a state law that was updated in 2010 to impose harsher punishments for human trafficking. The National Association of Attorneys General is also trying to pressure online services like Backpage.com to do more to block ads for sex with children.
But Lori Kitchen of the Michigan Women's Foundation said more still can be done. She said Michigan needs what's called a "safe harbor" law. It would protect girls who are being trafficked from being charged with prostitution and treat them, instead, as victims.
"We need counseling services. These girls are suffering from post-traumatic stress. There's a good chance they have some sort of drug addiction or substance abuse problem. They're suffering potentially from some favorable impression of their trafficker because that's the person that was caring for them. That's also the person who probably taught them that if they go to seek help they will probably be put into the criminal justice system."
Prosecutors are trying to craft a law for Michigan, but have been reluctant to give up their ability to file criminal charges.
Kitchen said the life expectancy for women who've worked as prostitutes is about 40 years old. She said girls and women who remain in continuously in "the life" typically live just seven years from when they start, succumbing to substance abuse, hard living, or a violent death.
Kitchen said that fits her definition of a victim.
Governor Rick Snyder has signed a measure into law that requires all school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies. Snyder said the law is a good start.
Snyder said he was bullied from elementary school through college for being a nerd. He said no kids should have to endure that kind of torment, no matter the reason.
"Bullying is bullying. And bullying is just wrong and bad. It's unacceptable in any context and in any form."
Snyder said he thinks the anti-bullying law will protect all students, even gay and lesbian kids who are not specifically protected under the law. The governor said he would like the Legislature to continue to look into further protections against cyber bullying via the internet and text message. Michigan is the 48th state in the country to pass an anti-bullying law.
It appears all school districts in Michigan will soon be required to adopt anti-bullying policies. The Legislature sent an anti-bullying proposal to Governor Rick Snyder Tuesday.
Approval of the anti-bullying measure ends a very public saga that focused on Senate Republicans, who originally approved a measure with a so-called "license to bully" that would have allowed exceptions for statements based on religious or moral conviction. That proposal gained a lot of national media attention.
"And I know there's a rush to recover from that and move on."
That's Democratic state Senator Glenn Anderson. He said lawmakers should not rush to approve a less controversial anti-bullying bill.
"This bill falls far short of what we should be doing to protect our young people across Michigan."
Anderson was one of only two senators to vote against the new anti-bullying bill. He said it may no longer be a "license to bully," but he said it should do more to protect gay and lesbian kids, and to protect all kids from cyber bullying.
Michigan is one of just three states without an anti-bullying law to protect students in K-through-12 schools. The state Legislature is expected to approve a proposal this week that would require all schools to adopt anti-bullying policies.
Experts and students say it's time to have a law in place as bullying in schools becomes a growing concern.
Samantha Torres is an 8th grader at Slauson Middle School in Ann Arbor. She recently wrote a letter to Governor Rick Snyder, urging him to consider the concerns of students as he looks at anti-bullying proposals. In the letter, Torres said teachers and adults do not know the extent of bullying in schools.
"With the more physically bullying people are pushed around in hallways a lot, people get into fights that are pretty brutal in the end. People just use their words too to hurt other people and most of that is when the teacher isn't watching or there is no teacher."
Torres said she and her friends have been bullied before. She said she is a very religious person and a classmate once told her via text that her religion was "stupid." Torres thinks harassment through text and the internet are quickly becoming the most hurtful and pervasive types of bullying at her school.
That's probably true, said Glenn Stutzky. He is a social work professor at Michigan State University. He said five years ago a target of a bully would be harassed about three times a day. Now, he said, a kid could be bullied between 10 and 20 times a day.
"Technology has allowed bullying to go mobile and it's this type of bullying is not bound by geography, you don't have to be in the same place and it's not bound by time. It's like being electronically bound to your tormenters. You can't get, you know, away."
Stutzky said the things that happen in a home that a child witnesses during the earliest years of their life are still the biggest factors that contribute to bullying behavior. He said bullies choose their targets by honing in on gentile children because the bullies perceive those kids as weak.
Larry Schiamberg teaches human development and family studies at M-S-U.
"I don't think anyone bullies another person without getting some sadly, some level of satisfaction and gaining some level of apparent control over the other person."
Schiamberg said victims and bullies have the similar emotional make-up. He said bullies can easily become victims, and victims can easily become bullies. Schiamberg said it's important to encourage kids to report bullying if it happens to them or they see it happen to others in order to help break the cycle.
"When we define bullying as bullying we are talking about continuity of behavior. This is not simply one nasty comment, this is not simply one maybe abrupt push, this is not simply one behavior. This is behaviors repeated over time."
"And I think a lot of times people have just looked at this as just a rite of passage. It's normal, everybody went through it."
That's Kevin Epling, a father whose teenage son Matt killed himself ten years ago after being bullied.
"Today it's much different, the technology has changed it quite a bit."
Epling has been an advocate for an anti-bullying law in Michigan. Though he supports the anti-bullying proposal before the state Legislature, he said it still needs some work. He would like the proposal to include stronger rules about cyber-bullying. Epling also said he'd like the law to explicitly state some of the common characteristics of bullying victims. Advocates for gay and lesbian students say that would offer kids better protection.
Professor Glenn Stutzky said he is excited the bullying issue is being talked about. He said public dialogue about bullying can advance anti-bullying legislation.
"Now I'm really encouraged because I feel like we're reaching a tipping point where we can make some significant progress."
There is already an anti-bullying policy in Samantha Torres' school district in Ann Arbor. The policy lists characteristics that are protected from bullying, such as sexual orientation and gender. Even so, Samantha said many of the mean comments made between students still go unnoticed by most people.
"The "sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you," but words can actually really hurt you."
A proposal to require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies could come up for a final vote in the state Senate this week.
It appears most lawmakers are eager to get the issue behind them and an anti-bullying law on the books.
Michigan is one of only three states without an anti-bullying law. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer said the Legislature could change that this week.
"I think the quicker we act to protect victims, the better our reputation will be as a state."
Whitmer said she thinks Senate Republicans are anxious to vote on anti-bullying bill that is less controversial that the one they approved earlier this month. That bill would have created an exemption for statements rooted in religious or moral beliefs. The current proposal does not make that exemption. Whitmer said the current bill is a step in the right direction, but she would still like to approve further protections for kids from cyber bullying and provide specific protections for gay and lesbian students.
The father of a boy who committed suicide after being bullied at school said he supports an anti-bullying proposal approved this week by the state House. But Kevin Epling said he considers the measure just a starting point.
Kevin Epling's son committed suicide after being bullied before entering high school. The anti-bullying bill approved by the state House is called "Matt's Safe School Law" in honor of Matt Epling. Kevin Epling said he thinks the proposal will help protect all kids from bullying in school.
"This is a major national issue, it's not a Michigan issue, we see this nationally we see this internationally and it's growing. We see more student deaths every year, we see more altercations at schools every year all because of bullying"
Experts and state officials say cyber bullying is the fastest growing form of bullying. The measure prohibits students from bullying via school-owned technology. Epling said he would like the bill to be expanded in the future to include cyber bulling on personal cell phones and home computers. The bill passed the House by a large margin and now moves into the senate.
The state House has approved a measure that would require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies. State officials said about 75 percent of schools in Michigan already have such policies in place.
Lawmakers said all schools need to provide safe learning environments for all kids.
The House measure said there is no reason any kids should be bullied or be allowed to bully. Republican state Representative Phil Potvin sponsored the measure.
"There is no excuse for bullying. See it, hear it, stop it."
The bill is broad, and does not specifically prohibit bullying for characteristics such as sexual orientation and gender, nor does it require schools to report bullying incidents to the state. But the House version of the bill was approved by a wide margin and appears to be more palatable to Democrats who ripped into an anti-bullying bill approved by the Senate last week. The Senate version would exempt statements based on a student's religious belief. It would also allow bullying via the internet. That bill appears to be dead. The House version now moves to the Senate.
You've been hearing the announcements for weeks now.
Today is the first Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System. The test is being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management System, The Federal Communications Commission, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
But while the agencies practice their emergency alerts, the Michigan Department of Community Health is encouraging people to use the day as a reminder to work on emergency preparedness.
Angela Minicuci is with the Michigan Department of Community Health.
"If you go to Michigan.gov/prepare you can find a toolkit for creating an emergency plan or stocking an emergency supply kit within their own home or business. We encourage that residents visit this website or go into their communities to prepare themselves just in case an emergency occurs."
The Nationwide test will take place at 2 pm today.
State officials say about 75 percent of school districts in the state have anti-bullying policies to help protect students. A bill approved Wednesday by the state Senate would require all school districts to adopt anti-bullying rules.
The anti-bullying issue has been the subject of some lengthy, heated debates in the state Senate. Republicans said the proposal that was approved will allow all schools to protect all kids. But Democrats said the measure would exempt teachers, coaches and parents from being held responsible for bullying.
Democratic state Senator Glenn Anderson said any benefits of the bill are also moot because of an exemption for students who make cruel statements on the basis of religious or moral conviction.
"The students could continue to bully based on their religious beliefs. They could say whatever they wanted to say and be exempted. So there's actually no benefit."
The anti-bullying proposal was approved along party lines.
The state House has approved a measure that would allow experienced motorcycle riders who are 21 or older to ignore Michigan's helmet requirement. The measure approved on a bipartisan vote would require riders who want to ditch their helmets to carry more insurance coverage. Opponents of the repeal say that's not enough.
State Representative Peter Petallia said helmets don't help riders in high-speed crashes and repealing the law won't affect the cost of coverage.
"I would not carry this torch today if I was not convinced of the safety of not wearing a helmet."
"These increased financial costs have to be picked up by someone."
State Representative Joan Bauer said if those costs don't result in higher insurance rates, they could be picked up by Medicaid.
"And I fear that the rest of us will bear the responsibility for those who choose not to wear a helmet."
Governor Rick Snyder has been silent on this bill but has said he's against anything that would drive up the price of insurance or the cost to taxpayers.
A car safety organization recently publicized research regarding car seat use. It shows many parents are not using the seats correctly.
Safe Kids USA has been checking cars for proper seat use and installation since 1997, and has surveyed 1.4 million car seats.
Lorrie Walker is the organization's Safe Kids Buckle Up program's training manager. She said the new results are troubling.
Walker said the research supported their belief that parents are still using car seats incorrectly.
"Safe Kids USA is releasing a study of 79 thousand check list forms that we've completed in a one year period between '09 and '10 where we actually climbed in people's cars and helped them do a proper installation with their children in their car seats."
She said the technicians show parents how to install the car seat so it doesn't move more than one inch in any direction while the car is moving.
A renovation project that's described by administrators as 'much needed' began last Friday, September 2nd, on a Wexford county nursing home.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development granted a 4.5 million dollar loan to Lakeview Manor in Cadillac.
Scott Schryer is with Lakeview Manor. He said the loan makes an expansion possible.
"Lakeview is currently the only skilled nursing facility in Wexford County. In fact in Wexford and Missaukee County combined there are only two. And Lakeview is the larger of them."
Schryer said the project will be completed in ten months. And will create anywhere from 150 to 170 jobs.
"We have a very aggressive timeline. We're expecting in July of 2012, we'll have completed the final parts of the project."
The facility will have three distinct areas, for short-term, long-term and memory patients.
After a summer of monitoring Cass River, the Saginaw Bay Resource Conservation and Development Council, or RC and D has determined the water quality is poor. The team is now deciding what action to take.
The Cass River in the thumb is battling nutrient loading, e-coli and dissolved action problems.
Ben Belkholm is with the Saginaw Bay RC&D. He said the council is designing a Watershed Management Plan to handle the crisis.
"The Watershed Management Plan is a document that will outline not only the main concerns that are in the watershed but the specific locations that we think need the most focus."
Belkholm said the plan will also outline the necessary action to improve the water quality.
He said the RC&D will suggest education for farmers on how to properly dispose of cattle waste, and for local residents on how to maintain their septic tanks.
The Department of Natural Resources is asking people to share their opinion on what guidelines should be created for a new youth hunting program.
The Mentored Youth Hunting program was introduced earlier this year. It allows for children of any age to participate in some forms of hunting in the state with adult supervision.
The DNR assembled a work group to conduct the online survey that will gather the public's recommendations on what guidelines should apply under the law.
Mary Dettloff is with the DNR. She said the input is important in developing guidelines to ensure the safety of the children. She said the survey will cover many different issues.
"Such as what type of hunter ed education should there be for youth, what type of requirements should there be for the mentor and the relationship. Should they have a certain number of years experience under their belt?" Said Dettloff.
Dettloff said the information gathered from the survey will be presented by the work group to the Natural Resources Commission in November.
She said there is a lot of concern in the public about putting a fire arm in the hands of a young child. But she statistically youth hunters are among the safest hunters.
A new State Police report said traffic crashes in Michigan carry a price tag of four-point-eight billion dollars a year. The report said the cost of traffic crashes in Michigan exceeds the cost of crimes.
Researchers used data from 2009, when the human toll of traffic crashes was 937 deaths and more than 70 thousand injuries. They put the economic damage for those crashes at four-point-eight billion dollars. That includes the cost of medical care, property damage, and lost earnings, among other things. The institute also used data on jury awards to put a value on pain and suffering caused by traffic crashes, which put the number over nine billion dollars. The study compared the dollar loss from crashes to the cost of violent and property crimes that are tracked by the state, and found the costs of crime are dwarfed by the costs of traffic crashes.
The report was commissioned by the state Office of Highway Safety Planning and was conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
A new health care facility is planned for the town of Beaverton in Gladwin County. Officials said it's part of a trend toward improving health care in rural areas.
According to a recent survey, a medical center is a much needed addition in the city of Beaverton.
Ray Stover is with Mid-Michigan Health, he's the head of the project. He said there is an increased demand for primary care services in the mid-Michigan area. He said their goal is to ensure the Beaverton community has the best services for health and wellness in their own backyard.
"We plan to bring in some specialty physicians for example maybe a cardiologist can spend a day a week in that building, maybe a urologist, orthopedic surgeon. We plan to use the building for many different specialties in the future but starting out it's pretty much just going to be a primary care practice." Said Stover.
Stover said the office will have a staff of five. He said that number should double within a few years of operation.
The facility is planned to open the Spring of 2012
Teen deaths are on the decline in Michigan. That's according to an annual report that compares indicators on the wellbeing of children.
According to the report, Michigan ranks better than the national average for the death rate among teens. Jane Zehnder-Merrell is the "Kids Count" project director at the Michigan League for Human Services. She said teens are getting into fewer fatal car accidents. But she said Michigan is experiencing a national trend toward more teen murders.
"It's troubling to see that as we push down one rate another rates starts going up; the homicide rate. Suicide rate has remained relatively stable, but we may see increases in that as well with the stress."
Zehnder-Merrell said unemployment rates and home foreclosures add stress on all ages. She said most startling news from the report is there has been a 64 percent increase in the number of children living in poverty over the past decade. She said the only way to reverse the trend is for the Legislature to adequately fund programs that help struggling kids and families.
Residents just south of Tawas City are cleaning up after being hit by a tornado Sunday afternoon.
They had little warning a storm was approaching...
The weather service was tracking several storms that afternoon, but according to meteorologist Kevin Farina, they had no indication a tornado was about to form...
"As they moved across our counties, they really hadn't produced much. And then, it looked like just about 50 yards before the storm went into Lake Huron, it produced the tornado."
No warnings were issued by the weather service -- leaving residents with little warning before the storm hit.
Farina said no injuries were reported, and that many residents sought shelter when they noticed darkening skies...
"People saw the rain coming, and they got inside anyways. And probably because people were inside, nobody got injured."
Six houses were damaged, and about 40 trees were downed by the storm.
The tornado was on the ground for two-tenths of a mile before moving out over Lake Huron.
The Michigan
Supreme Court has dismissed the civil rights lawsuit filed by a woman who was
raped by a sheriff's deputy while being held in jail.
The
victim sued Wayne County and the Sheriff's Department after she was harassed
and raped by a deputy while being held in jail for not paying child support.
The deputy - Reginald Johnson - was fired, charged with a crime, and convicted
of rape.
The
victim said the county and the sheriff's department should be held responsible
because Johnson could not have attacked her unless he was a deputy assigned to
the jail. The county argued there was no way the sheriff could have known or
should have known the deputy was a sexual predator.
The
court's Republican majority ruled that Johnson acted outside his professional responsibilities
and in direct violation of department policies. Democrats on the court
dissented. They said the majority decision undermines protections for victims
of discrimination and harassment, and weakens Michigan's civil rights law.
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Patrol is planning another "Over the Limit. Under arrest. Drunk driving crack down kicking off August 19th and continuing through the Labor Day weekend.
This decision comes after the fourth of July crackdown reported 218 drunk driving arrests and 49 drug related arrests.
Compared with previous years the number of arrests for drunk driving was down slightly.
Lynn Sutfin is with the office of Highway Safety and Patrol. She said the number of motorists with drug related offenses doubled from previous years. She said this may be as a result of an increased number of Drug Recognition Expert officers.
She said these officers will also be patroling during the upcoming crackdown.
Sutfin-
"Actually on August 19th through September 5th we'll be doing a second summer drunk driving crack down and that's going to include the Labor Day holiday and once again we will have enforcement in 35 counties and a little over 200 agencies will have extra officers out on the roadway."
Sutfin said the same amount of officers were out over the fourth of July crackdown. But she said she hopes advertisement of the crack down will encourage people to be more responsible over the holiday weekend.
The justices of the Michigan Supreme Court have made their final rulings of this term. That includes a decision that says Michigan cannot be sued for injuries sustained on state-owned trails for all-terrain vehicles.
A woman sued the Michigan Department of Natural Resources after she flipped her A-T-V while riding with family and friends on a state-owned trail. The vehicle flipped over half-buried boards sticking out of the ground. The woman hit some trees and injured her back. She argued the state is responsible for maintaining trail safety as it is for maintaining highways. She said the trail fell under the definition of a highway. But the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that a trail is a trail or a route, and the state is not responsible for safety on the trails as it is for the highways. The court ruled four-to-three in favor of the state.
A new law seeks to clear up some confusion on when
teen-aged drivers may have other teens in a vehicle with them. Governor Rick
Snyder signed the law today (Thu.).It
states teen drivers may carry passengers between 10 at night and 5 in the morning
to and from school-, church-, or work-related activities.
Jack Peet is the traffic safety manager for Triple A of
Michigan. He said it was good to make the law more clear. But he said the law
could have been made better if it placed some new restrictions on passengers in
vehicles driven by teens. He said passengers increase the likelihood that a
teen will be in a fatal crash.
"So limiting those to no teen passengers in
the vehicle would be our preference and we're just talking about drivers there.
Obviously, adding teen passengers during that time frame increases the risk for
those teen passengers as well, so this would make teens a lot safer if there
were stronger restrictions on that."
Peet said it would make sense to at least have a
no-passengers rule when a teenager first gets a license to drive without an
adult in the car.
The state Supreme Court said convicted sex offenders must register a domicile with the state even if they have no home address. As we hear from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta, the decision divided the court's Republican and Democratic justices.
The law states that convicted sex offenders have to update the local police within 10 days of changing where they live. Randall Dowdy was charged with violating the law after he was kicked out of a Volunteers of America shelter. Two lower courts agreed it was impossible for Dowdy to comply with the requirement.
The Supreme Court's majority opinion was written by Republican Chief Justice Robert Young. He said the sex offender registry law is meant to help police and the public keep track of potentially dangerous people. He said the law does not require a street address, and information such as a street corner or a park where the homeless sex offender typically sleeps is sufficient. The Democratic minority said requiring a homeless man to provide an address when he doesn't have one violates common sense.
Michigan employers are being offered a chance to have their businesses inspected for safety compliance without the threat of fines or other penalties.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration -or MIOSHA - is holding 'Take a Stand Day' June 8.
During the day, MIOSHA makes it's compliance staff and supervisors available to inspect workplaces.
Employers are not fined or penalized for safety violations, however they are expected to correct any serious violations.
Martha Yoder is Deputy Program Director with MIOSHA. She says this is the 7th year for the 'Take a Stand Day', which she describes as an important initiative, "Our key mission is to help assure the safety of Michigan's working men and women. And any time you can identify a hazard and eliminate it, you've eliminated the potential for someone getting hurt at work or worse, being killed on the job"
Yoder says beyond the very important safety benefits, 'Take a Stand Day' also helps Michigan's economy by keeping workers comp costs low and by making participating businesses more attractive places to work. 'Take a Stand Day' is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8. However Yoder says MIOSHA will do inspections anytime through its consultation program.
Warnings are going out to Morel mushroom hunters; make sure the mushroom you've found is actually a morel before you eat it. Health officials says ten people in Michigan have already been hospitalized this year after eating toxic, false morels.
Last year there weren't any hospitalizations. In 2009 there were five.
Sarah Ray with the Grand Traverse County health Department, says if you eat a false morel, it doesn't take long before you feel the symptoms, "It presents very similar to a food-borne illness, so you have the nausea, stomach cramping, vomiting, but it can quickly progress depending on an individual sensitivity to the toxin that could lead to things such as coma or stroke"
Ray says if you're new to morel hunting, you should go with an experienced Morel hunter or take a guidebook along.
You can also get information on how to determine what's a real morel at the Michigan poison center at the Detroit Medical Center. Their website is www.childrensDMC.org
Officers from more than 200 law enforcement agencies across the state arrested more drunk drivers this holiday season than last.
Lynn Sutfin is a spokesperson for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
"There were 356 drunk driving arrests made on grant-funded overtime -- last year, that was about 300, so obviously that's a little bit of an increase. Also, this may be in part due to the fact that we had additional counties and agencies funded this year that were not funded last year."
In addition to the drunk-driving arrests, Sutfin says officers also made other arrests.
"I do know that they have found parole absconders, [and] large drug busts during some of these enforcement efforts. It's just the opportunity -- they make this traffic stop, and it turns into some really good police work."
Sutfin says although arrests were up, fatalities were down during the same period.
"During the 2009 holiday period, there were 10 fatalities. This year, preliminary results indicate eight. So obviously, a slight improvement over last year. Obviously, those are preliminary, there could be some other things that come in, but it looks to be an improvement over last year."
She says the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning administered federal funding to support the drunk-driving crackdown in 35 counties, including Allegan, Barry, Bay, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Chippewa, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Marquette, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Clair, Tuscola, Van Burn, Washtenaw, Wayne, and Wexford.
As an Emmet County man recovers from being attacked by a black bear, state officials remind outdoor enthusiasts to be aware of those animals -- particularly in situations involving a mother and her cubs.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is investigating why the mother bear and her three cubs attacked the hunter Saturday night. Mary Dettloff is the DNRE spokesperson.
"He attended a family party prior to going hunting, and there was fried food served at the party. We think that because he was in the presence of food being cooked, and the fact that it was fried food, probably the scent on the clothing that he was wearing under his camouflage hunting gear is what lured the bear to the treestand."
Dettloff says the hunter did everything he was supposed to do when a mother black bear and her three cubs approached his treestand.
"He tried to scare them off, which is what you should do. We don't know what happened in all these split-second decisions you have to make in a situation like that, but he could have killed the bear and been perfectly justified. He wouldn't have gotten in any trouble with the DNRE, because it was a situation where he was being threatened -- and he could have killed the bear if he had to."
Dettloff says the hunter made the right choice before heading out to tell his fiance and father where he would be hunting, and that made it easy for them to find him when he didn't return from his treestand by nightfall.
The hunter received minor surgery for a bite to his calf, and treatment for wounds on his thigh and shoulder.
According to Dettloff, it's uncommon for black bears to attack -- but she says the mother probably attacked because she perceived a threat to her cubs when the hunter tried to scare them away.
It's not equitable. It creates almost a monopoly for the people who are benefited by the bill. Sanborn says the only businesses that would benefit from the bill are out-of state fireworks retailers.
And he says there are safety concerns that need to be addressed. There does appear to be interest from the House and Senate to find consensus on the fireworks bill, but Sanborn says he doesn't think that will happen before this year's Independence Day.
Most lawmakers agree Michigan could use the millions of dollars that leave the state every year for neighboring states that do sell larger fireworks.
Two large wildfires continue to burn this morning in northern Michigan, near Roscommon.
Both fires errupted yesterday afternoon, and quickly spread through Jack Pine forest, the habitat that is home to the rare Kirtland's Warbler.
The larger fire, dubbed the "Meridian Boundary" fire, has bured 7,500 acres, said Ada Tackus with the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
She said such a large fire is rare in Michigan.
"95 percent of fires in Michigan are generally held under 100 acres. And this one was 100 acres in the first hour. So that kind of tells you how quick it grew, it was in Jack Pine country and Jack Pine burns quicker than a lot of fuels," said Tackus.
Firefighters built firelines around 16 miles of the fire overnight. The focus now turns to a one-mile gap in the lines on the southwest edge of the fire.
Fire managers estimate 10 structures have been destroyed or damaged so far. Numerous evacuations remain in effect in the area.
Democratic state Representative Mike Huckleberry says feral pigs are a bigger nuisance than many people realize.
"These things get as big as 400 pounds, they're a menace, they destroy crops, they're dangerous, they carry diseases... there's nothing good about them."
Huckleberry says states such as Texas and Florida ignored the problem of feral swine until those populations became nearly unmanageable.
And he says most counties in Michigan are already reporting feral pigs roaming on property.
Anyone with a hunting license is already allowed to shoot a feral pig on sight. This measure would extend that to animal control officers, people with concealed pistols licenses and owners of property with feral pigs.
The measure now goes to the governor for her signature
For police and prosecutors, their workdays center around criminals and their victims. For the people who have been victimized, their lives often center around working toward a recovery that's long in coming.
We conclude our series of reports on crime victims by talking with a victim advocate and with a woman whose offender is back on on the streets - 15 years after assaulting her.
According to the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, child sexual abuse increased 83 percent between 1980 and 1993.
In Isabella county, Victim's Advocate Debbie Robb knows many of the abused children in her county and she knows the adults who are still stuggling with abuse they experienced when they were young.
Robb says prosecuting a crime takes a toll on the victim. So does returning to life after wards, "I think what people don't understand is the aftermath of what people live with. And I think these are incredible people who survive this and go on and kind of pick it up and move on, but they are dealing with so it seems unfair to me, it makes me really angry".
Kristen Palomino knows how hard it can be to get past the crime. When she was in 4th grade she was molested by an uncle. He recently got out of prison after a 15-year sentence, "I saw him on the street and I was like whoa and I turned away and I was like whoa this is reality".
She says she hasn't talked to her uncle since his release. Nor does she plan to. Just seeing him that day on the street brought up feeling she didn't expect, " I was angry I was like I'm an adult and you hurt a child you know and I know it was me but I was like you hurt a child and now you're on the streets and I'm thinking wow watch out for these other kids".
Palomino says when she was little her uncle showed her special attention. He took her places and bought her things. She says that was the first step in setting her up to be abused. She says after he gained her trust, he broke it when he began to molest her, and that's when he turned to threats. He said he'd kill her family if she told anyone what he'd done. Palomino believed him, "When you're threatened, that's your Mom and Dad and that's your brothers and sisters so of course you don't want them to get hurt so of course you just take on all that abuse because you get trapped".
Palomino says she may never would have told anyone about the abuse except she says it came to light that her uncle was molesting another girl. Police showed up at her house, and her parents asked her if anything had ever happened to her, "I still remember that night and I told them and I was really upset and I remember the police being there and I remember my aunt being there for a while and then she left and it was just like the drama like a huge drama".
Palomino says once she told what was happening she felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. At the same time she couldn't sleep and had to leave school in tears on more than one occasion, "It's a lot to put on a child you know and there's a lot of kids walking around today in society thinking that it is their fault because they were hurt but they feel like it was their fault because they told on this person".
Today Kristen is a foster care worker. She sometimes cares for kids who have also been molested. She says if they're really scared it can help to make safety plans to help them feel more secure. And she says it can help to just let them be kids, "take their mind off it, play a sport, draw, dance you know do some activities because you still are a child this may be a big part of your life but you can still be a child."
15-years after her victimization, Kristen has a daughter of her own. She says even as an adult, it's hard for her to trust people, and she watches her daughter closely.
Since he's been released from prison, her uncle is back in the community. He lives just down the road from the woman he molested 15-years before.
The measure will allow a police officer to pull a driver over for sending messages on their cell phone. That could include any messages with text on a cell phone, including texting and sending emails.
Democratic state Representative Lee Gonzales sponsored the measure. He says lawmakers will continue to debate the effects of distracted diving, such as talking on the phone.
"You got to figure over time, future Legislatures are going to have to take a look at cell phones as well."
Gonzales and a representative from the state police say officers will be trained to know when it is appropriate to pull a driver over for texting. The law will go into effect in July.
The ban on texting while driving has changed forms and hands a few times over many months at the state Capitol. Now it appears the ban is in its final stages, awaiting a vote in the state House to make the ban a primary and more serious offense.
State Representative Lee Gonzales has been working on the ban.
"I'm very excited that we're finally going to take on something that should have been done a long time ago. And so, from that standpoint, it is about making sure we do the right thing and make our roads safer."
Gonzales says he expects the House to vote on the ban quickly after lawmakers return next week. The measure has already been approved by the state Senate as a primary offense - that means a police officer could pull a driver over and ticket them for texting alone.
The fingerprints and arrest records of juveniles would be thrown out if they complete a probationary period that dismisses the case.
Michelle Weemhoff is with the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency. She says some of the records could hurt the chances of kids finding work or housing, or entering the military. And she says throwing out the fingerprints helps with their rehabilitation.
"We shouldn't create barriers for kids who've proven to the court that they want to succeed. If a judge dismisses a petition, it stands to reason that the arrest card and the fingerprints are immediately destroyed."
The bill was approved easily by the committee and now moves to the House floor.
The Shiawassee Taskforce on Prevention is asking for help from parents to fight underage alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.
Cathy Spreug-Emans is the coordinator of the taskforce, commonly known as STOP. She says the group has made efforts to curb these illegal activities.
"We have supplied the scorpion cameras to the sheriff's department. They are little, micro-size cameras that can fit on an officer's uniform or they could be mounted on a dashboard. They are to be used for collecting evidence on underage drinking."
Spreugg-Emans also says STOP uses community advocacy and enlists college students to mentor junior high and high school students to fight underage substance use. She says the state spends nearly two billion dollars every year because of underage drinking -- and rates of traffic accidents related to underage drinking in Shiawassee County are among the highest in the state.
Spreug-Emans says rates of traffic accidents related to underage drinking in Shaiwasee county are among the highest in the state.
"We still have suppliers in Shiawassee County that are still selling liquor to the youth, and they're also selling tobacco to our youth. And we are doing compliance checks regarding that. We're also trying to change the norms in our community - it's not okay to have this going on."
According to STOP, complications from alcohol use are the fourth-leading cause of death among ten to twenty-four year-olds, and the average young drinker begins at age thirteen. Spreug-Emans says the effects of underage drinking, including traffic accidents, cost Michigan around two billion dollars a year.
STOP will hold a town hall meeting at 6 PM tonight at the Welcome Center of Baker College's Owosso campus to discuss the issue with Shiawassee County. More information about STOP is available here.
The Shiawassee Taskforce on Prevention is asking for help from parents to fight underage alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.
Cathy Spreug-Emans is the coordinator of the taskforce, commonly known as STOP. She says the group has made efforts to curb these illegal activities.
"We have supplied the scorpion cameras to the sheriff's department. They are little, micro-size cameras that can fit on an officer's uniform or they could be mounted on a dashboard. They are to be used for collecting evidence on underage drinking."
Spreugg-Emans also says STOP uses community advocacy and enlists college students to mentor junior high and high school students to fight underage substance use. She says the state spends nearly two billion dollars every year because of underage drinking -- and rates of traffic accidents related to underage drinking in Shiawassee County are among the highest in the state.
Spreug-Emans says rates of traffic accidents related to underage drinking in Shaiwasee county are among the highest in the state.
"We still have suppliers in Shiawassee County that are still selling liquor to the youth, and they're also selling tobacco to our youth. And we are doing compliance checks regarding that. We're also trying to change the norms in our community - it's not okay to have this going on."
According to STOP, complications from alcohol use are the fourth-leading cause of death among ten to twenty-four year-olds, and the average young drinker begins at age thirteen. Spreug-Emans says the effects of underage drinking, including traffic accidents, cost Michigan around two billion dollars a year.
STOP will hold a town hall meeting at 6 PM tonight at the Welcome Center of Baker College's Owosso campus to discuss the issue with Shiawassee County. More information about STOP is available here.
Police in Mt Pleasant say they've located the body of a missing Oakland County man. 22-year old Matthew Poole of Wolverine Lake was reported missing February 6 after visiting friends at Central Michigan University. Since that time, local police have been asking for tips and conducting searches of the south end of the city, where Poole was last seen.
Mt Pleasant Police Chief Anthony Gomez-Mesquita says locating Poole's body was largely related to the spring thaw. "I think it's because of the good weather. With the snow melting, ah, we had very little snow at the time he was reported missing...that was certainly working against us"
Police received an anonymous phone call last night from a man saying there was a body in a field behind the Sam's Club Warehouse at the south end of Mt Pleasant.
Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski says officers were able to identify Poole by his appearance and clothing. The sheriff says there were no apparent signs of injury to the body. "I can say that there was nothing that was found that brought up any red flags... associated with the death"
An autopsy will be conducted today on the body of Matthwe Poole, however police say results on some of the tests - like toxicology reports - may take months to complete.
In the meantime police are treating the case as a suspicious death. They are continuing to take tips from the public and say their investigation is continuing.
The measure would make texting while driving a secondary offense. That means police officers could only write a ticket for violating the texting ban if a driver is stopped for another reason. Negotiations have progressed slowly as lawmakers dealt with objections that the texting ban might be used to harass minority motorists, or would intrude on private behavior.
Republican Senator Jud Gilbert chairs the transportation committee. He says compromises are necessary to win enough votes to send a bill to the governor.
"I think we're better off getting something as a secondary offense, even if we didn't get the primary offense."
There are exceptions in the bill for people reporting crimes or emergencies, and for police and first responders in the line of duty. Negotiators say they're close to a compromise on the fines and points that would be assessed for violating the texting ban.
According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Michigan has some of what they call common sense gun laws - the campaign's new scorecard, though, suggests the state can improve.
Peter Hamm is the Communications Director for the Brady Campaign. He says Michigan does not adequately prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.
"For the sake of Michigan residents, we ought to close the gun show loophole that allows people to buy a gun at a gun show without submitting to a background check. It would be easy to do; it wouldn't damage the economics of the gun show business, as it were."
Micheal Thiede is a public relations officer for Michigan Gun Owners. He says a substantial number of gun dealers at gun shows are federally-licensed.
"The gun shows in the state of Michigan are ninety-eight percent all federally-licensed dealers, and they have to abide by all of the federal laws, no matter if they are dealing in a shop that they own or if they're in a gun show. So all of the background checks still have to be run before a firearm can be bought, even if it's at a gun show."
The Michigan Gun Owners say state law does not require background checks for long guns, because federal law already requires them.
Hamm also says our state does do some things well -- he says Michigan's requirement to report lost or stolen guns decreases illegal gun trafficking.
The campaign also applauds Michigan's recent decision to reject a bill that would have allowed concealed weapons on college and university campuses.
Central Michigan University Chief of Police Bill Yeagley says colleges and universities are safer without concealed weapons on their campuses.
"The fact that the law did not pass, and campuses and universities are off-limits for carrying weapons, decreases the likelihood of any type of incident. It doesn't guarantee something will never happen, it just reduces the likelihood."
The so-called "good-time" bills would allow for the early parole of prisoners who showed good behavior while serving their sentences. The bills were discussed by a state House panel at the end of last year. But a large turn-out of victims and relatives of victims who testified against the measures put the legislation on the back-burner. The chair of that committee says no violent or sexual criminals would be released early. But he says there is work that needs to be done to ensure prisoners serve at least their minimum sentence. Some Senate Republicans say they are opposed to changing sentencing laws.
Governor Granholm has called for about a hundred and $40 million to be cut from the Corrections budget. The "good-time" bills would save the state an estimated $100 million a year.
Democratic state Senator Buzz Thomas and Republican state Senator Roger Kahn met briefly outside of the Senate chamber to discuss what happens next with the texting ban. The Senate approved Thomas and Kahn's bills earlier this week. Now, Thomas says, they must reach a deal with House members who have also approved a similar measure.
"What we're going to try and do is call the offices together and figure out how we can't make this happen. Let's do this by February, I'd like to do it by February."
There are a few differences between the Senate and House versions of the bills - the Senate approved stronger penalties and fees. But the final version should reflect what both chambers approved - that is a person texting while driving could only be ticketed if they were pulled over for something else as well. Many lawmakers say they hope it will become a more serious crime in a few years.
Police around the state are trying to figure out how they will enforce the law if the bill on texting goes through.
Police across the state say that while the bill is a step in a right direction, enforcing the law will be a hard thing to do. The bill would make texting while driving a secondary offense which also has police skeptical about enforcement. Police would have to pull someone over for something like speeding or a broken taillight and then ask them if they were using text messaging on their cell phone.
"I guess if they're honest, you can say; where you text messaging? Some are gonna tell you yes and some are gonna tell you " says Sheriff Jim Walin of the Emmet County Police.
Other police officers say they're not sure how the law would be enforced. Trooper Micheal Sisco with the Petoskey branch of the Michigan State Police says he hopes there will be compliance with the law, but it's very hard to deterrmine if someone is texting and driving if they don't admit to it.
"I'm not sure how that's gonna work. You would actually have to see somebody texting which is going to be hard in a moving vehicle" says sisco.
Some police in the state are comparing the proposed bill to the seatbelt law, which started out as a secondary offense as well.
The Senate bill to make texting while driving illegal appeared to have a lot of push behind it until this week. It is a bipartisan measure that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are passionate about. But with the passion came vehement disagreement about whether a police officer should be able to pull someone over for texting alone.
Democratic state Senator Buzz Thomas says some GOP members are also put-off by the idea of regulating common sense.
"That it was a question of, well if we start there, do we start regulating the eating of French fries, do we start regulating the putting on of makeup in the vehicles."
But Thomas says there are many lawmakers who still want the measure to pass, and he plans to keep pushing for it until he leaves office at the end of the year. The House has already approved a similar bill.
A Traverse City man flying home talks about his impressions of the California passenger who was detained on suspicions of dangerous behavior.
One of the passengers on that plane this morning was Robert Crosby of Traverse City. He was flying in after a business trip to Peoria. He sat right next to the passenger that police are now questioning and spoke with him briefly. Crosby says the man seemed unremarkable.
"I didn't get anything suspicious. From my observations, there was absolutely nothing suspicious with the guy. He was just like anyone else. But he was the only one that took a backpack into the bathroom"
Crosby referring to the passenger going to the plane restroom carrying a backpack. Police say no backpack or any other items were found in the bathroom. The passenger detained by police is a 28-year old man from California.
Local police and federal officials say they found no bomb on a United Express jet that landed at the Cherry Capitol Airport in Traverse City this morning.
Officials say a flight attendant saw a passenger go into the bathroom carrying when they say is an unidentified item. When the attendant checked the room later and found a wall panel apparently tampered with, authorities were notified.
Traverse City police Captain Steve Morgan says the FBI is continuing to question the man this evening. He says the passenger has been "extremely cooperative".
"The passenger in question is currently denying doing anything while inside the bathroom or leaving anything inside the bathroom. We did not find any suspicious packages or articles left anywhere"
Operations at Cherry Capitol Airport were temporarily suspended for about a half hour this morning while the plane was secured and passengers deplaned.
Geology professor Sven Morgan says an
earthquake could be compared to a rubber band. Simply put; the longer it's
stretched the more energy will be released when it snaps. It's a phenomenon
that he says helps geologists predict how often an earthquake will strike.
"It
took about 200 years to build up that energy where it just couldn't hold
anymore, and then it slipped. In San Francisco, the last major earthquake was in 1906 I think," Morgan says. "And based on looking
back into the past, we can see how frequent the big earthquakes were in that
region, and San
Francisco
is just about due for another big earthquake."
Morgan predicts an earthquake the size
of the one in Haiti
has about a 60% chance of hitting the west coast within the next 20 years.
But he says a quake of that magnitude
wouldn't be anywhere near as devastating as what hit Haiti
earlier this week. The sub-par infrastructure and struggling economy were
likely a factor in the staggering death toll seen in Haiti.
Police in Isabella County are asking area residents make sure to lock their doors even if they're home. Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said a man walked into an apartment complex on Deerfield road early this morning. The suspect began checking for unlocked doors and walked into several apartments before sexually assaulting a woman who had been asleep in one of them.
The suspect is identified as an African American man approximately 6-feet tall with a thin build. He believed to be in his late teens to early 20's. Police are bringing in a sketch artist to help identify the suspect. The sheriff says investigators have evidence that they're sending to the crime lab. In the meantime, police are asking residents to be sure to keep their doors locked.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Isabella County sheriff's department at (989) 772-5911
Recently thirty five Michigan communities received more than eighteen million dollars to fund public projects.
From the $18.1 million the city of Au Gres was given three quarters of a million dollars.
The money will be used for sewer and street upgrades. Governor Granholm says these can be critical to attracting business investments and building communities.
Pat Killingbeck city manager of Au Gres said she was shocked when her application for funding was approved.
"We're extremely excited and we are beginning to work as we speak on these projects".
Killingbeck also said that they will be applying again for more money towards more improvements.
The Standish Maximum Correctional Facility will close by October 31st unless another state or the federal government agrees to lease the prison, the state Department of Corrections announced Tuesday.
The closure of the Standish prison has been delayed for months as state officials tried to find somebody to lease the facility.
But the closure could only be delayed for so long, said Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan.
"It costs us about $2.7 million a month to keep that facility open," said Marlan. "And we just fiscally can't afford to continue with it in operation."
According to Marlan, the state is still waiting to hear back from other agencies that might want to lease the Standish prison.
That could push the closing date back past October 31 - or eliminate it all together.
If the prison closes, between 80 and 90 guards could lose their jobs - while numerous others would transfer to other facilities.
Is it a bike? Is it a taxi? Is it a billboard? Is it a trailer? Whatever it is, it appears Petoskey Pedicab will be allowed to ride the streets again next summer.. and advertise, too.. despite the past few months of controversy.
The 2 Petoskey pedicabs and their drivers became part of the fabric of Petoskey for many business owners and residents this summer:
"we support the Petoskey pedicab. we have our adverstiements on the baack...we pass out their business cards"
A green pedal-powered politically correct way to get around - with the added attrtaction of two cute guys behind the handlebars!
"I think it's a good idea.. 'm glad they did it"
Some people call the pedicabs goodwill ambassadors for the city of Petoskey, saying they add a nice character to the town.
Calvin Schemanski and his friend Josh Lycka - both raised in Petoskey- .came up with the idea for Petoskey Pedicab when they were working at the Bay Harbor Yacht Club Kitchen last year:
"it was kind of a slower day.it was something we started talking about jokingly.. .Then we talked a little longer and decided it could actually be done, and then we went for it"..
The 19 year olds who attend college now in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor developed a business plan to take people on short trips through Petoskey's gaslight district in the summer months. Putting signs on the back of the bike's carriage to advertise other businesses was part of the idca from the get-go.
They say they mentioned to the city planner what all that was about .. she didn't think it was something people would like
Suddenly . Shcmasnki says they hit a bureaucratic snag: He says they found that the sign ordinance didn't talk about pedicabs; made no mention of non-motorized vehicles. He says they wanted to play it safe so they filled out the necessary permits and submitted it to the sign committee.
Schemanski says all this was being done in the spring while they were still in school.. they appealed to the sign committee and lost on a 3 to 5 vote... at that point, they were not issued a permitd. The two decided to test the waters on the project.
Te 2 old fashioned looking bikes with black carriages for 2 passengers each.. complete with advertisements on the back..took their first official rides May 15th, 2009 . Offering downtown rides for tips only.. five dollar to 15 dollar rides from bay view to downtown.. and 12 dollar scenic tours.. . City Planner Amy Tweeten took action. july 1st and slapped Schemanski's partner with a ticket for prohibiting the sign ordinance
The Pedicab owner say the real financial problem came from the restriction in advertising, so Schemanski and Lyka obtained an attorney and fought the citation. They claimed that the only difference was the fact that we didn't have a motor.. they say that seemed silly. They didn't think the arguement would legally would stand up at all.
On august 5th.. 90th district judge Richard May dismissed the ticket.
Schemanski says he and Lyka had cheering sections and there was a round of applause
But the Petoskey pedicab dispute ruffled feathers.. and caused some folks to take sides:.. Bottom line: noone seems to want Little Traverse Bay, the sky above it, and the streets of Petoskey's Gaslight District filled with moving billboards. and many most seem to want to make sure the city's ordinances protect Petoskey from that scenario: Also : recent pedicab-related deaths and injuires in seattle, san deigo and new york have raised other concerns,,
Petoskey mayor Ted Pall says simply the city needs a pedicab ordinance.
He argues that there is a point where, without a dramatic change in people's driving habits, there IS a limit on what is safe. He says that's where his interest is. He says the city might have to limit the pedicabs from a safety standpoint.
The Mayor says it's time to be specific. He says although the pedicabs may not have been a problem this past summer, the city needs to protect itself going forward.
The Obama Administration this week ruled out the possibility of Kansas holding transferred prisoners from GuantanamoBay. This leaves the soon-to-be-closed prison in Standish as the only other prison publicly up for consideration.
State lawmakers aren't sure if the Standish prison is more likely to receive Gitmo detainees now that the Obama administration has ruled out the Kansas prison.
But Representative Pete Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has always thought bringing the detainees to Michigan is a bad idea.
"In the long term, what it does is it identifies Michigan as a state that was so desperate that it needed to take in the Gitmo detainees to get the economy rolling," Hoekstra says. "I think there might be a very small, short term help to our economy, but it would be a big black eye to the state of Michigan from a promotional standpoint."
Hoekstra says he actually thinks it's unlikely the prisoners will be coming to Michigan, adding that the fact that the Standish prison is a state prison, and not federal, would present a lot of obstacles for lawmakers.
The Obama administration has set this January as a deadline for deciding whether or not to ship Guantanamo detainees to the U.S.
Police in Isabella county say cell phone and computer records lead them
to a kidnapping suspect who had taken his young victim to the Cedar
Point amusement park in Ohio.
11-year old Brendan Chobod was reported missing Friday afternoon from
his home in Isabella county. Police launched a foot search of the
nearby woods. At the same time, they began searching for Andrew Smith;
a former babysitter of Brendan's who was named as a person of
interest. Isbella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszeski says after a very
long day and a half, it was a relief to tell Brendan's mom that her son
was found and in good health.
"And I'll tell you what, it's something that I'm always going to
remember, just to see the emotion and the joy on his face that her son
has been found and he's fine. It was a long, long process, actually I
was up, I think I counted about 44-hours during this whole incident,
but just seeing the look on her face made the whole situation
worthwhile."
The sheriff says right now, the suspect, Andrew Smith is not talking to
police, so they're not sure of his motive for taking Brendan.
Mioduszewski says Smith already had drug charges on his record... he now
faces the possibility of state and federal kidnapping charges as well.
Police in Isabella county say they're getting a number of tips, but have still not found a missing 11-year old boy. Brendan Chobod disappeared from his home yesterday afternoon. Police say they're not ruling out any possible explanation for his disappearance. But the sheriff says sometime tonight they may be able to narrow down the possibilities.
Police say their investigation is going well. The mild weather is making the physical search of the woods around the Chobod home easier. More than 70 trained searchers have joined the effort. Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski says by the end of this evening, search teams will have canvassed a 4-5 mile radius around the Chobod home and he'll be confident saying it's not likely the boy wandered off on his own.
In the meantime, the sheriff says police are getting a lot of tips from the toll free tipline. He says he's particularly interested in locating Andrew Smith; believed to be driving a rusty grey GMC van with a red stripe along each side. Smith is described as a neighbor and former babysitter of Brendan's, who's also - as the sheriff says - a big brother or father-type figure to the boy. Smith is not being called as suspect. The sheriff says he continues to be optimistic that this case will end with the Brendan's safe return.
If you have any information that may help in the search for Brendan Chobod you're asked to call the toll free hotline. That number is 866-560-9620.
Officials at Lake SuperiorStateUniversity
are warning the public of a check cashing scam that was discovered earlier this
week.
LSSU
received several phone calls from people all across the U.S.
last week. They were wondering why they had received checks for over $3000,
written out to them from LSSU and apparently signed by the university's
president.
Vice President of Finance at LSSU,
Sherry Brooks, says she knew something strange was going on after hearing about
the phone calls.
"Some fake checks were written with LSSU's name and address. The president's name was on the signature line, but it was not his signature," Brooks says. She adds that they haven't yet discovered who's behind the check cashing scam. But university and law enforcement officials are working to get to the bottom of it.
Anyone who receives an unsolicited check from LSSU should contact the police and the university's business office right away.
The Dow Science building will remain closed for the remainder of Friday afternoon and evening. The building is expected to re-open when classes resume on Monday.
A chemical spill Friday morning resulted in minor injuries to a faculty member and the evacuation of the facility. The faculty member was treated and released from Central Michigan Community Hospital.
The spilled material was a mixture of 80 percent methanol and 20 percent ethylenediamine, a corrosive and flammable chemical. Crews from HAZMAT, the Isabella County chemical spill unit and employees of CMU's Environmental and Safety Services office, continue to work on the clean up and an investigation is being conducted into the incident. Individuals who left items in the building when it was evacuated should contact CMU Police at 774-3081 to reclaim their items.
The Dow Science building at Central Michigan University was shut down today due to a chemical spill.
This morning at around 10 a.m an employee in the Dow Science building dropped a beaker containing base solution on his foot, causing burn damage. He was rushed to the hospital shortly after. Clean up crews were immediately called to the building to tend to the spill.
Bill Yeagley Chief of the Central Michigan University Police
"As a normal protocol we evacuate the entire building especially until we identify what that agent is we are dealing with. Different agents have different threat levels have different threat levels, fortunately this one was a very low threat level but at the onset of the incident we didn't know what we were dealing with so we always evacuate the entire building until we are able to identify the compound we're dealing with."
The university says the building will be closed until 1:00 p.m. Doctors say the injured employee will make a full recovery. Officers with the CMU Department of Public Safety are investigating the situation.
CMU has evacuated the Dow Science building. Director of Public Safety Bill Yeagley says shortly after 10:00am, an instructor dropped a beaker containing a base solution in one of the classrooms. The instructor received burns to his foot and is seeking treatment at an area hospital.
The building has been evacuated as a precaution as HazMat crews clear the scene. CMU police announce the Dow Science Building will re-open at 1:00pm today.
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox says more needs to be done to protect children from sexual predators who use Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites to meet their victims.
Using a computer to solicit a child to have sex is already a crime. But Attorney General Mike Cox says the 1994 statute does not reflect how child molesters have turned to social networking sites to make contact and gather information about prospective victims.
Cox says people who use the internet to solicit sex from a child should be on the state's sex offender registry.
"You know, when we first started the sex registry, this crime didn't exist, so this is the next step," he said.
Cox says people on the registry because of a child sex crime should be banned from social networking sites. He also wants tougher penalties for people who possess or share large collections of child pornography.
Legislation to do all that has been introduced in the state Senate.
The attorney general is also running for the Republican nomination for governor.
The state Senate Judiciary Committee took testimony Tuesday on whether the Standish maximum security prison should house Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Among those who testified were two Republican gubernatorial candidates who have different opinions.
State Senator Tom George submitted written testimony and implored Governor Granholm to keep discussions open with the federal government. He says Michigan has a history of housing federal prisoners during times of war, even when it made the state a target.
But Congressman Pete Hoekstra says the state doesn't know enough about Guantanamo prisoners. He says as the ranking Republican on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee he has more access to information about the danger posed by Gitmo detainees.
"Sure, I'd like to go and say 'We're going to move into Standish and we're going to show radical jihadists they can't attack us in the United States.' I can't carry forward on that claim," he said.
Hoekstra says Michigan would be a target for terrorist attacks if the detainees were housed in a Standish maximum security prison.
"I understand the threats that are out there," he said. "And if I'm going to make that claim, that says 'We're America, and I can protect Standish and I can protect the United States,' I better be prepared to carry through on that promise and that commitment and the people in that community and that state are basing me to carry forward - and I can't.
Hoekstra says Standish would be a target, and housing the detainees would create a long-lasting, negative image of the state.
On Thursday, Saginaw Valley State University will be certified as a "StormReady" campus by the National Weather Service.
The certification means the university has planned and prepared for severe weather, explained J.J. Boehm, SVSU's Director of Media Relations.
"Part of it is having a plan," said Boehm, "part of it is also meeting certain safety criteria, such as having a 24-hour station that can issue warnings."
That responsibility will fall upon the university's police dispatch center.
According to Boehm, SVSU has several different ways it can alert students and staff to bad weather.
"We can send out e-mails, text messages, voice mails," he said. "We also have warning sirens on campus. So there are a lot of ways that we can alert people."
Boehm said the certification is part of a broader effort to enhance safety at SVSU.
"Campus safety is something that is very important, especially to parents," said Boehm. "When they are sending their son or daughter to a university, they want to know that they are sending them to a safe place. So this is one more piece that we are adding to the puzzle to show what steps we are taking to take campus safety seriously."
SVSU is Michigan's second storm ready campus. The other is Siena Heights University in Adrian.
