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Thursday Afternoon State News Summary Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:44:34 (Capitol-Child Safety Seats) Your Child May Not Be Happy About It, But The Governor Has Signed Into Law A New Requirement Regarding 'Booster Seats' In Cars. The Measure Requires All Children Under The Age Of Eight, And Shorter Than 4 Feet 9 Inches Tall, To Be Securely Fastened In A Child Booster Seat While Riding In A Vehicle. Booster Seats Elevate A Child To Allow The Seat Belt To Work Effectively And Safely. With The Governor's Signature, Michigan Joins 38 Other States In Putting A Booster Seat Law On The Books. Nationwide, More Than 90 Percent Of Children Between Four And Eight Years Old Who Were Seriously Injured Were Not Restrained In A Booster Seat. In Michigan, Only 14-Point-Four Percent Of Children In That Age Group Were Using Booster Seats In 2002. (Capitol-Budget Bills) The Michigan Senate This Week Has Approved Seven State Budget Bills And Sent Them To The House. Included Are Budgets For Community Colleges, Community Health, Corrections, Higher Education, K-12 Schools, And The Department Of Natural Resources. State Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Ron Jelinek Says They're On Schedule To Finish The Budget By Their Target Date Of June 30th. The School Aid Budget Includes Per Pupil Funding Increases Of Between 71 And 142 Dollars, Depending On The Needs Of The District. It Also Includes A Three Percent Increase To Each University As Well As A Three Percent Funding Increase Overall For Community Colleges. (Capitol-Green Energy) It's Being Called A Baby Step, But Sponsors Say It's Still An Important One In The Effort To Promote More Use Of So-Called 'Green Energy' In Michigan. The Michigan Senate Today (Thursday) Approved A Measure Requiring State Government To Use More 'Green' Energy, Although It Omitted A Proposal That Residents And Businesses Also Be Required To Go Green. The Bill, Which Now Goes To The House, Requires That Ten Percent Of Electricity In State Buildings Come From Renewable Sources By 2010. The Mandate Rises To 25 Percent By 2025. The Mandate Does Not Apply If Renewable Energy Costs Five Percent More Than Traditional Power. Republican Sponsors Of The Bill Rejected The Proposed Mandate For Residents And Businesses, Over Fears Of Increased Electricity Prices. (Detroit-American Axle Strike Effects) There Could Soon Be A Significant Increase In The Impact That The American Axle Strike Is Having On General Motors. The Automaker's Detroit-Hamtramck Plant Could Run Out Of Parts Soon And That Could Be Followed Quickly By An Assembly Plant In Lordstown, Ohio. The Detroit-Hamtramk Plant Builds Big Cars. The Lordstown Plant Builds Small Cars. All Of The General Motors Plants Impacted So Far Have Made Pickup Trucks And Suv's. G-M Says It Will Not Comment Until It's Actually Ready To Announce A Plant Closing. With The American Axle Strike Now Passing The One Month Mark, There's Been Little Progress Reported In Negotiations. Many Analysts Believe It Will Take Direct Involvement From General Motors To Bring The Strike To An End. (Wwj, Detroit) (Mi-Mri-Feb) A New Survey Shows That Michigan Retailers Continued To Struggle Under A Poor Economy In February, But Are Expecting Modest Help From Federal "Economic Stimulus" Checks This Spring. According To The February "Michigan Retail Index" Survey From The Michigan Retailers Association, Only 29-Percent Of M-R-A Members Polled Last Month Posted Positive Sales, And Nearly Half Of Them Recorded Losses. But, M-R-A President And C-E-O, Jim Hallan Says The Federal Tax Rebate Checks --- Ranging From 600-To-12-Hundred Dollars -- Should Offer Some Help To Michigan Retailers During This "Time Of Uncertainty" In The State. And, Based On The February Survey More Than Half Of Those Retailers Agree. Meanwhile, Hallan Says, Michigan Retailers Are Looking Ahead Even Though Only 39-Percent Said In February Their Sales Will Increase From March To May. Last Year's M-R-I Showed Improving Retail Sales And Optimism In February. (Detroit-Kilpatrick Legal Fund) A Group Of Business And Political Leaders Is Forming A Legal Defense Fund To Help Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Fight Felony Perjury Charges. Members Of The Detroit Justice Fund Include Former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Conrad Mallett, S. Martin Taylor, A Former Dte Executive And A University Of Michigan Regent, And Detroit Native And Television Personality Judge Greg Mathis. The Fund Could Be Formally Announced Today (Thursday). (Wwj, Detroit) (Kent Co-Body Found) A Woman's Body Was Discovered In The Parking Lot Of A Machine Shop Business In The Grand Rapids Suburb Of Wyoming And Police Are Treating The Case As A Homicide. An Employee Of Oshkosh Trucks Found The Body This Morning (Thursday) When He Showed Up For Work. According To Police, The Body Showed Obvious Signs Of Trauma. While Investigators Conduct Interviews And Search The Scene For Clues, An Autopsy Is Scheduled To Determine The Woman's Identity And Exact Cause Of Death. (Metro Source) (Mecosta Co-Break-In/Shooting Suspects-Update) Three Eaton County Teenagers Could Be Headed To Prison For Life, After A Gang Leader Ordered A Hit On A Mecosta County Couple. 17-Year Olds Alec Cove, Cody Bodo, And Alexa Zimmerman, All Of Charlotte, Face A Combined 46 Charges, Including Attempted Murder. Authorities Say The Trio Were Among Five People Armed With Guns Who Broke Into The Home Of Mike And Theresa Korpal In Morley A Week Ago And Tied Up The Couple. The Gang Reportedly Cut The Phone Lines And Left A Fake Bomb, Before Driving Off In The Couple's Van. Prosecutors Say The Gang Leader Was Worried The Korpals Could Identify Them, So He Sent The Three Back To The Home To Kill Them. They Are Accused Of Firing Multiple Shots Into The Couple's Bedroom Monday Morning. Theresa Korpal Was Struck In The Leg By One Of The Bullets And Is Listed In Stable Condition. Cove Faces 31 Counts, Including Attempted Murder And Home Invasion. Bodo Faces Four Charges, Including Attempted Murder And Breaking And Entering And Zimmerman Faces 11 Counts, Including Home Invasion. Prosecutors Say There Are Two More Suspects In Custody Who Have Yet To Be Charged. Their Names Haven't Been Released Yet. Police Believe The Gang Is Connected To Several Other Area Home Invasions. (Help From: Mike Paulin, Wtcm, Traverse City) (Mi-Sports Events Maps) The Department Of Transportation Is Offering Help To Motorists Heading To Detroit This Weekend For Two Signature Sporting Events. M-Dot Is Posting Maps And Detailed Directions On Its Web Site To Provide Directions For Fans Heading To Ford Field For The Ncaa Midwest Regional Basketball Finals On Friday And Sunday And Opening Day For The Detroit Tigers On Monday. State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle (Stigh-Duhl) Says The Links Offer Different Traveling Options To Both Venues In An Effort To Allow Fans To Arrive Safely And On Time. Appropriately Titled Icons "Road To The Regionals" And "Getting To Comerica Park" Can Be Found On The M-Dot Home Page At Michigan-Dot-Gov/Mdot. (Washtenaw Co-Crane Accident) An Accident Involving A Crane In Washtenaw County Has Led To The Closure Of M-14 In Both Directions. The Crane Was On The Overpass On Gotfredson Road In Salem Township, When The Road Caved In Sending Concrete And Other Debris Raining Onto The Road. The Crane Is Leaning On The Bridge Now. Police Are Allowing Traffic To Use The Gotfredson Exit And Entrance Ramps To Avoid The Accident, But This Is Causing Some Lengthy Delays. The Closure Could Last Through The Afternoon Rush As Crews Work To Clean Up The Mess. Michigan Department Of Transportation Spokeswoman Kari Arend Says The Bridge Was Being Prepared For Demolition This Weekend And The Crane Was Going To Be Used For That Work. Arend Wasn't Sure If The Demolition Will Take Place As Planned. M-Dot Bridge Inspectors Were Called To The Site To Investigate If The Bridge Is Structurally Sound And If Traffic Will Be Allowed Under The Bridge. State Police Say There Have Been No Injuries. (Wwj, Detroit/Metro Source) (Mi-Flags Lowered) Governor Granholm Has Ordered United States Flags Throughout The State And On Michigan Waters Lowered For One Day On Friday In Honor Of A Michigan Soldier Who Died While On Active Duty In Afghanistan. Army Private First Class Antione Robinson Of Detroit Died March 19th From Injuries He Sustained When The Vehicle He Was Repairing Collapsed. The 20-Year Old Robinson Was Assigned To The 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Out Of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Flags Should Return To Full-Staff On Saturday. (Mi-Tax Fraud) A Clare County Businessman And Bank Vice-President Have Been Indicted On Tax Fraud Charges. Brothers Timothy And William Walraven, Both Of Harrison, Have Been Charged With Conspiracy To Defraud The Internal Revenue Service And Tax Evasion. Timothy Was Also Charged With Multiple Counts Of Filing False Corporate Tax Returns. He And Karen Zabrowski, The Branch Manager And Vice-President Of The National City Bank, Also Are Charged With Aiding And Abetting The Creation Of Structured Transactions To Evade Reporting Requirements. The Walraven Brothers Were President And Vice-President Of A Fruit Market Along With Being Owners And Co-Partners Of A Car Wash. Both The Conspiracy To Defraud The Irs And Tax Evasion Charges Carry A Maximum Penalty Of Five Years In Prison And A 100-Thousand Dollar Fine. (Mike Paulin, Wtcm, Traverse City) (Traverse City-Plane Crash) The Pilot Was Not Hurt When His Plane Crash Landed Wednesday Afternoon At The Cherry Capital Airport In Traverse City. The Single Engine Cessna Flipped Over As It Landed On The Main Runway At The Airport Upon Arrival From Port Huron. The Pilot, Frank Klik Of Fair Haven, Was The Only One On Board. The Airport Was Shut Down For Around 10 Minutes While Emergency Personnel Responded And Flights Were Routed To A Second Runway. The Faa Will Now Take Over The Investigation. (Mike Paulin, Wtcm, Traverse City) (Bay Co-Murder Plea) A Bay City Man Has Entered A No Contest Plea To First Degree Murder Charges In The Death Of An Elderly Bay City Woman Last Summer. 19-Year Old Robert Commire (Coe-Mary) Told A Bay County Circuit Judge That He Has No Memory Of The June 5th Murder Of Rita Salogar (Sah-Low-Gur) In Her West Side Home. An Autopsy Showed Salogar Died Of Blunt Force Trauma And Multiple Stab Wounds. According To Dna Testing, Commire Had Salogar's Blood On His Clothing And On A Knife He Carried In A Plastic Bag When Police Discovered Him And His 17-Year Old Cousin, Shawn, In Salogar's Garage The Morning She Was Killed. While Not An Admission Of Guilt, The No Contest Plea Still Means Commire Faces A Mandatory Life Prison Term Without Parole. He Will Be Sentenced April 21st. Shawn Commire Will Go To Trial April 9th On Felony Murder And Several Other Charges. His Attorney Will Be Challenging Certain Statements He Made To Police During A Hearing Today (Thursday) In Circuit Court. (Help From: Bill Hewitt, Wsgw, Saginaw) (Mi/Tn-Prison Escapee) A Muskegon Man Who Escaped From Prison In The Upper Peninsula Is One Of The Most Wanted Criminals In Tennessee. Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague (Tag) Says 34-Year-Old Todd Sweet Walked Away From A Golf Course Last May While On Work Detail With Other Prisoners From The Kinross Correctional Facility In Chippewa County. Kristin Heltin, Of The Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation, Says Sweet Was Able To Make Several Connections In Sweetwater, Tennessee, Including A New Wife Who Is Believed To Be Five-Months Pregnant With Twins. Investigators Say Sweet Is Connected To More Than 60-Thousand-Dollars In Thefts In The Tennessee Area Over The Past Year. He Is Considered Armed And Dangerous. (Metro Source) (Battle Creek-Commissioner Charged) A Kalamazoo City Commissioner Facing Criminal Charges In Battle Creek Is Going To Trial. A Judge Has Determined There Is Enough Evidence To Try Stephanie Moore On Charges Of Interfering With Police And Disorderly Conduct. The 35-Year Old Faces Up To Two Years In Prison If Convicted. Calhoun County Prosecutors Say Moore Interfered With Police As They Arrested A 19-Year Old On An Outstanding Warrant At The Battle Creek Central Holiday Basketball Tournament Last December. Moore Says The Officers Verbally Assaulted Her And Claims She Was Charged In Retaliation For Filing A Complaint. (Tom Forde, Wbck, Battle Creek) |
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