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Friday Morning State News Summary Fri, 28 Mar 2008 2:46:22 (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-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-Homeowner Stimulus) The State Senate Has O-K'd A Series Of Tax Credits Designed To Boost Housing Sales In Michigan. The Bills Suspend The So-Called "Pop-Up" Tax When Houses Are Sold And Increases Property Tax Credits. The Homeowner Stimulus Plan Is Estimated To Cost The State Nearly 150 (M) Million-Dollars In The First Year Of Application. Senate Republican Leader Mike Bishop Praised Passage Of The Plan Saying It Provides Immediate Relief To Home Buyers And Should Boost Michigan's Sluggish Housing Market. But Opponents Say The Bills Will Cut State Revenues. (Capitol-Home Distillery) If You Think You've Got A Talent In Making Liquor From A Still This Legislation In Lansing Could Be For You. A Bill Has Been Introduced To Create A New Class Of Liquor License...Allowing You To Start Making Your Own Hard Spirits To Sell. House Democrat Barb Byrum's New License Class Is For Those Who Produce Less Than 60-Thousand Gallons Per Year...Allows Them To Sell Bottles On Site...And To Give Away Samples. She Says An Ideal Place For Such An Operation Would Be A Family Farm, Which Has Raw Materials On Site For A Distillery. Byrum Says The State Estimates The Measure Would Spur More Than 400 (M) Million Dollars In Economic Activity And Create 14-Hundred New Jobs. She Says The Licenses Would Be Modeled After The Ones Currently Available For Microbreweries, In That They Allow Small Time Operators A Chance To Get Into An Industry That Otherwise Is Dominated By Major Corporations. (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) (East Lansing-Msu Best Grad Schools) Michigan State University's Education Programs Have Again Been Ranked The Top In The Nation. According To The Latest Rankings From U-S News And World Report, Msu's Graduate Programs In Both Elementary And Secondary Education Retained The Number One Spot For The 14th Consecutive Year. Msu's Rehabilitation Counseling Program Also Kept Its Top Spot. The East Lansing School's Nuclear Physics Program Also Scored Well, Ranking Number Two, Behind Only Massachusetts Institute Of Technology. Among Medical Schools, Msu's College Of Osteopathic Medicine Tied For Seventh In The Primary Care Category With Four Universities Including Harvard. U-S News And World Report's 2009 Edition Of "America's Best Graduate Schools" Hits Newsstands Monday. (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) (Detroit-Tv Judge Doesn't Support Kilpatrick) Television Judge Greg Mathis Says He Is Not Part Of A Committee Raising Funds For Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's Legal Battle Against Perjury, Misconduct And Other Charges. The Tv Personality And Former Detroit District Court Judge Was Responding Thursday To Reports Listing Him As Part Of A Group Contributing Money To Help Pay Kilpatrick's Private Lawyers. Mathis Says That While He Does Support Due Process, He Cannot Support Kilpatrick. Mathis Recommends The Mayor Resign So The City Can Heal And Move Forward. Members Of The Detroit Justice Fund Reportedly Include Former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Conrad Mallett And S. Martin Taylor, A Former Dte Executive And A University Of Michigan Regent. Legal Experts Say It Could Cost Kilpatrick Millions Of Dollars To Defend Himself Against The Criminal Charges. (Wwj, Detroit/Metro Source) (Washtenaw Co-Crane Accident) An Accident Involving A Crane In Washtenaw County Led To The Closure Of M-14 In Both Directions For Several Hours Thursday. 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 Highway. State Police Say There Were No Injuries. 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. (Wwj, Detroit/Metro Source) (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) (Detroit-Sex Offender) A Convicted Sex Offender From Garden City Will Spend 35 Years In Prison Followed By Eight Years Of Supervised Release. According To U.S. Attorney Stephen Murphy, Kenneth Stefanski Approached Two Young Girls Last Summer, And Took Pictures Of Them In Various States Of Undress. Stefanski Committed This Crime As Garden City Police Were Getting Ready To Execute A Search Warrant On His Apartment In Connection With A Sexual Assault On A Four-Year-Old Girl A Week Earlier. (Metro Source) (Ludington-Body Found) A Ludington Man Missing Since December Was Found Dead Thursday Afternoon Near The Ludington Carferry Docks. Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett Says A Carferry Employee Discovered The Body Of 27-Year-Old Gabe Smith Floating In The Water Near The S.S. Spartan Carferry Shortly After 3pm Thursday. Smith Was Last Seen Leaving A Bar In Downtown Ludington On December 8th. Barnett Says Initial Observation Of The Body Appears Foul Play Was Probably Not Involved. He Says It Was Likely A Tragic Accident. An Autopsy Will Be Performed Friday In Grand Rapids To Determine The Exact Cause Of Death. (Alan Neushwander, Wkla, Ludington) (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) (Grand Traverse Co-Missing Woman Pleads) A Woman Who Disappeared For Over A Month Has Reached A Plea Agreement With Grand Traverse County Prosecutors. 37-Year Old Anne Avery Of Elk Rapids Pled Guilty To A Charge Of Larceny By Conversion In Exchange For Having Charges Of Absconding On Bond And Assault With A Dangerous Weapon Dismissed. Avery Surrendered To Police In Antrim County In Late February. A Warrant Had Been Issued For Her Arrest In Connection With Her Failure To Appear In Court On A Felony Assault Charge For Allegedly Trying To Run Down A Man With Her Car. There Has Been No Indication Where Avery Was During The Time She Was Missing. Avery Will Be Sentenced On The Larceny Charge In Mid-May. She Faces A Five-Year Prison Term. A Careless Driving Charge Will Be Heard In District Court. (Mike Paulin, Wtcm, Traverse City) (Gladwin Co-Animal Abuse) A Case Of Severe Abuse In Gladwin County Has Led To The Arrest Of Two People. State Police Troopers Were Called In To Investigate The Willful Neglect And Abuse Of A Male Boxer By The Gladwin County Animal Control. The Dog Had Died As The Result Of Starvation And Severe Flea Infestation. Tips Led Police To The Dog's Owners, 31-Year-Old April Suiter Of Hazel Park And 31-Year-Old Steven Suiter Of Gladwin. Both Were Arraigned On Charges Of Killing Or Torturing An Animal, A Five Year Felony, And Animal Cruelty, A 93-Day Misdemeanor. Both Are Being Held In The Gladwin County Jail. (Mike Paulin, Wtcm, Traverse City) (Grand Rapids-Nice Teeth) Grand Rapids Is One Of The Top Ten Cities In The Country With The Cleanest And Nicest Teeth. That's According To The Current Issue Of "Men's Health Magazine," Which Ranked The City Eighth Overall. The Results Were Based On A Report From The U.S. Centers For Disease Control, As Well As The Number Of Residents Who Floss And The Amount Of Flouride In Each City's Water System. Madison, Wisconsin, Residents Had The Best Teeth Overall, While People Who Live In Lubbock, Texas, Are Said To Have The Worst Teeth. (Metro Source) (Mi-Thu Lottery) The Winning Daily Game Numbers Drawn Thursday In The Michigan State Lottery Games Were 2-6-5 And 9-0-5-2 In The Evening, And 2-9-8 And 9-3-2-3 In The Mid Day Drawings. The Fantasy Five Numbers Were: 2-7-10-21-22. The Keno Numbers Numbers Were: 3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 28, 43, 44, 46, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 66, 69, 73, 75, 78, 79. In The Meantime, The Mega Millions Jackpot For Tonight (Friday) Is Estimated At $113 (M) Million Dollars. Saturday's Classic Lotto 47 Jackpot Is Estimated At One-Point-One (M) Million Dollars. |
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