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Wednesday Afternoon State News Summary Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:38:44 EST (Mack Bridge Traffic-Feb) Mackinac Bridge Traffic Has Now Increased Every Month For 11 Consecutive Months Compared To The Prior Year. The Brdige Authorities Says That Just Under 195 Thousand Vehicles Crossed The Mackinac Bridge During The Month Of February. This Is Is The Eleventh Consecutive Month Of Crossing Activity Showing An Increase Over The Prior Year. For The Month Of February Truck Traffic Is Up Nine Point Three Percent Over Last Year And Fare Revenue Is Up Twenty Eight Point Eight Percent, According To The Bridge Authority. (Jax Officer Funeral) Funeral Services For Jackson Police Officer James Bonneau (Bawn'-Oh), Who Was Killed In The Line Of Duty This Week, Are Set For Friday. The 26-Year-Old Officer Was Shot To Death While Attempting To Arrest 63-Year-Old Elvin Potts On A Domestic Disturbance Complaint Early Tuesday Morning. Potts Was Shot And Killed By A Third Officer At The Scene. Bonneau Graduated From Canton High School In 2002 And Attended Schoolcraft College And Eastern Michigan University. Visitation Will Be Tomorrow At The L.G. Griffin Funeral Home In Canton From 1 To 9 P.M. Thursday. Funeral Services Are Planned For St. Michael's Lutheran Church In Canton On Friday. (Help From: Metro Source) (Det-School Deficit) The Budget Deficit In The Detroit Public School District Has Grown By Another 98-Million Dollars In The Past Year. Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb Acknowledges The Deficit Has Grown Under His Leadership Since Being Appointed In March Of 2009. He Says The Deficit Has Grown Due To A Lack Of Concessions By Union Workers, Rescinded Layoffs, And The Need To Match Staffing Levels To The Student Population. Bobb Is Vowing To Have The Detroit School District Out Of The Red By 2013. The District Is Facing An Estimated Deficit Of 317-Million Dollars. (Metro Source) (Toyota Tundra-Update) Toyota Now Says It Will Fix All 2000 To 2003 Model Year Tundra Pickups Sold In The U.S. To Address A Risk Over Frame Corrosion. Last November, The Car Maker Recalled 110-Thousand Tundras Sold In 20 Cold-Weather States. At The Time, Toyota Said Exposure To Heavy Road Salt Could Lead To Corrosion, Which Could Cause Spare Tires Or Even The Gas Tank To Drop Onto The Road. Toyota Told Its U.S. Dealers In A Notice Yesterday That It Would Expand The Recall To Tundras Sold In All 50 States. Company Spokesman Brian Lyons Wasn't Able To Say How Many Additional Vehicles Would Be Involved. Toyota Has Recalled More Than Eight Million Vehicles Worldwide For Mechanical Problems With Its Accelerator Assembly And Over Floor Mats That Could Cause The Accelerator To Stick. In February, Toyota Recalled Nearly 500-Thousand Hybrids, Including Its Top-Selling Prius, Because Of Braking Problems. (Metro Source) (Mipoll: Hoekstra Leads) A New Statewide Poll Is Showing Some Shifting In The Race To Become The Republican Nominee For Governor. The Poll Shows U-S Congressman Pete Hoekstra With A Significant Lead, With 28 Percent Support. Ann Arbor Venture Capitalist Rick Snyder Is Second With 18 Percent, And Attorney General Mike Cox Has Dropped To Third Place With 12 Percent. Cox Led In Some Earlier Surveys. The Poll, Conducted By Lansing-Based Denno-Noor Research Shows That Among Democrats, State House Speaker Andy Dillon Has A Narrow Lead On The Pack, With 13 Percent Support, With Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero In A Virtual Dead Heat At 11 Percent. However, Among Democratic Voters, A Whopping 56 Percent Are Undecided. The Poll Was Commissioned By The Rossman Group And The Perricone Group, Conducted By Lansing-Based Dennor-Noor Research, And Released By Booth Newspapers. (Det-Casino Robbery) Two Women Are Wanted By Police For The Armed Robbery Of A Man That They Met At The Mgm Grand Casino In Detroit On Tuesday. The 27-Year-Old Victim Told Police That The Women Agreed To Follow Him From The Casino To His Hotel Nearby. The Man Claims That He Invited The Women To Get Into The Shower With Him. One Of The Suspects Pulled Out A Gun After He Disrobed. The Man Claims That The Women Never Discussed Payment For Going Back To His Room. They Took Off With The Man's Wallet, Which Had Less Than 200-Dollars. (Help From: Metro Source) (Capitol-School Rally Wed) State Lawmakers Will Be Greeted In Lansing Today (Wed) By Hundreds Of Teachers, Students, And Parents Demanding A Change To The Way Their Schools Are Funded. One Parent Who Will Be On The Steps Of The Capitol Is Chris Greig. She Is Part Of The Save Our Schools Movement In Farmington. She Says Their District Has Been Turned Upside Down By The Drop In State Aid, With Four School Closures, Middle School Restructuring, And As Many As 160 Positions To Be Cut. All, She Says, In A District That Has Enjoyed Financial Stability In The Past. She Adds That (Quote) "If It Can Happen To Us In Farmington Public Schools, It Must Be Happening All Across The State And We Need To Have A Solution For All Michigan Schools." Grieg Says They Want Action Now From Lawmakers On A Stable Source Of Funding For Education, Adding That It's Too Important To Wait Until After The Election. (Wwj, Detroit) (Cong Hearing-Underwear Bomber) Senators In Washington Today (Wed) Continue Investigating The Failed Christmas Day Bombing Of A Detroit-Bound Airliner. Opening A Hearing Of The Senate Homeland Security Committee, Connecticut Independent Joe Lieberman Said The Failed Plot Exposed Gaps In The U.S. Intelligence And Air Screening Systems. In The Latest In A Series Of Hearings, The Senate Panel Is Analyzing The Implications Of The Bombing Plot. The Nigerian Suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab Remains In Federal Custody Awaiting A Criminal Trial. (Metro Source) (Capitol-Home Care Union) Legislation That Would Protect Home Child Care Providers From Having To Join A Union Or Pay Dues Is Being Considered By A State Senate Committee. Senate Republican Nancy Cassis Is Sponsoring Bills That Would Block The Use Of State Subsidy Payments For Union Dues. She Says The Legislation Became Necessary After Home Day Care Providers Who Accept The State Subsidy, Meant To Provide Assistance To Low-Income Parents, Were Told In 2008 That They Were Part Of A Union And Owe Dues. Cassis Told The Committee That While 46-Thousand Ballots To Unionize Were Sent To Home Day Care Providers, Only About Six-Thousand Responded. Union Officials Say Of That Number About 98-Percent Voted Yes. But Cassis Says The Other 40-Thousand For Whatever Reason, Didn't Get The Feedback To Oppose The Move. (Grand Rapids-Baby Dropped Off) A Three-Month-Old Baby Girl Was Dropped Off At A Grand Rapids Fire Station Monday By A Woman Identifying Herself As The Mother. The "Grand Rapids Press" Reports An Ambulance Took The Child To An Area Hospital As A Precaution. Fire Officials Are Not Authorized To Release Information About The Mother Or Why She Gave Up The Child Under The State's Safe Delivery Of Newborns Act. The Act, That Took Effect In 2001, Requires That Police And Fire Departments Accept Unwanted Newborn Infants Brought To Their Stations. The State Legislature Enacted The Law In An Effort To Protect Newborns From Being Abandoned And Dying From Exposure. (Kalamazoo-American Idol) Kalamazoo Native Matt Giraud Will Be Gracing The "American Idol" Stage On Thursday, For The First Time Since He Placed Fifth In The Competition Last Season. Giraud And Another Runner-Up Will Reprise Their Dueling Piano Performance Of Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It," A Fan Favorite During The Summer "Idol" Tour. Giraud Will Be Returning Home To Kalamazoo For An April 21st Performance At The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. (Metro Source) (Pontiac-Rib Rack Trial) A Jury Has Found A 17-Year-Old Not Guilty Of First Degree Murder In The Shooting Of A Restaurant Manager. The Jury In The Third Trial Of Jerome Hamilton Reached Their Decision Yesterday (Tuesday). Hamilton Was One Of Three Teens That Allegedly Tried To Rob Catherine Solinski Blain Outside The Rib Rack Restaurant In Lathrup Village In October Of 2008. New Evidence At This Trial Came From Family Members Of Hamilton Who Said He Was With Them When The Shooting Occurred. The Other Two Men Accused In The Case Are Facing Jail Time. Deandre Sturgis Is Serving Life In Prison While Brandon Davis Will Spend Eleven To 18 Years Behind Bars. (Metro Source) |
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