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Friday Afternoon State News Summary Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:51:48 EST Gubernatorial Candidate Virg Bernero Has Landed The Biggest Of All Union Endorsements, As The Michigan Afl-Cio Has Thrown It's Support Behind The Lansing Mayor's Campaign. The Afl-Cio Represents More Than 600-Thousand Active And Retired Members In 59 Unions, Including The U-A-W And Afscme. However, Bernero Does Not Get Across-The-Board Union Support. On Thursday, The Michigan Building And Construction Trades Council Endorse Democrat Andy Dillon For Governor. State Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith Also Is Running For The Democratic Nomination. (Canton-Officer Funeral) Police Officers From 35 Law Enforcement Agencies Were Among Those Saying Their Final Goodbyes To Jackson Police Officer James Bonneau, Who Was Shot And Killed Earlier This Week. The Funeral Was Held This (Fri) Morning At St. Michael Lutheran Church In Canton. People Were Lining The Streets Near The Church To Honor Bonneau. Emergency Vehicles Headed Out From The Jackson Police Department, Making An Hour-Long Trek To St. Michael Lutheran Church In Bonneau's Hometown Of Canton. Several Hundred Police Officers, Including Many From Outside Michigan Were In Attendance. Police Departments From As Far Away As Louisiana And Texas Inquired About The Funeral Arrangements. Bonnneau And Blackman Township Public Safety Officer Darin Mcintosh Were Called To The Home Of 63-Year Old Elvin Potts. Investigators Say Potts Shot At Both Officers Before He Was Killed. Mcintosh Was Injured In The Leg. Donations May Be Made In The Name Of Officer James Bonneau: Mi-C.O.P.S., P.O. Box 508, Dewitt, Mi 48820 Or By Visiting Www.Mi-Cops.Org "Http://Www.Mi-Cops.Org" (Wwj, Detroit) (Mi Meap Scores) State Education Officials Report Today (Fri) That Statewide Math And Reading Scores Are Up In The Latest Round Of Tests. However, Science And Social Studies Test Results Dipped Slightly, According To The Report On The State's "Meap Test" Program. The Report Also Shows That More African-American And Hispanic Students Along With Students With Disabilities Are Closing The Gap When It Comes To Comparative Test Scores With Their Peers In Reading And Math. Specifically, Reading Scores On The Statewide Michigan Educational Assessment Program (Meap) Test Rose In All Grades Compared To The Previous Year, While The Disparity In Academic Performance Between Groups Of Students Has Narrowed Significantly Compared To 2005. Students Gained Three To Eight Percent In Every Grade Except Fourth, Where The Gain Was One Percent. Ninety Percent Of Third Graders, 84 Percent Of Fourth Graders And 85 Percent Of Fifth Grade Students Attained Basic Proficiency. Students In Sixth Grade Climbed From 80 To 88 Percent, Seventh Graders Increased Three Points To 82 Percentage And Eighth Graders Increased From 76 To 83 Percent. And For The Fifth Consecutive Year Since Michigan Began Implementing More Rigorous K-8 Grade Level Content Expectations, Math Scores For Students In Grades 3-6 Have Continued To Rise. The Largest Gains Occurred Among Low-Income Students, Students Of Color, Those With Limited English Proficiency, And Students With Disabilities. (Troy-Battery Jobs) Troy-Based Compact Power Inc., The U.S Subsidiary For Korean Battery-Maker Lg Chem Ltd., Has Announced That It Will Manufacture Battery Cells For Electric Vehicles At A Plant In Holland, In West Michigan. The Move Will Create 400 Jobs By 2013. The Companies Said That At Its Peak, The 303-(M) Million Dollar Factory Will Produce Enough Battery Cells For 50,000 To 200,000 Vehicle Battery Packs, Including The Chevrolet Volt. The Cost Will Be Split Between Lg And A Grant From The U.S. Department Of Energy. Groundbreaking For The Facility Is Scheduled For This Summer. Production Is Expected To Be Fully Operational In 2012. (Help From: Wwj, Detroit; Walt Zerlaut, Wghn, Grand Haven) (Det-Welfare Fraud) A Detroit City Employee Is Accused Of Illegally Selling Benefits From The Federal Women, Infants And Children Program. Jacqueline Taylor Has Been Charged Thusday With Fraud And Theft Of Government Funds. According To An Affidavit, Officials Accuse Taylor Of Selling Wic Benefits To People Not Qualified To Receive Them Since At Least 2001. The W-I-C Program Helps To Provide Nutritious Foods To Low And Moderate-Income Pregnant Woman And Young Children. In The Affidavit, A Special Agent For The Usda Wrote That Conservative Estimates Of The Monetary Loss Attributed To Taylor Are Between 432-Thousand-Dollars And 648-Thousand-Dollars. During A Search Of The Eastside Health Center Where Taylor Worked, Agents Reportedly Found A Confession Written In Her Bible. She Was Released On Personal Bond And Is Scheduled To Be Back In Court March 31st. (Metro Source) (Pontiac-Silverdome Reopens) The Pontiac Silverdome Is About To Open For Business. After Years Of Going Unused, The 80-Thousand Seat Facility Will Host A Monster Truck Rally Next Month. The Former Home Of The Detroit Lions Was Sold In November To Toronto-Based Triple Sports & Entertainment For Just 583-Thousand Dollars, About One Percent Of The Dome's Original Construction Cost Of 55-Million. The Silverdome's New Owners Say That Between Six And Eight Sports And Entertainment Events Will Be Held At The Facility In 2010. (Metro Source) (Capitol-State Revenues) State Revenues From Michigan's Major Taxes In February Were 28-Point-Eight-Percent Below Collections During The Same Period Last Year. According To The Senate Fiscal Agency, The State Collected 474-Point-Three (M) Million-Dollars During The Month. Income Tax, Use Tax, Business Tax And Tobacco Tax Collections Were All Down Compared To A Year Ago. The Sales Tax, However, Saw Increased Collections Compared To February. The Income Tax Had A Negative 209 (M) Million-Dollars Collection During February, Down Eight-Point-Six Percent From A Year Ago. Gross Collections Totaled 522 (M) Million-Dollars, While Refunds Totaled 731 (M) Million. The State's Use Tax Raised 85-Point-Four (M) Million-Dollars, Down Four-Point-Seven Percent From A Year Ago. Michigan Business Tax Collections Netted 35-Point-Nine (M) Million, 67-Point-Four Percent From The Year Before. Tobacco Tax Collections Totaled 74-Point-Four (M) Million-Dollars, Down Six-Point-Two Percent. The Sales Tax Raising 431 (M) Million-Dollars, Up Fove-Point-Two Percent From February 2009. (Mi-Gop Edge Poll) It Appears That Republicans Running For Legislative Office This Fall Hold An Edge Over Democrats, According To A New Poll. The Survey By Denno-Noor Research, The Rossman Group And The Perricone Group Shows That 28-Percent Of Likely Michigan Voters Say They Would Support Gop Candidates In House And Senate Races. That Compares To 20-Percent Who Say They Would Back Democratic Candidates. 46-Percent Are Undecided. Poll Respondents Also Don't Think A Visit By President Barack Obama Would Be A Boon To Democratic Candidates, With 44-Percent Saying It Would Actually Be Harmful To Democrats. 33-Percent Believe A Presidential Visit Would Be Helpful. The Survey Of 600 Likely Voters Was Conducted March 3rd Through The 5th And Has A Margin Of Error Of Plus Or Minus Four-Percentage Points. (Grand Rapids-Burger King Crash) A Woman In Desperate Need To "Have It Her Way" Slammed Her Car Through The Front Doors Of A Local Burger King Early Thursday Morning. Police Say The Woman Had Walked Up To The Lobby Doors, But Was Told That The Lobby Was Closed And Directed Her To Use The Drive-Thru. She Didn't Quite Understand And Walked To The Drive Thru, Where She Was Told She Needed To Get Back In Her Car And Drive Up. Obviously Confused, The Woman Jumped In Her Car And Crashed Through The Glass And Drove Into The Lobby. When Police Arrived She Was Standing At The Counter Trying To Place An Order. Officials Believe Alcohol May Have Been A Factor. (Metro Source) (Ypsi-Student On Bus) The Ypsilanti School District Is Investigating A Mother's Report That Her 6-Year-Old Son Was Left Napping On A School Bus. Tevin Smith, Who Attends Estabrook Elementary School, Says He Woke Up Thursday Afternoon To Find Himself Alone On A Locked Bus At The Ypsilanti Schools' Transportation Yard. He Said He Was Able To Open A Window And Climb Down, And A Yard Worker Spotted Him. The Boy's Mother, Kelissa Bass, Calls The Incident Irresponsible By The School District. District Spokeswoman Emma Jackson Says It Is Investigating The Situation And Has Placed The Bus Driver On Paid Administrative Leave. Bass Tells Annarbor.Com That Her Son Isn't Riding The School Bus Anymore. (Wwj, Detroit) (Mi-Daylight Savings Time) This Is The Weekend We Lose An Hour Of Sleep. Daylight Saving Time Begins Early Sunday Morning, So You Should Change Your Clocks Ahead One Hour Before Going To Bed Saturday Night Or Early Sunday. The Change Means An Additional Hour Of Daylight In The Evening. Dr. Gary Trock, A Sleep Expert At Beaumont Hospital In Southeastern Michigan, Doesn't Like The Time Change Himself, Saying (Quote) "I Don't Like Losing The Hour And I Do See Patients Who Have The Same Problem." Trock Says The Time Change Can Mess Up Your Internal Clock Making You Feel Irritable, Tired And Headachy Especially This Coming Monday Morning. At The Same Time, Local Fire Departments And Those Across America Encourage Homeowners To Take Part In The Annual "Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery" Campaign. The Program Encourages People To Change Their Smoke Alarm Battery When They Change Their Clocks Forward. (Wwj, Detroit) |
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