I'm a Senior Producer at Michigan Radio where I'm working to develop the station's online news content.
From 1998 to 2006 I worked in various roles (production assistant, technical director, and senior producer) with the regional environmental news service known as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium (GLRC). From 2006 to 2010, as the unit's senior producer, I helped transition the GLRC into an award-winning national news service known as The Environment Report.
I'm a graduate of the University of Michigan ('00 MS in Environmental Policy and Planning & '91 BA in Political Science) and have been a board certified public radio junkie since 1992. I discovered public radio on my long commutes to work (shout out to Joan Silvi, former morning edition host at WEMU-FM who accompanied me on my drives!).
The Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to take up a bill this week that would expand DNA testing in the state.
Senate Bill 105 would require people to provide a DNA sample when they are arrested for committing or attempting to commit a crime that is considered a felony or "for which the offender may be punished by imprisonment for more than one year."
The bill was introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton) last week.
Schuitmaker’s office says the bill would make DNA collection the same as fingerprint collection.
The Michigan Public Service Commission today approved replacing a 16o mile section of an oil pipeline that ruptured in 2010. This is the third and final phase of the project.
The company is expected to install the new pipeline later this year. It will stretch from Berrien County in the west to St. Clair County in the east. The new pipeline will replace the section of pipe that broke near Marshall nearly two and a half years ago.
Enbridge’s pipeline replacement project has run into some opposition, mainly from people who don’t like having no say over having the pipeline built on their property.
“Enbridge is working with homeowners on addressing some concerns where they can…they are making changes to accommodate people’s concerns," says Judy Palnau, a Michigan Public Service Commission spokeswoman.
The Kalamazoo River continues to recover from the 2010 oil spill.
Cleanup crews have removed more than a million gallons of crude oil from along more than 30 miles of the river.
Enbridge issued a statement praising the MPSC's decision:
This replacement project will restore the ultimate capacity of the Line 6B pipeline to meet increasing demand for additional transportation capacity, which is largely driven by current and planned refinery upgrades and expansions in Michigan, Ohio and eastern Canada. In addition, the replacement project will reduce the amount of future maintenance activities that would otherwise be required to maintain the integrity of the pipeline. Construction is expected to begin in the spring.
The Michigan Public Service Commission has given Enbridge Energy the final OK to build the company’s massive oil pipeline across Michigan.
The commission’s order, which was issued today, is the last of three approvals the company had sought, and includes sections in Oakland, Macomb, Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Jackson, Ingham and St. Clair counties. The order allows the company to complete 110 miles of 36-inch diameter pipeline and 50 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline.
U.S. 23 was shut down in both directions just south of Flint after a multi-vehicle accident was caused by a snow squall. At least 20 vehicles were involved. The Detroit News reports traffic is back up and running on northbound 23 :
A dispatcher at the Flint post of the Michigan State Police said traffic was moving again on northbound U.S. 23 as of 2 p.m., and that southbound would be reopened as soon as several cars were towed from the roadway.
Crews from the Genesee County Road Commission were also called in to erect barricades to move traffic away from the area.
And WOOD-TV reports that weather conditions caused a shut down on I-94 westbound near Paw Paw, Michigan just before 2 p.m. when two semi-trucks collided.
As a strong cold front moves offshore over the Atlantic, the cold air behind it will help produce lake effect snow across the Great Lakes region on Thursday and Friday. As much as 5-10 inches of lake effect snow is possible through Thursday night, with additional accumulation expected on Friday. In addition, temperatures 20-40 degrees below normal are forecast for the Upper Midwest.
Traffic is flowing again on Interstate 75 near Detroit in both directions. Crews have cleared the roads after white out conditions led to multiple collisions along the interstate. At least three people were killed.
1:53 p.m.
Traffic is flowing again on northbound Interstate 75 while authorities clear the remaining vehicles that crashed in a sudden snow squall on the south side of the expressway and claimed at least three lives.
At least half a dozen semi-trucks along with other damaged vehicles are still waiting to be moved. Crews are working to clean up a spill of diesel fuel from the crash.
State police say the south side of I-75 could be cleared by the afternoon rush hour.
1:04 p.m.
As is the nature of these events, we're getting revised numbers from the Michigan State Police on the number killed in the accident. They now say three people have died, including two children.
12:00 p.m.
Southbound I-75 near Detroit could be closed for some time today. WDIV-TV is reporting clean-up of the crash will take 12-16 hours.
The Detroit Free Press has this first hand account from a driver caught in the crash:
11:41 a.m.
We're hearing the following information on the crash this morning:
Four Three deaths are reported and 15 to 20 people have been transported to local hospitals. No one remains trapped in damaged vehicles.
There were 15 vehicles involved in accidents spread out over a mile stretch. The Michigan State Police spokesman said accidents occurred in 'pockets.' He blamed white out conditions for vehicles failing to stop in time.
Dozens of undamaged vehicles remain in the accident zone. Those vehicles will be moved as the accident scenes are cleared.
You can watch live coverage of the crash scene from WDIV-TV.
11:07 a.m.
The Detroit News reports the massive pileup has closed southbound I-75 in Detroit and that emergency responders are on the scene.
More from the Detroit News:
The accident scene is reportedly from Springwells to Schaeffer Highway. Emergency crews are evaluating the scene for a potential fuel spill.
Preliminary reports suggest the crash is fatal. Michigan State Police, EMS and the Detroit Fire Department are on the scene. A warming bus also has been requested.
"What we have heard so far is an unconfirmed report that there was a crash shortly after 9 a.m., and that there were chain reaction crashes after that," said Michigan Department of Transportation spokesman Rob Morosi. "Multiple police, fire and EMS responders are making their way to the scene. We are doing everything we can to help them reach the crash site."
10:53 a.m.
WDIV-TV is reporting on a crash along I-75 in Detroit this morning. The Detroit News tweets the crash and back-up is over a mile long.
A massive crash involving more than a dozen cars has closed portions of I-75 in Detroit.
The northbound lanes are closed at Schaefer. The southbound lanes are closed at Springwells.
Local 4 spoke with several drivers at the scene who were able to get out of their cars safely and get off the interstate. They said white-out weather conditions made it very hard to see and contributed to the chain-reaction crash.
Judge says prisoners sentenced as juveniles should get parole hearings
Judge John Corbett O'Meara says a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down mandatory no-parole sentences applies retroactively to Michigan inmates already behind bars.
There are more than 350 inmates in Michigan prisons serving life without parole for crimes they committed as juveniles, and there's been a lot of debate about whether these inmate should get a shot at parole.
The Detroit Free Press has the story of one of those prisoners this morning.
...life has never been simple for Jennifer Pruitt. Her 37 years have been punctuated by turmoil -- a tough upbringing, a life sentence for murder, repeated rapes in prison and glimmers of hope that quickly got dashed.
Road funding discussions get underway in Michigan legislature
In his State of the State address, Gov. Rick Snyder made roads a top priority. He called for new revenue to support road building. Whether that will mean higher taxes or higher fees for Michigan residents remains to be seen. Jonathan Oosting of MLive reports the discussions will get underway soon:
... a joint resolution introduced by Republican Sens. Randy Richardville, Roger Kahn and Bruce Caswell offers a simple starting point for discussions: A constitutional amendment to raise the state sales tax from 6 percent to 8 percent. As a trade-off for the increased sales tax, a related bill would eliminate the state's 19-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax.
Such a tax increase would require voter approval. Other plans, such as increasing gas taxes or registration fees, are being considered as well.
Investment in Pontiac, GM plans expansion
General Motors announced its consolidating some of its research and development operations and expanding its Global Powertrain Engineering Headquarters in Pontiac. Michigan Radio's Sarah Cwiek reports the company is expected to invest $200 million in the Pontiac facility.
GM estimates the move will move about 400 jobs now in various facilities to Pontiac. The investment is part of a GM commitment to invest $1.5 billion in North American facilities across the state and the country.
GM officials say employees will start transferring to Pontiac as soonas the middle this year, and the expansion will be completed in mid 2014.
In a letter to supporters this morning, State Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) announced that she won't make a run for the Governor's seat in 2014. She cited family as the reason for her decision. MLive has the full text of her letter to supporters. Here's a portion:
I've said all along that I wouldn't be making this decision alone, but rather would be doing it along with my family, and in particular, what's best for my 2 girls. They're 9 and 10 years old now, and without question, being their Mom is the single most important thing in the world to me.
So, while making this decision is undeniably difficult, knowing why I'm making it also makes it very easy. To be the kind of Mom I want to be for my girls simply does not allow me to make the kind of commitment necessary to run a successful campaign for Governor at this point in their lives.
She released this video on Facebook this morning explaining her decision:
The Detroit Free Press lists the following people as potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates for Michigan's 2014 race.
Former U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer
U.S. Rep. Gary Peters
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel
and State Board of Education president John Austin
For 11 days in October, people along the I-96 corridor were on high alert as motorists experienced a rash of shootings. Remarkably 0nly one person was wounded.
Police nabbed the man they say was responsible for the shootings, and today 43 year-old Raulie Casteel was found to be fit to stand trial in Livingston Co.
Casteel faces a separate set of charges in Oakland County, and the Attorney General's office brought a terrorism charge against him.
Casteel's defense lawyers say he is college-educated with no criminal history.
Martha E. Pollack was selected to serve as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan. She was selected by University President Mary Sue Coleman.
Her two-year appointment will begin on May 6 should the UM Board of Regents approve the selection.
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing issued a statement critical of both the city council for tabling the vote on the Belle Isle deal and the governor for pulling the deal off the table:
“I am extremely disappointed with today’s decision by City Council to table the vote on the Belle Isle lease deal with the State. I have just received a letter from the Governor's office confirming that he has now withdrawn the proposed Belle Isle lease agreement from further consideration. This plan would have provided state funding for the operation, renovation and maintenance of the island as a state park, while we work to stabilize the City’s finances. I believe the majority of Detroiters supported this lease agreement. City Council’s actions today will force us to look at making additional cutbacks that may negatively impact the City’s other parks.”
2:30 p.m.
A deal between the city of Detroit and the state over Belle Isle is off the table, state officials say.
Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway stood in front of federal judge this morning and plead guilty to felony bank fraud charges. More from the Detroit Free Press:
Hathaway stood quietly at a podium in U.S District Court in Ann Arbor this morning, acknowledging she intentionally defrauded a federally-insured financial institution when she short-sold her Grosse Pointe Park home.
According to an agreement negotiated with the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, her punishment is limited to up to 18 months behind bars or could be as little as 4-10 months if a pre-sentence report determines there was no actual financial loss.
“Yes your honor, I agree,” Hathaway said to Eastern District Court Judge John Corbett O’Meara.
She is scheduled to be sentenced in May. The Detroit News reports that Hathaway's attorney, Steve Fishman, is likely to argue that her actions did not harm the bank:
Fishman has previously said Hathaway and her husband, attorney Michael Kingsley, saved the bank $150,000 by negotiating a short sale of their home rather then letting it be sold at a foreclosure auction.
But prosecutors have tripped up Hathaway on a fraud charge because she and Kingsley transferred a posh second home in Windermere, Fla., valued at $664,000, to one of Kingsley's daughters while applying for the short sale — and then got the house back after selling the Grosse Pointe Park home.
During the short sale process, in 2010 and 2011, Hathaway also acquired two other homes in Grosse Pointe Park on Windmill Pointe and Balfour Street and transferred them to her stepchildren. Hathaway's stepdaughter, Sarah Kingsley, transferred the Balfour Street back to Hathaway after the short sale of the home on Lakeview Court, public records show.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade plans to hold a press conference this afternoon to talk about the Hathaway case.
10:45 a.m.
Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway is due in federal court today for an anticipated guilty plea to bank fraud. More from the Associated Press:
Hathaway is accused of concealing assets while trying to persuade a bank that she needed a short sale. That was to get rid of a Grosse Pointe Park home that carried a big mortgage.
Her hearing is set for today in Ann Arbor federal court.
Hathaway was charged Jan. 18, three days before she left the Supreme Court because of the scandal.
She and her husband transferred a debt-free Florida home to a relative before the 2011 sale of their Detroit-area home. After the short sale went through, the Florida property went back in their names.
Hathaway was elected to the Supreme Court in 2008.
Let's skip the lawsuits and go straight to the top
That's the idea behind Gov. Snyder's call for the Michigan Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the state's new right-to-work law.Rick Pluta explains where the legal challenges could come from:
One is whether exemptions in the law for police and firefighter unions violate the equal protection clause of the U-S Constitution. Another is whether the state Civil Service Commission has the autonomy under the Michigan Constitution to ignore the right-to-work law.
Opponents of the right-to-work legislation called the governor's move cynical, saying the legislation by-passed the normal committee process when it was written and now the Gov. is asking for it to by-pass the court system. The Supreme Court has a Republican majority of 4-2. It will likely be a 5-2 majority after Snyder appoints another Justice to fill a vacancy.
Ford made $5.67 billion in net income for 2012
It was a good year for the automaker. From the Detroit News:
It was in North America where Ford posted a 10.4 percent profit margin in 2012, and because of that success, 45,800 United Auto Workers hourly members will receive profit-sharing checks worth approximately $8,300, which will be paid in March.
An area of rainfall will accompany a warm front through southeast Michigan today... with another round of heavier rainfall expected to arrive tonight. This in combination with the melting snow and rapid runoff on frozen ground will allow area rivers and streams to rise and bring the potential for localized flooding of some low lying and poor drainage areas.
This post from Katie Hosmer on MyModernMet.com caught my eye.
You've got to clean the windows, so why not do it with a little flair?
The photo to the right is from All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL.
Window washers from Clearwater's High Rise Window Cleaners got dressed up in Spider-Man costumes and then made several trips from the top of the building to the ground, washing windows and waving at ecstatic patients along the way...As the hospital states, "There were actually three Spider-Men on the job and their high-rise moves were the hands-down hit of the day."
And here's a video of superhero window washers descending on Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Another North American International Auto Show has wrapped up, and ticket sales were up yet again. The show drew more than 795,000 people, the best crowd since 2004 according to Chevy dealer and NAIAS committee member Scott LaRiche.
"We have seen an actual spring board over the last few years, and we're slowly climbing up there towards that 800,000 mark, and realistically,if you look at it from the standpoint of the media that attended, over 5,500 media, we did break the 800,000 mark," said LaRiche.
Now the car companies are on to the Chicago for that cities auto show.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's trial continues after weekend jail stay
The Kilpatrick corruption trial continues after the former Detroit mayor had to spend the weekend in jail on a separate matter. From the Associated Press:
Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been released after spending the weekend in prison for violating parole in a 2008 conviction that booted him from office.
The Michigan Corrections Department says Kilpatrick violated parole by not disclosing all financial transactions last fall. He still owes Detroit $855,000 in restitution and must report details about his income and expenses.
Kilpatrick will go from jail to federal court where the corruption case against him and several of his associates has been going on since September. Toyota is King again The Detroit News says so: Now it's official: Toyota is once again the world's top automaker.
Toyota Motor Corp. released its tally for global vehicle sales for last year Monday at a record 9.748 million vehicles — a bigger number than the estimate it gave last month of about 9.7 million vehicles.It was already clear Toyota had dethroned General Motors Co. as the Detroit-based automaker fell short, selling 9.29 million vehicles.
GM first lost their top-selling title to Toyota in 2008, then GM regained the title in 2011 after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. 2012 showed that Toyota is up and running again. Since we're talking about this horse race, we should note that Volkswagen is close behind as the world's third largest automaker.
The snow and freezing rain have led to hazardous road conditions around the state. From the National Weather Service:
Freezing rain will continue overnight across portions of the Great Lakes states, where total ice accumulations could exceed one quarter of an inch. Meanwhile, heavy snowfall is forecast from northern Wisconsin into northern Michigan. The wintery mix will move into the Northeast States and northern Mid-Atlantic early Monday.
Parents have received robocalls from their school districts notifying them of the closures, but if you missed a call, here are a few links for school closings.
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