Here are 10 stories from the past week that had a big impact on Northern Michigan. Click the link in the headline below to read the full story.
1. Prosecutor says Cadillac police officer was justified in deadly shooting of man with machete
The Wexford County Prosecutor has released their report on the Aug. 12 officer-involved shooting of a man with a machete in Cadillac. Prosecutor Corey J. Wiggins determined that because the man charged at the responding officer with a weapon, the use of deadly force was justified. “In Michigan there are limited situations where one is permitted to use deadly force for the protection of oneself or others, and this case fit that exception,” said Wiggins. No criminal charges will be brought against the officer.
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2. Traverse City charter bus involved in deadly crash was taking cross country team to regionals
Traverse City Area Public Schools tells us the bus involved in a deadly crash on Friday was carrying the TC West cross country team heading to regionals. Michigan State Police say a tree fell and blocked most of M-115 near 5th Ave. in Osceola County, causing a traffic backup. The TC West bus hit a Buick Enclave, pushing it into a guardrail where it sideswiped a semi trailer. The bus crossed the centerline and hit the guardrail and an oncoming car. The Buick driver was taken to the hospital where they later died. Trooper say there were no major injuries to anyone on the bus or in the other vehicles involved.
3. Central Michigan football head coach Jim McElwain addresses Connor Stalions investigation after win
Jase Bauer threw for one touchdown and rushed for two more, Marion Lukes had 202 yards rushing and a score, and Central Michigan held off Northern Illinois, 37-31, on a snowy Tuesday night. After the game, CMU head coach Jim McElwain addressed the school’s decision to investigate claims that suspended Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions was on the Chippewas’ sideline during the season opener at Michigan State. “We obviously are aware of a picture floating around with the sign-stealer guy,” McElwain said. “Our people are doing everything they can to get to the bottom of it. I certainly don’t condone it in any way, shape or form.”
4. Several car crashes in Mackinac Co. as winter weather makes road conditions dangerous
A drop in temperatures and the first snowfall of the year is playing a role in a string of crashes in Mackinac County Tuesday morning. In fact, Michigan State Police, from the Saint Ignace post said they were called out to three separate crashes in a matter of hours. A vehicle slid off the road on US- 2 near Cheeseman Road around 4:00 a.m. Then another crash on the north side of the Mackinac Bridge happened around 7:30 a.m. when a car slammed into a semi and minutes later a rollover just north of the bridge on I-75 near Cheeseman Road after a car lost control.
5. Gwinn Schools seek $45 million for centralized campus
Gwinn Area Community Schools may receive significant upgrades with the passage of November’s $45.5 million bond proposal. Sara Croney, superintendent of Gwinn Area Community Schools, said in an interview that the bond is a matter of giving students the environment they need to excel in and out of the classroom. The 4.43 mill bond would only increase overall taxation by 2.93 mills, since a 1.5 mill sinking fund is expiring at the end of the year, Croney said.
A four-year-old doe reported in poor condition – skinny, drooling and showing no fear of people – in Klacking Township, Ogemaw County, recently tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). It is the first CWD-positive wild deer from that county, a finding confirmed by the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison, which works with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to identify CWD in Michigan’s wild herd. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. To date, the disease also has been detected in the following Michigan counties: Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Midland and Montcalm.
7. Body cam video, more information released on deadly officer-involved shooting in Missaukee Co.
The Missaukee County prosecutor says the preliminary report suggests an officer-involved deadly shooting earlier this month was justified. A mutual aid emergency response team (ERT) was executing an arrest warrant in Norwich Township when they say the woman, Brandy Neibert, confronted officers with a knife.
8. Michigan State Police investigate weekend death in Kalkaska area
Michigan State Police are investigating a death that happened over the weekend in the Kalkaska area. Troopers aren’t releasing a lot of details right now. There’s currently no confirmation on cause of death, where and when it happened, and if there are any suspects. We do know that a woman died, and troopers say there is no danger to the public.
9. Tire shops busy as drivers preps for winter
As the temperatures start to drop, people who are being reminded of the winter months are now keeping the tire shops in Northern Michigan busy. Cadillac Tire says the calls have been nonstop for customers wanting to prepare their vehicles for winter. They said people started calling as soon as they heard the word “snow” mentioned and showed up wanting to get things checked out and snow tires put on.
10. Dead birds found on Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore likely died of avian botulism
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore officials say a large number of dead shorebirds were reported over they weekend. They are believed to have died from an outbreak of type-E botulism, or avian botulism. Outbreaks have been occurring in the Great Lakes region since at least the 1960s, with severity ranging year to year.
