Midwest

Classes resume in Michigan State building where deadly shooting transpired

Published

2 years ago

January 10, 2024

Classes resume in Michigan State building where deadly shooting transpired

Michigan State University reopened a campus building for classes Monday for the first time since two students were fatally shot inside nearly a year ago.

Muffins and hot chocolate were offered at the front door of Berkey Hall. A therapy dog and counselors were also available for students or staff members who wanted to talk.

MICHIGAN STATE SET TO CANCEL CLASSES ON MASS SHOOTING ANNIVERSARY

“I think it’s nice they have everything here for us, and obviously they’ve made it a bit nicer,” sophomore Evan Koleski told the Lansing State Journal. “I had a class that semester so it was weird being back, but I think it should be good.”

People visit a memorial at Berkey Hall on the day that Michigan State University students return to classes for the first time since the February 13, 2023 mass shooting there in East Lansing, Michigan, February 20, 2023. The gunman shot 8 students on the campus of MSU, killing 3 of them, two of them at Berkey Hall. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner were killed during evening classes at Berkey Hall last Feb. 13. Another student, Brian Fraser, was fatally shot at a different building. Five more students were wounded by the gunman, who killed himself miles away after an hours-long manhunt.

While classes resumed at Berkey Hall, the rooms where violence occurred have been sealed. Staff offices reopened during the fall term.

“Personally, I think it’s a bit inappropriate to open up Berkey Hall not even a year after the incident happened,” junior Andrew Nguyen told The Detroit News as he approached the building.

Berkey Hall is home for the College of Social Science, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and the Department of Sociology.

Read the full article from Here

South Dakota

South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance formed to increase NA tourism

Published

18 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance formed to increase NA tourism

John Hult
| South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota has a rich Native American history, but its nine tribal nations see little economic benefit from tourism.
The South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance was formed to help tribes develop and market authentic tourism experiences.
The alliance recently won a $175,000 grant to help expand its efforts across the state’s geographically spread-out tribal nations.

Few states can boast of a culture and history as closely tied to its Native American heritage as South Dakota.

The state has the nation’s fourth-highest per capita population of Native Americans, and about one in ten of the residents in its second-largest city — Rapid City, gateway to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills for millions of annual visitors — are Native American.

The state can claim historical Native American luminaries like Crazy Horse and Sitting Bill and modern ones like the late activist Russell Means, Olympian Billy Mills, author Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and Mato Wayuhi, an actor, composer and performer who wrote the score for Hulu’s “Reservation Dogs.”

It’s the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre, but also the American Indian Movement of the 1970s and its occupation of Wounded Knee. More recently, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe drew international attention to protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline just north of the South Dakota border and etched the phrase “Water is Life” into the cultural lexicon.

Those tribal ties help draw tourists. A survey from South Dakota Tourism in 2018 found that around 80% of visitors want a Native American “experience” during their stay. Yet the state’s nine tribal nations typically don’t see much from the billions in economic impact that tourism delivers to the state.

The South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance formed in 2019 to help bridge that divide. The nonprofit organization trains tour guides, plans tribal tour itineraries and works to develop tourism infrastructure in tribal communities.

Recently, it secured one of 10 J.M. Kaplan Innovation Prize awards, earning it $175,000 and connecting it with other early stage nonprofits across the U.S. for collaboration and guidance.

South Dakota Searchlight recently spoke with Rhea Waldman, South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance’s executive director, and Sarah Kills In Water, a Rosebud Sioux tribal member and member of the group’s board of directors.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What can you tell us about what you’ve done so far? Can you give us an update on your economic catalyst tours?

Kills in Water: We worked with Destination America and developed multi-reservation tours, a multi-day tour that started in the Black Hills. They came through Pine Ridge, spent two days on Rosebud and went up to Standing Rock. They ended up marketing that itinerary to a company called Trafalgar, which operates heavily in South Dakota. So that was one major win.

Our tour guide training came up out of a need for another initiative that we worked on, helping the Sicangu Oyate Treaty Council and the Wild Foundation host the Wild 12 conference last year. They brought in people from all over the world, and they wanted to hear from our youth on questions like “How is the mining in the Black Hills going to impact your youth for the next seven generations, for the foreseeable future?”

So we went to engage with the Sicangu Youth Council, and they jumped on the opportunity. They provided a tour experience for a group of 50 international visitors at Bear Butte State Park. The kids were excited, and they were wanting to expand and do more, and so I brought them into my Trafalgar itinerary this year. They actually do the tours on Rosebud when Trafalgar comes through.

What’s lacking in the tourism landscape today that your organization aims to improve upon?

Kills In Water: The cultural piece is so important. Having these experiences with us, provided by us, told in our voices, our stories, everything, it makes it more personal, and I think it brings the realization to our visitors that these people are still here. After all the years of government oppression and everything that’s been done to them, they’re still here, and they’re still vibrant.

Tribal people sometimes have a really bad idea when they think about tourism. They think we’re selling our culture, but that’s not what we’re doing. All we’re here to do is help tribal nations define what stories they want to tell. What do you want to share with your visitors?

Waldman: South Dakota Tourism has been a great partner for us, and really helped us, because obviously they have a lot of data. One of those data points is that over 80% of people want to have a Native American experience when they visit South Dakota. Not even half of them actually do, though. So why don’t they do that? It’s because people don’t know where to go, where to find information.

What are the hidden gems that are already there that you point people to?

Waldman: Every tribal nation has their own gems. The tribes along the river have some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. Cheyenne River has one of the biggest buffalo herds in North America. There are cultural centers that have phenomenal art, that are showcasing local artists and the breadth of the history that Native Americans have experienced.

One of the challenges comes when you think about the great American road trip. When you’re on Interstate 90 between Sioux Falls and Rapid City, none of the reservations really are right there. I live in Pierre, and even though we’re the state capital, it is actually hard to get people out here. It’s because we are 35 miles from the interstate, so it takes you at least an hour and a half to travel there and back. So how much can you see here in order for people to come? That’s even worse for the reservations, because they are not the capital, and people don’t necessarily know all the things they can do.

What is it that this grant in particular might help you do?

Kills in Water: The nine tribal nations in our state are so geographically spread out. We don’t always have the resources to get out and go to these tribal nations ourselves. I live in Rosebud, and unless there’s gas money or something tied to it, sometimes I can’t just go to Flandreau. Pine Ridge is close enough where I can volunteer my time, because they’re only an hour and a half from us. With these funds, I see us increasing our partnerships with each tribal nation and really strengthening our efforts that way at the grassroots level.

Waldman: The grant is unrestricted, and that is huge. We’re all aware of travel reimbursement after the fact, but if you’re living in a place where you’re maybe living paycheck to paycheck and you don’t have a thriving business yet, waiting for travel reimbursement can take a while. If you do something like gift cards for gas, that is definitely not something that you can reimburse with federal grants.

And we’re not only getting money. There are 10 different organizations that receive this innovation grant, and we are meeting with them frequently. We can learn from those other amazing entrepreneurs. In addition, the entire team at the JM Kaplan Fund are there to help us succeed, because they know they are funding early stage nonprofits. They’re there with us every step of the way. Yes, money is great and we still need more, but having people that rally for you, that are there for you, that are your family and want to see you succeed, that is really special.

This Q&A was originally published on South Dakota Searchlight. South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Source link

Wisconsin

College hoops roundup: No. 9 Michigan rolls past Wisconsin

Published

60 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

College hoops roundup: No. 9 Michigan rolls past Wisconsin

Ann Arbor — Olivia Olson scored 21 points and No. 9 Michigan never trailed while rolling to an 86-60 victory over Wisconsin on Sunday.

Te’Yala Delfosse made her first career start and had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Mila Holloway also had 18 points for the Wolverines (14-2, 5-1 Big Ten).

Kendall Dudley contributed 11 points with eight rebounds and Brooke Quarles Daniels surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career while scoring eight points. Quarles Daniels also had eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Destiny Howell led Wisconsin (11-6, 3-3) with 12 points. Breauna Ware added 11 points and Laci Steele chipped in 10. The Badgers committed 23 turnovers, which the Wolverines converted into 25 points. Michigan also scored 19 points off 21 offensive rebounds.

The Wolverines’ Syla Swords, their second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game, sat out due to an injury sustained in a 105-65 win over Penn State on Thursday.

Flustered by Michigan’s pressing and trapping defenses, the Badgers missed their first eight shots and committed eight fouls and seven turnovers before scoring their first points – Shay Bollin’s 3-pointer with 1:39 left in the first quarter. By then, the Wolverines had built a 16-point lead.

Olson finished the half with 17 points, including a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to give the Wolverines a 46-21 halftime advantage. Their lead never dipped below 20 points in the second half.

Former Michigan star Diane Dietz (1979-82) had her No. 21 jersey raised to the Crisler Center rafters during a pregame ceremony. Dietz, who was the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, is currently the deputy commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.

Michigan State 85, at Oregon 81

Rashunda Jones scored 23 points, and Michigan State rallied from a double-digit deficit in the first half to beat Oregon for the Spartans’ eighth straight win.

Ines Sotelo scored four points and Jones made a pair of free throws in a 6-0 spurt that gave Michigan State the lead for good, 78-75, with 2:46 remaining. The Spartans trailed by as many as 16 points early in the second quarter.

Jones finished 9-of-12 shooting that included two 3s for Michigan State (16-1, 5-1 Big Ten). Grace VanSlooten added 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Kennedy Blair scored 11 points, and Emma Shumate and Jalyn Brown each had 10.

Katie Fiso scored 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting and had nine assists to lead Oregon (14-4, 2-3 Big Ten). Sofia Bell and Mia Jacobs added 18 points apiece for the Ducks. Ehis Etute chipped in with 11 points.

Sunday’s state men

(At) Detroit Mercy 94, Cleveland State 84: Tyler Spratt had 19 points in Detroit Mercy’s 94-84 victory against Cleveland State on Sunday.

Spratt shot 5 for 10 (4 for 8 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line for the Titans (7-9, 4-3 Horizon League). Orlando Lovejoy scored 18 points and added seven rebounds, nine assists, and eight steals. Lance Stone shot 3 of 7 from the field, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line to finish with 11 points.

Jaidon Lipscomb finished with 30 points and four assists for the Vikings (5-13, 1-6). Cleveland State also got 19 points and six assists from Chevalier Emery. Dayan Nessah had 13 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Wright State 94, at Oakland 84

Solomon Callaghan scored 27 points as Wright State beat Oakland 94-84 on Sunday.

Callaghan shot 8 of 11 from the field, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line for the Raiders (11-7, 6-1 Horizon League). Kellen Pickett added 18 points while shooting 7 of 10 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line and also had 11 rebounds. TJ Burch went 7 of 16 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 18 points, while adding six assists. It was the sixth straight win for the Raiders.

Brody Robinson led the way for the Golden Grizzlies (9-9, 5-2) with 35 points and four steals. Oakland also got 15 points, six rebounds and two steals from Tuburu Niavalurua. Brett White II also recorded 11 points.

Source link

Midwest

Wild video shows federal agents detaining 2 men at Minnesota gas station as agitators gather

Published

5 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Wild video shows federal agents detaining 2 men at Minnesota gas station as agitators gather

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Dramatic videos show federal Border Patrol agents taking two men into custody at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota, as agitators continue to taunt and disrupt authorities in the area.

The videos, posted to X on Sunday afternoon, quickly drew thousands of views and appear to show Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino ordering a crowd to move back as federal agents attempted to remove a man from a vehicle parked at the gas station.

Multiple federal agents surrounded the parked vehicle as authorities repeatedly instructed bystanders to step back.

“Back up, guys, back up,” Bovino says in the video. “We’re going to back you on up for our safety and your safety… Stay there.”

GOV WALZ AUTHORIZES NATIONAL GUARD STAGING FOLLOWING FATAL ICE SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS

The videos appear to show Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino ordering a crowd to move back as federal agents work to remove a man from a vehicle parked at the gas station. (FNTV)

Moments later, agents force a man wearing a brown jacket to the ground and place him in handcuffs as agitators shout and car horns blare in the background.

Three agents are then seen carrying the man away from the scene by his arms and one of his legs.

In another tense moment captured on video, a Border Patrol agent again orders bystanders to move back.

After a man appears to resist, the situation escalates as several agents tackle him and place him in handcuffs.

TOM EMMER PUSHES BACK ON SUGGESTION THAT MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL

Agents appear to force a man wearing a brown jacket to the ground and place him in handcuffs as agitators shout and car horns blare in the background. (FNTV)

He is then carried away by his arms and legs.

The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions in the Twin Cities following a fatal shooting Wednesday during a federal immigration enforcement operation, when 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent.

Federal officials said Good attempted to drive her vehicle toward agents during the encounter, a claim disputed by family members and some local leaders.

ICE OFFICER WHO SHOT MINNESOTA WOMAN WAS DRAGGED BY CAR OF ILLEGAL ALIEN SEX OFFENDER MONTHS EARLIER

Videos appear to show federal Border Patrol agents taking two men into custody at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota. (FNTV)

The shooting led to agitators taking to the streets and heightened scrutiny of federal enforcement activity in the city, contributing to repeated confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and for U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Read the full article from Here