Michigan
Michigan’s top school board points ire at ICE with measure to support ‘student safety’
LANSING, MI – Michigan’s top school board is backing state legislation that would limit immigration enforcement in areas affecting students days after a 37-year-old mother of three was shot by a federal officer in Minnesota.
The State Board of Education adopted a resolution this week supporting “student safety, human dignity and humane immigration enforcement practices,” though not without some pushback from the board’s Republican members.
The resolution comes in response to the Jan. 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot while inside her SUV amid a confrontation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Minneapolis. The incident spurred protests around the country, including in Detroit, against the ongoing ICE crackdowns under President Donald Trump.
During a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13, several state school board members emphasized the impact the intensifying operations has had on local communities and in Michigan ― a nod to the resolution’s circumstantial mention of children who may fear suddenly losing their parents or caregivers to ICE detainment and deportation while at school.
State Board President Pamela Pugh introduced the resolution and talked about Good.
“She shouldn’t have been called (an expletive) after she was shot and likely killed,” she said, referencing the exact profanity as seen in videos of the incident on social media.
The case has not been fully investigated, but members of the Trump administration have claimed Good disobeyed orders to exit her vehicle before weaponizing it. Opponents and protesters around the country have said they believe she was murdered.
Trustee Nikki Snyder, who unsuccessfully proposed changes to the resolution on behalf of absent member Tom McMillin, said the state school board was propping up the “latest interpretation” of events surrounding Good’s death.
And while she and McMillin, both Republicans, agreed with backing “humane action” in ICE activities, Snyder said they should wait until the FBI has completed an investigation, adding, “I think there is a serious lack of transparency in all of this.”
“This is not OK. There’s a lot of mixing of what we’re talking about,” Pugh replied.
“And we have legislators, senators who have proposed bills because they see the harm,” she added. “Our community should not be facing the fear that they’re facing. Our resources, human resources should not be going toward (ICE operations). … That’s not public safety. We’re talking about two different things to begin with.”
Three bills were introduced by Michigan Senate Democrats last August addressing ICE concerns.
Senate Bill 508 would prohibit immigration enforcement action in sensitive locations like educational institutions, while SB 509 would ban providing an individual’s identifying information without a court order.
As ICE agents have been widely seen wearing face coverings while on the job, law enforcement officers would additionally be prohibited from wearing a mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public on duty under SB 510.
All three were sent to committee in Lansing, where they remain.
Pugh’s resolution states that the bills “seek to increase transparency” and “clarify the role of state and local agencies” in ICE operations.
It also cites Good’s death as an example of “the real and irreversible harm caused by aggressive militarized enforcement practices” from federal authorities.
“The Michigan State Board of Education encourages a fundamental re-examination of the existence, placement, function, and deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the resolution states. “Including whether its enforcement responsibility should be dismantled or re-assigned with the federal government to guarantee real humane solutions that center child safety.”
Snyder also questioned how Pugh’s resolution recounted the history of immigration policy in the U.S., excluding the expansion of detention and deportation under Bill Clinton and other efforts, including family detention programs, under Barack Obama.
“When an American breaks the law, they can be separated from their children because they broke the law,” she said. “… Our country actually tends to be on the side of less punitive and more humane (than others).”
ICE protests have reached Michigan in the wake of Good’s death.
Detroit advocates called for the city to stymie ICE operations in the city hours before Trump appeared to speak before the Detroit Economic Club this week. While in town, ICE was also a popular target for hundreds of anti-Trump protesters nearby.
On Tuesday, Tiffany Tilley, co-president for the state school board, said she understood that “immigration enforcement needs to happen” at large, but that she believes “people are being terrorized” by the manner of enforcement with “cities in the U.S. under siege.”
State Trustee Mitchell Robinson agreed, emphasizing it wasn’t “an abstract issue,” citing instances where ICE is spotted nearby schools in Detroit or around Michigan.
“It’s not happening somewhere else only.”
Michigan
Michigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.
“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.
Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.
Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.
“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.
In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.
Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.
Michigan
SW Michigan show returns as growing destination for vinyl collectors
BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.
The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.
Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.
Free admission begins at 10 a.m.
General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.
A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.
Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond
The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.
Future dates planned
The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.
This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
Michigan
Yes, you can play curling in West Michigan
ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The spirit of curling is one of friendship.
While memory of the Winter Olympics may have long melted away in the minds of many Americans, there some whose curiousness for the sport of curling has extended all the way into the springtime.
“Everybody’s having fun,” said Paul Curran, league manager for the Grand Rapids Curling Club. “It’s a really weird sport in that it’s really friendly.”
The club, which plays at the Cedar Rock Sportsplex in Algoma Township, has seen a recent spike in interest in its beginners leagues and learn to curl classes.
“We’re all here to curl and learn,” said beginner Aaron Schwieterman. “Everyone’s making mistakes, but still having a great time learning the sport and trying to mimic what the professionals do at the Olympics.”
“I recommend it to anybody who wants to try something different,” said beginner Margaret Steketee. “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”
For a period of time on the ice, these newcomers to the sport turn into competitors. Then, at the conclusions of their games, they revert to being friends.
“Largely, what you’ll find with curlers is that when they’re done curling, they want to be friendly and hang out,” Curran said. “Which is what our league is doing right now.”
As long as people are interested, Curran says the club will continue to put on beginners leagues and lessons.
“The more people we get out here curling, the better,” he said.
For more information on ways to play and learn how to curl in West Michigan, visit the Grand Rapids Curling Club’s website.
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