Michigan
Voters shelter in polling place bathroom during Michigan tornado warning on Election Day
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI — Severe storms hit the area hard as the polls were open for voting on Election Day in Southwest Michigan, causing a temporary disruption.
At some voting locations in St. Joseph County, voters were asked to shelter in place during a tornado warning that hit the area Tuesday morning.
A storm with warnings of a possible tornado rolled through Michigan on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 6, destroying trees, damaging buildings, flooding streets and cutting off power for thousands of electrical customers in the area.
As of early afternoon Tuesday, there have been no confirmed reports of a tornado.
Storm damage in St. Joseph County shown on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 6.(Courtesy | St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office)
Three voting precincts in St. Joseph County temporarily lost power during the storm, Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said. Two of the locations had emergency power generators, though the Flowerfield Township Hall location did not, so the sheriff’s office brought in a generator to get the building back online after a power outage from the storm.
The township hall is located at 12020 M-216, in Marcellus. It is about 25 miles south of Kalamazoo, in St. Joseph County.
Voters and election workers sheltered at some precincts, including in two bathrooms at Flowerfield Township Hall, St. Joseph County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lindsay Oswald said.
The building is a former schoolhouse that is about 175 years old, township Supervisor Ron Shaver said.
Though the building lost power, Oswald said, the voting machinery has a battery backup that allowed workers to continue the voting process after they stopped sheltering, when the storm had passed.
“Our process is built to be resilient,” Oswald said. “It’s Michigan, we know the weather is going to be crazy here. You can’t rely on it.
“We have to have those procedures in place and we have to be ready for anything,” she said.
The generator was brought in to ensure the location had power for the rest of the day, she said. They also brought in a lamp to run off the generator, to give election workers some light, she said.
Polling locations in Burr Oak and Colon also lost power and had generators in place, she said.
Oswald and other officials were busy monitoring weather conditions Tuesday morning and communicating with poll workers about when they needed to take shelter, she said. The main concern for severe weather in the county overall was from 7:50 a.m. to 9 a.m., she said.
At 8:09 a.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Marcellus, the National Weather Service said.
Township workers did a great job during the storm, Oswald said. People sheltered for less than a half hour, she said.
Bingaman is one of five candidates running for the office, facing Dennis Allen, Joe Bingaman, Gordon L. Evilsizor and Chad Spence, to become the county’s next sheriff.
Bingaman said officials worked together to try to make sure the polls would stay open so people could vote.
“It’s the proverbial, it’s going to happen on a day you don’t want it to,” Bingaman said.
Storm damage in St. Joseph County shown on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 6.(Courtesy | St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office)
The county was under a tornado warning for about a half hour, Bingaman said.
MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette has reached out to the township clerk seeking comment.
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Michigan schools, libraries and nonprofit groups are set to receive more than $280,000 in literacy funding, according to a community announcement issued by Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The money is intended to support reading and education programs across the state.
The grants are part of a nationwide single-day award total of nearly $16 million. The funding supports adult, family and summer literacy programs in the 48 states where Dollar General operates.
In Michigan, the grants are expected to affect more than 9,600 people, according to the announcement.
The grants are for nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools. According to the announcement, eligible groups must be within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center.
The money may be used for new technology, books, materials or software. The grants can help groups start literacy programs or expand existing ones.
Several Michigan organizations received grants of $10,000, the highest amount. Those recipients included:
- Adrian Rea Literacy Center in Adrian
- Arab Community Center For Economic And Social Services (Access) in Dearborn
- Literacy Center Of West Michigan in Grand Rapids
- Houghton Lake Community Education in Houghton Lake
- Livingston County Literacy Coalition in Howell
- Goodwill Industries Of Southwestern Michigan in Kalamazoo
- Kalamazoo Literacy Council in Kalamazoo
- Capital Area Literacy Coalition / The Reading People in Lansing
- The Global Institute Of Lansing
- Van Buren Intermediate School District in Lawrence
- Reading Patch Literacy Foundation Inc. in Niles
- Grace Centers Of Hope in Pontiac
- Oakland Literacy Council in Pontiac
- Literacy And Beyond Inc. in Port Huron
- Gigi’S Playhouse — Detroit LLC in Southfield
- Southgate Community Schools in Southgate
Other larger grants included $9,999 for Wayne State University in Detroit, $9,500 for Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency in Tawas City and $8,500 for Plymouth-Canton Community Literacy Council in Plymouth.
The recipient list also included many grants of $3,000. Those went to:
- Allendale Public Schools
- Boys And Girls Club Of Alpena
- Cedar Springs Public Library
- Clinton Community Schools
- Coloma Public Library
- Mason County Eastern Elementary in Custer
- North Dickinson County School in Felch
- Wilson School Parent Advisory Committee in Herron
- Hillman Community Schools
- Ida Public Schools
- Lawton Public Library
- Luther Area Public Library
- Saginaw African Cultural Festival Inc.
- Sebewaing Township Library
- Tekonsha Community Schools
- Columbia Township Library in Unionville
- Wakefield Public Library
- Whitmore Lake Public Schools
Other awards listed were $2,000 for Taymouth Township Library in Burt; $2,100 for Clinton-Macomb Public Library in Clinton Township; and $2,500 for Friends Of Cadillac Wexfod Public Library in Cadillac, Teamer Dreams Foundation in Eastpointe, Michigan Adult, Community & Alternative Education Association in Lansing and Palomino Hope Equine Experience in Tawas City.
The list also showed a $1,000 grant for Townline Elementary in Grand Rapids and a $4,500 grant for D House Of Angels in Pontiac.
Also receiving grants were Houghton Lake Community Education and Reading Patch Literacy Foundation in Niles.
A full list of grant recipients is available at dgliteracy.org.
“Since the foundation’s inception in 1993, our focus has remained on making meaningful investments in students, teachers and the organizations that support literacy and learning at every stage of life,” Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, said in the announcement. “These funds will help educators enhance their instruction and create opportunities that help empower students to reach their full potential.”
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
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.
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.
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