Michigan
Vroom, vroom. Disbanded Michigan State Police motorcycle unit to return this spring
LANSING — The Michigan State Police is bringing back its motorcycle unit in metro Detroit, in a move aimed at improving traffic safety that may also lift trooper morale and aid recruitment.
Col. James Grady, the new MSP director, announced the return of the motorcycle unit in a memo last week.
Grady’s predecessor, Col. Joseph Gasper, disbanded the unit after the 2022 motorcycle season.
Grady said in the memo he decided to bring the motorcycles back “after considerable assessment.” The unit will be based in the 2nd District, which covers Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties, and have seven troopers and one sergeant, he said.
The unit’s “primary mission will be traffic enforcement, specifically working to reduce the number of fatal crashes by focusing on hazardous actions,” Grady said. The unit “will also serve a community engagement and recruitment purpose.”
Trooper safety was among the reasons cited by First Lt. Mike Shaw when the police motorcycles were removed from the road. Two MSP troopers on motorcycles have died in the line of duty since 2015.
Shaw said Wednesday that the broader issue of public traffic safety is of critical importance. Policing can be a dangerous job and troopers have also been killed or injured in patrol cars, he said. The motorcycles will not be returning to the roads until spring and the MSP will work in the meantime to make sure all necessary safety measures are in place to ensure maximum trooper safety, Shaw said.
More: Firings, retirements result from MSP internal investigation that began at Flint post
Shanon Banner, a spokeswoman for the MSP, said the department still has the BMW motorcycles it was using through 2022 and those bikes, which are from the 2020 to 2022 model years, will return to the road.
In a controversial move in 2012, the MSP began switching from American-made Harley-Davidson motorcycles to German-made BMWs, saying the BMWs performed better in testing.
At that time, the MSP had a fleet of 24 motorcycles, located in metro Detroit, Rockford, and Lansing.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on X, @paulegan4.
Michigan
“Rosie the Riveter” statue unveiled at Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial
Frances Mauro Masters watched as a Rosie the Riveter statue was unveiled on Tuesday in Royal Oak, Michigan. The 103-year-old was the inspiration for the newest addition at the Michigan WW2 Legacy Memorial.
The city of Royal Oak shared a video of the unveiling, with Masters standing beside it. According to the city, Masters worked at the Willow Run bomber plant in Ypsilanti during World War II.
The statue was created by sculptor Oleg Kedria, who also created a statue that was installed at the memorial in 2023. That statue depicted a soldier reading a letter.
John Marten, board president of the WW2 Legacy Memorial, said the Rosie the Riveter statue is part of an expansion of the memorial that included an expanded Walk of Honor, which includes bricks with the names of people who had a role in World War II.
“Rosie represents the significant contribution of home front women to the Arsenal of Democracy, who kept production lines rolling. We are especially honored that 103-year-old Frances Mauro Masters, a riveter from the Ford Willow Run WWII bomber plant in Ypsilanti, is the inspiration for the face of the statue,” Maten in September.
Michigan
Michigan forecast makes a wild swing from snow to 60 degrees by the weekend
After our weekend snow event, any flurries still lingering early today were expected to taper off by this evening.
But then our warming trend arrives. We’ll see our temperatures gradually creeping up as we head from Wednesday toward the weekend. By Saturday, some areas in West Michigan and southern Michigan could hit 60 degrees.
Here are the forecast highlights from the National Weather Service offices across the state:
Light rain and snow showers are moving across Michigan today with minimal impact expected. Temperatures will remain in the 30s to low 40s with breezy conditions making it feel colder.
In Northern Michigan, precipitation will begin as a mix of rain and snow this morning, with higher terrain areas seeing more snow while coastal and lower elevations experience primarily rain. Winds will be breezy, gusting 25 to 30 mph, especially near Lake Michigan, creating wind chills in the 20s. The Upper Peninsula will see light rain or snow showers by afternoon, mainly east of Munising.
For central and southern Michigan, lake effect snow is rapidly diminishing this morning. Grand Rapids and surrounding areas will see only a chance of light snow today, mainly north of M-46, with precipitation ending this evening. Southeast Michigan has a slight chance of light snow or rain with temperatures climbing into the mid-30s.
Weather officials warn that melting snow during daytime hours will refreeze overnight, potentially creating icy or black ice conditions on roadways for Wednesday and Thursday morning commutes, especially in the Upper Peninsula. Northwest winds near 40 mph are possible near Lake Superior and in the Keweenaw Peninsula on Wednesday.
A gradual warming trend begins Wednesday with temperatures moderating into the 40s across most of the state. By Friday, high temperatures will reach the upper 40s to low 50s as high pressure takes hold with lighter winds and quieter weather.
The weekend looks significantly warmer with temperatures climbing into the 50s and potentially reaching the low 60s in southern Michigan by Sunday. Another round of precipitation is expected Saturday into Sunday, though there remains uncertainty about the exact timing and track of this system.
Marine interests should note that a Gale Warning is in effect for much of Lake Superior through Wednesday, with potential for winds of 34-40 knots. Small Craft Advisories are posted for portions of Lakes Michigan and Huron through Wednesday evening.
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Michigan
Michigan residents wake up to first real snow of the season; more possible
Many Michigan residents woke up to their first hint of winter Sunday.
Dropping temperatures led to the first snowfall in many areas of the state, with most residents seeing an inch or 2 of fresh powder.
Detroit Metro Airport recorded 1.2″ of snow in a 12-hour period, according to the National Weather Service in Detroit. Adrian showed a 24-hour total of 2″ from Saturday into Sunday. Freeland received the most snow in the southern half of the state, racking up 6″ in 19 hours.
Winter weather advisories remained in effect in the state Sunday night.
The counties of Bay, Saginaw and Tuscola had an advisory in effect, warning of lake-effect snow. Snow accumulations between 1-3″ were possible, with some areas possibly seeing higher amounts.
St. Clair and Macomb Counties, including the cities of Port Huron and Warren, had a winter weather advisory in effect through 4 a.m. Monday. Total snow accumulations between 2-4″ were possible.
“Lake effect snowfall will continue across the area this afternoon and evening, with the heaviest snow focused across the Tri-Cities region and the eastern Thumb into northern Metro Detroit,” the National Weather Service website said.
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