WYOMING, Mich. — Wyoming city leaders announced a massive investment for the city. The former 75-acre GM property that has sat vacant for 15 years is getting new life.

“So Benteler Automotive has purchased these 20 acres on the southwest portion of what we call site 36, which is a 75-acre parcel,” Wyoming City Manager John Shay said.

The flat lot already has multiple pieces of heavy machinery and dirt moved.

“This has been one of our top strategic priorities for the city of Wyoming is to get this 75-acre sitem, which has sat vacant for so long, redeveloped,” Shay added.

The project on 36th Street is set to be almost 317,000 square feet. City documents show that the company is going to build batteries for the V801 Ford Transit Van.

“It’s huge. I mean, they look at Wyoming, and we try to make Wyoming friendly for business, and we provide top-notch services.”

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Shay adds this is a major investment for the city.

“So this was a very exciting development for us, and we’re happy to see a $105 million investment with… I think it’s about 150 to 170 jobs,” the city manager explained.

The city approved the project last week during a city council meeting.

“We recognized we were not going to get another General Motors with 1,500 employees. That just isn’t going to happen anymore. But we didn’t want public storage units or something like that. We really wanted to have an industrial manufacturing component to that, which is really part of Wyoming’s history,” Shay said.

The city split the former GM site into three sites.

“Corewell Health is also moving into site 36, and that’s about 250 jobs. So we’ve started to see some really nice activity at site 36 for the first time,” Shay said.

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There’s still one more piece in the works.

“We understand that there is a third company that is in the latter stages of negotiations to acquire that,” Shay said. “So this is a very big deal for the city.”

Shay explains that Benteler Automotive plans to break ground sometime at the year’s end, hopefully.

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BYU’s top two running backs, LJ Martin and Hinckley Ropati, are ‘doubtful’ against Wyoming, according to BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. Both Martin and Ropati left the game against SMU due to injury. Martin left the game in the first quarter and did not return. Ropati left the game and later returned in the fourth quarter before re-aggravating the injury. After that, he did not return.

“We’re still using today to get a good feel for where they’re at,” Sitake said. “It’s going to be doubtful for this game this weekend.”

If Martin and Ropati are unable to go, BYU will turn to juniors Miles Davis and Enoch Nawahine. Against SMU, Davis and Nawahine ran for 37 yards and 16 yards, respectively.

BYU could also turn to two true freshmen in Pokaiaua Haunga and Sione Moa. Sitake hinted that BYU was trying to redshirt both of those players, but will start to use them now due to the injuries.

“He’s going to play,” Sitake said about former Timpview standout Pokaiaua Haunga. “[We] might as well use this one for sure with him. Same thing with Sione Moa.” Later, Sitake added that both backs have “tons of abilities…I know they’ll be ready.”

Going into the 2024 season, the running back room was one of the thinner positions on the roster. After starter LJ Martin, the Cougars bet on returning running backs Hinckley Ropati and Miles Davis as the backups. Ropati and Davis had both shown flashes early in their BYU careers, but injuries had prevented them from staying on the field over the last few years.

Instead of adding a running back from the portal when Aidan Robbins declared early for the NFL Draft, BYU bet not only on the potential of the returning running backs, but the BYU staff bet on their ability to stay healthy as well.

After the first two games of the 2024 season, BYU’s depth at running back is already being tested in a major way.

KENT COUNTY, MI – A 25-year-old Wyoming woman was fatally shot Sunday, Sept. 8.

Wyoming police arrested a suspect.

The shooting was reported around 12:40 p.m. Sunday, in the 3400 block of Bluebird Avenue SW, north of 36th Street.

Police found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where she later tied.

Police have not released names of the victim or suspect.

Detectives continue to investigate circumstances leading up to the shooting. Forensic Services Unit workers investigated at the scene. Police asked anyone with information to contact police 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or www.silentobserver.org.