CMU women win in OT

The CMU women’s basketball team won the consolation final of the Tulane Double Tree Holiday Invite Thursday as it beat the College of Charleston 72-69 in overtime. CMU (8-6) outscored the opponent 12-9 in the final five minutes of play to seal the win. Freshman Jas’Mine Bracey, Crystal Bradford and Jessica Green scored all 12 of CMU’s points in the overtime. Bracey had a massive game with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Brandie Baker and Skylar Miller didn’t play in the game. In OT Bracey scored three straight buckets to give CMU a six-point lead halfway through. Green then hit a couple jumpers to help seal the win. Jordan LaDuke added in 17 points while Bradford had 10 points and eight boards.

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Snowplow drivers eager to get rolling

After dealing with a stretch of unusually warm winter weather, Isabella County Road Commission drivers are about to get their first big test of the winter. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for today, with 2 to 5 inches of heavy, wet snow expected to make travel a challenge. On Thursday, only light snow was falling as workers at the road commission garage were doing welding work on plows. Road Commission Superintendent Jim Pohl said drivers were just happy to get ready to test the winter equipment. Drivers admitted that given the unseasonably warm weather of late fall and early winter, they were anxious to get from pothole repair mode to plow and salt mode.

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Chippewas Prepare for Annual Trip to Midlands Championships

Central Michigan will close out the 2011 calendar year by making its annual trip to the Midlands Championships. The two-day tournament begins Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Central Time and runs through Friday evening. The Chippewas enter the 49th Midlands ranked 19th in the NWCA/USA Today coaches' poll and 25th in the InterMat tournament strength rankings. CMU is 10-2 overall in dual meets but has not competed in a team-scored tournament this season. CMU is one of 10 teams ranked in the most recent NWCA/USA Today top 25 set to compete in the tournament. The Chippewas will be joined by No. 1 Iowa, No. 7 Illinois, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 12 Lehigh, No. 13 Maryland, No. 15 Virginia Tech, No. 17 Rutgers, No. 18 Northwestern and No. 24 Edinboro.

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Former Chippewas Antonio Brown, Joe Staley on Pro Bowl rosters

Tom Brady is one of eight Patriots and Patrick Willis one of eight 49ers to make the Pro Bowl, the most on each roster. Defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay (14-1), led by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Baltimore (11-4), led by veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, have seven apiece for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu, the NFL announced Tuesday. Brady is one of seven starters from New England (12-3). The others are receiver Wes Welker, tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, defensive end Andre Carter, and guards Brian Waters and Logan Mankins all are starters for the AFC from the Patriots. Special teamer Matthew Slater is the other New England representative. Linebacker Willis, DE Justin Smith, cornerback Carlos Rogers and tackle Joe Staley will start for the NFC from the 49ers (12-3), who had only Smith and Willis make the Pro Bowl last year.

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Bradford Grabs MAC Honors for a Second Time

Freshman Crystal Bradford was named Mid-American Conference West Player of the Week on Monday. This is Bradford's second time winning this award this season. The Detroit, Mich., native posted her fourth double-double of the season in the 65-60 win against Wright State with 17 points and 13 rebounds. The 17 points was the third most of her career and finished the game 4-for-5 from the line, a season-high. She finished the week averaging almost a double-double in points and rebounds (15 points, nine rebounds) and led her team in scoring and rebounding. Against the Raiders, the Chippewas lead by only two with 25 seconds remaining. Bradford got a steal that would led to three made free throws and the fifth straight team victory. The Chippewas pushed their win streak out to five games after winning three straight games at the Wright State Invitational. This is longest winning streak since the 2006-07 season.

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Mt. Pleasant to collect Christmas trees Jan. 3 to Jan. 13

Mt. Pleasant Street Department staff will be picking up discarded Christmas trees on weekdays, from Tuesday, Jan. 3, through Friday, Jan. 13. There is no charge. Trees are to be placed at the curb, even in areas where normal trash collection is in the alley. All tinsel and plastic bags must be removed and the butt ends of the trees are to face the street. Christmas tree remnants are processed through a wood chipper and taken to the city's compost site. Evergreen wreaths, etc. cannot be processed through the chipper and will not be collected.

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Police: Man drives car into lake, sleeps in home

Authorities say a mid-Michigan man drove his car into a lake and entered a nearby home to sleep on a couch. The Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant reports Friday that Isabella County authorities have charged 30-year-old Jesse Gross of Mount Pleasant with illegal entry and marijuana possession. His bond was set at $10,000. Sheriff's officials say they were called to a Union Township home early Thursday after the homeowners found Gross sleeping. Authorities say he went to the home after driving his car into nearby Peas Lake and let himself in after knocking and nobody answered.

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Central Michigan men's basketball drops 60-42 road contest to Wright State

In its final game of 2011, Central Michigan fell 60-42 on the road to Wright State Thursday night. The game started off positive for the Chippewas (5-7), as they got out to an early 7-1 lead. Olivier Mbaigoto’s three-point shot with 7:34 remaining in the first half gave Central a 19-17 lead. It turned out to be their final lead of the night as Wright State closed out the half on a 15-4 run. Central got within eight points at 38-30 early in the second half but could not get any closer the rest of the game. Derek Jackson was Central’s only player to score in double figures with 13 points. Mbaigoto and Andre Coimbra both had seven points, while Mount Pleasant graduate Trey Zeigler added five.

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Boyz II Men celebrate 20 years with new album and tour with stop at Soaring Eagle

Detroit may be known for Motown, but Boyz II Men has East Coast Motown locked down. On Dec. 29, the group will bring that “East Coast swing” to the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant as part of its 20th Anniversary tour. The band, now consisting of original members Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris, is best known for early-1990s a capella R&B. The singers — who made ladies swoon with the soulful “I’ll Make Love to You” and the break-up, make-up anthem “On Bended Knee” — have toured together for more than two decades.

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Kater signs with CMU

Quarterback Cody Kater will be joining the Central Michigan University football program after all. As a senior at MontagueHigh School in the fall of 2009, Kater was verbally committed to then-Chippewas' coach Butch Jones, but ended up signing with the University of Cincinnati instead after Jones was hired there in December 2009. Now, after a redshirt season with Cincinnati and one season with Grand Rapids Community College, Kater, 20, has signed a national letter of intent to play for coach Dan Enos and the Chippewas. "We are excited to have Cody in our program," Enos said in a news release Wednesday. "He is an outstanding player and person who will have a chance to compete immediately and will provide depth at our quarterback position."

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SAAC, CMU Student-Athletes Spreading Holiday Cheer

Hosting a clothing drive and participating in the United Way’s Annual Adopt-a-Family Program are ways that student-athletes at Central Michigan University are reaching out to the local community this holiday season. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, working alongside the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center of CMU, served as a host to the United Way’s Annual Adopt-a-Family program this year. “Mount Pleasant is our student-athletes’ home away from home, and learning the value of service and giving back to the community while being in college is a valuable resource for our student-athletes who will be contributing members of society when they graduate from CMU,” said Daniel Heck, coordinator of marketing and community relations for the Central Michigan Athletics Department. Committee members collected money from their teammates. Every team worked hard to raise an approximate total of $700 for 26 individuals who are members of six selected families in need.

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Johnson Grabs MAC West Honors

Sophomore Taylor Johnson was named Mid-American Conference West Player of the week on Monday, the second Central Michigan player to receive the honor this year. The Belding, Mich., native posted her first double-double on the season in the win at Ole Miss with 16 points and 10 rebounds. She came off the bench to help her team defeat Ole Miss, 78-75 in overtime, and Southeast Missouri State, 100-59. Johnson was second on the team in points and rebounds in both games. She finished the week averaging 14.5 points and six rebounds. She shot a near perfect 12-of-14 from the free throw line, while going 3-for-6 from three-point range. The Chippewas were able to push their win streak to three last week following the two road wins. In the win against the Redhawks they posted 100 points, the 14th time in school history.

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Inner voice is the secret of Jim Gaffigan's comedy, coming soon to Mount Pleasant

Jim Gaffigan hears voices. Sometimes, it's his sister Cathy, the oldest of the six Gaffigans, who took it upon herself to make sure the baby of the family got to bed on time. "She was an early influence," Gaffigan admitted. Or maybe what you hear in his family-friendly comedy are the Midwest sensibilities that come with growing up in Indiana. Then again, this is the little kid who announced to his family that he was going to be an actress when he grew up, a little twist that explains how a box of Hot Pockets in the freezer translated into a routine he doesn't dare leave out of his show. "Hey, I was probably around 5," he said. "Even then, I knew what I wanted to do, but I never really thought I could.

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Mount Pleasant police allege man, 28, stabbed his brother

A Mount Pleasant man remains jailed on charges stemming from the stabbing of the man’s brother. Lucas Kersjer used a pocket knife to stab his brother, Matthew Kersjer, in the abdomen during an argument at a home in the 1100 block of East Bennett, Mount Pleasant police allege. Investigators did not reveal what touched off the argument. Matthew Kersjer, 31, of Mount Pleasant, was transported to Central Michigan Community Hospital where doctors were treating him for injuries that did not appear life-threatening, said police.

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Bret Michaels's bigger-than-life world brings him back to Mount Pleasant

It only takes a few minutes on the phone with Bret Michaels before he's talking like an old friend, remembering one of Poison's first major shows, opening for Ratt in a hockey arena in Michigan. Of course, it wasn't called The Dow Event Center back then, but I remember the show, too, just as "Talk Dirty To Me" was putting the glam-metal band on the map. "We'd played shows before then but that was our first real tour, going out for four or five months at a time," he said. " 'Look What the Cat Dragged In' was out, and people were starting to know who we were. "I am telling you, honestly, some of my best memories from those days came from shows in Michigan. We played Charlevoix, it was like a big party every night. We'd find out the show started early in the day and we'd be out there from the start and come back to close it out."

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No. 19 Chippewas Sweep at Bison Duals

Junior 184-pounder Ben Bennett dominated his competition Saturday as No. 18 Central Michigan went a perfect 3-0 at the Bison Duals with wins over Sacred Heart, Princeton and Bucknell. Bennett claimed pins in all three of his bouts and three other Chippewas, sophomore Joe Roth (125), freshman Joey Kielbasa (149) and senior Peter Sturgeon (285), went a perfect 3-0 on the day. Head Coach Tom Borrelli earned his 300th career win in the process, as the Maroon and Gold improved to 10-2 on the season. Borrelli is now 302-127-8 all-time and 256-102-7 as the head coach of the Chippewas. The Maroon and Gold got things rolling with a shutout of the Pioneers (0-10), 49-0, behind pins by No. 18 Roth, Scott Mattingly (141), Mike Ottinger (165) and No. 8 Bennett. The Chippewas also picked up bonus points with a major decision by Tyler Keselring (133) and two forfeit victories. Redshirt freshman Dakota Cooley also earned his first career collegiate dual victory, defeating the Tigers' Jonathon Rizzitello by decision at 174 pounds, 3-2.

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Central Michigan women's basketball battles back to top Ole Miss in overtime, 78-75

Coming off its biggest win in school history, Central Michigan rallied for a 78-75 overtime win against Ole Miss Wednesday afternoon. The win comes three days after the Chippewas shocked then-No. 12 Purdue, 75-62, Sunday in Mount Pleasant. In the first half against Ole Miss, however, it looked as though the Chippewas (4-5) came in tight, trailing by as many as 14 points to the Rebels. Central scored the final four points of the half to cut the halftime deficit to 35-25. Central committed 13 turnovers in the first half, which led to 17 Ole Miss points. The entire second half was used by CMU to get back in the game. Slowly but surely the Chippewas finally tied the game at 62 all with 22 seconds left after Taylor Johnson nailed a three-point shot. After Ole Miss made two free throws, Crystal Bradford’s layup with five seconds left tied the score at 64 apiece and sent the game into overtime.

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Titus Davis Named to Phil Steele's All-Freshman First Team

Central Michigan freshman receiver Titus Davis earned Freshman All-America Honors Wednesday, being named to Phil Steele's 2011 postseason All-Freshman Offensive First Team. Davis (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South HS) was just one of four Mid-American Conference players named to the all-freshman team and the only first-team selection. He was an All-MAC third-team selection after hauling in eight touchdown receptions. In total, Davis caught 40 balls to lead the Chippewas with 751 receiving yards in his rookie campaign. His eight touchdown receptions were the third most of any freshman nationally during the regular season, set a new CMU freshman record and tied for the sixth most in school history.

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Harrison man held on $1 million cash bond, accused of having relationship with teen

A 28-year-old Harrison man remains jailed on $1 million cash bond after being arraigned on charges of criminal sexual conduct with a teen. Clare County Sheriff’s investigators allege Robert T. Hill-Johnson carried on a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old Harrison girl. He is charged with four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a life felony that involves penetration. Additional details were not immediately available.

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Mt. Pleasant receives $30,000 recreation grant

The City of Mt. Pleasant has received a $30,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to fix part of the city’s trail system. “We need to repair a piece of the Millpond Trail,” City Manager Kathie Grinzinger said, “particularly that piece that starts at Broadway Street and goes into Millpond Park toward the dams. “That part of the trail is sitting on a really high riverbank, and there are a lot of tree roots.” The grant, along with $44,000 from the city’s Capital Improvement Fund, will pay to have that 1,100-foot section of the trail replaced, along with 500 feet of fence. Construction on the Millpond trail will begin in summer 2012. Around the state 24 total grants were given out for what the DNR labeled “outstand projects that will enhance communities for generations to come.”

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Sports camps

Baseball Heaven will be holding a Baseball Boot Camp instructional clinic for players aged 13 and over on Thursday, Dec. 29 and Friday, Dec. 30 from 9 a.m.-noon each day. Instruction will be provided by the Baseball Heaven staff and will focus on hitting, pitching, and catching. Cost is $65 for both days or $35 for one day. Baseball Heaven members receive a $10 discount. Registration is limited to the first 25 players, and players must pre-register. For more information, call (989) 486-3320.

• Central Michigan University's baseball program will hold its annual Chippewa Holiday Combo Camp on Saturday, Dec. 17 for players in grades 9-12. All former Chippewas who are currently playing professional baseball, including Arizona Diamondbacks' pitcher Josh Collmenter, will be in attendance. The pitching/catching session starts at 10 a.m., while the hitting/advanced skills session begins at 2 p.m. The sessions are $70 apiece. For more information or to register, email to simmo1dm@cmich.edu

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Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe to deliver gifts to Native children in South Dakota

All he wanted was a good pair of shoes for Christmas. He knew if he had a good pair of shoes he would be able to get to where he wanted to go. "He was 17 or 18, and asked for Nike Air Jordan's. He was very specific. That's all he put on his list," Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribal Council Treasurer Louanna Bruner said of a Native boarding student at the Marty Indian School on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. "He was supposed to graduate the previous year but his grandmother died," she said. The teen was now responsible for his three younger siblings who were allowed to move into his dormitory at the school. "His grandma told him 'as long as you have a good pair of shoes, you will get to where you are going,'" Bruner said. The shoes were expensive, but he did get them last year for Christmas. He graduated in June.

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Baker Named College Sports Madness Player of the Week

Central Michigan's Brandie Baker was named College Sports Madness' (collegesportsmadness.com) National High-Major Women's Basketball Player of the Week and Mid-American Player of the Week for her performance in the upset over No. 12/14 Purdue. Baker recorded her first double-double of the season, with a season high 16 points and 10 rebounds, in the 75-62 win. She also went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, including 4-for-4 in the closing minutes to seal the win. She dished out four assists in her 39 minutes of play. The 6-0 guard from Flint, Mich., is currently averaging 7.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds. She currently sits atop of the MAC with her 2.0 assist to turnover ratio and is tied for fifth with 4.0 assists per contest. The Chippewas (3-5) will spend the next month on the road as they compete in eight games. The road trip begins Wednesday, against Mississippi, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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Chippewas Upset No. 12 Purdue, 75-62

Brandie Baker recorded her first double-double on the season, with 16 points and 10 rebounds, as the Central Michigan women's basketball team claimed the biggest upset in school history defeating No. 12/14 Purdue, 75-62, on Sunday. With 6:31 left to play Crystal Bradford set up Jas'Mine Bracey, off a pick-and-roll, for an easy layup to give the Chippewas (3-5) their second lead of the half at 58-56. Bradford and Baker teamed up, going 7-for-8 from the charity stripe the rest of the way, to seal the Maroon and Gold's first home win of the season. "I am very, very proud of this basketball team," said head coach Sue Guevara. "I thought we had a total team effort today and I thought our bench came to play. It's a nice win for our program and it shows that we are very capable of playing with the top teams in the country. We have been a work in progress, we are still a work in progress, and it is nice to see it come together."

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$14 million renovations to CMU's Anspach Hall first since building opened in 1967

The most used building on Central Michigan University's campus is getting major updates. The Board of Trustees on Thursday committed $14 million to renovate Anspach Hall, which was built in 1966 and has not received many updates. The building houses the departments of English, history, philosophy, religion, political science, sociology anthropology and social work. "The Anspach Hall renovations are mostly stuff you won't see," said University President George E. Ross. The project will update electrical operations, roofing, heating and cooling systems, and re-construct the West entrance, add a student lounge and modernize the classrooms. Construction will start in the summer, and continue in the summer of 2012. The building will remain open for fall and spring classes.

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CMU, Saginaw hospitals meet Monday to begin planning College of Medicine East Campus

Central Michigan University will start planning Monday for the College of Medicine campus in Saginaw. President George E. Ross said there is an organizational meeting between architects, Covenant HealthCare and St. Mary's of Michigan employees and CMU staff. The building planning process could take three months, Ross said, and he expects to announce more about the project in late winter or early spring. The College of Medicine East Campus will have two buildings, one at 600 Irving near Covenant and another at Hoyt and South Franklin near St. Mary’s. Vice President of Development and External Relations Kathleen Wilbur reported at Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting the medical school Capital Campaign reached the halfway mark of it's $25 million goal.

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Mount Pleasant man pleads guilty to killing sister in Bay City federal court

A Mount Pleasant man has pleaded guilty to killing his sister just days after he was released from prison. Daniel L. Fuller, 31, on Wednesday appeared before U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington in Bay City and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Fuller strangled his sister, Iva J. Fuller, 25, in her home on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation on July 10, 2010, according to U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. Fuller was released from a state prison four days before the slaying, having served three years for assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer and third-degree fleeing police. Fuller attempted to conceal the killing by flooding the kitchen floor where the slaying occurred. He attempted to hide his sister’s body in a field west of Mount Pleasant and assaulted an eyewitness, threatening to killer her too, McQuade said.

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Antonio Brown named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Pittsburgh Steelers

Former Central Michigan University star Antonio Brown was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his first career punt return for a touchdown in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 35-7 win over Cincinnati. Brown returned a punt for a 60-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give Pittsburgh a 28-7 lead. Brown is third in the AFC with 330 punt return yards and is second with a 12.2 return average. Brown has also led the Steelers in either receptions or yards the last five games. Brown leads the AFC and is second in the NFL with 1,665 all-purpose yards.

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CMU Academic Senate votes no confidence in President Ross, Provost Shaprio

The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees stand by President George E. Ross and Provost Gary Shapiro after a faculty organization issued a vote of no confidence in the administrators. The Academic Senate, a faculty-led curriculum policy-making body, passed the motion at a meeting Tuesday by 52 percent, citing the administration’s refusal to abide by the organization’s resolution to halt College of Medicine progress and their disregard for shared governance, student newspaper Central Michigan Life reported. Board Chairwoman Sarah Opperman said in a statement the trustees strongly support Ross, Shapiro and the College of Medicine. “The board remains confident in the leadership of Drs. Ross and Shapiro and their commitment to the academic, personal and professional success for our students,” she said. “Likewise, the board is firmly committed to the College of Medicine, which will improve access to care and increase the supply of physicians in underserved areas, with a specific focus on training physicians who will practice in central and northern Michigan.”

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Minnesota Game Broadcast Moved to ESPN

Central Michigan University's men's basketball game at Minnesota on Tuesday, Dec. 13, will now air nationally on ESPN. Tipoff in historic Williams Arena is set for 9 p.m. (8 p.m. CST). Clay Matvick and Dickey Simpkins will call the game. The contest was originally scheduled to air on ESPNU, but was moved because of the canceled NBA games due to the lockout. Minnesota is 8-1 heading into Tuesday's home game against Appalachian State. Coach Tubby Smith's Gophers also host St. Peter's on Saturday before welcoming the Chippewas.

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Anspach Hall renovation, data center construction on CMU Board of Trustees meeting agenda

Several projects are on the agenda for the Thursday meeting of the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees. Anspach Hall, one of the main student classroom buildings, is up for a $14 million renovation. Trustees will vote on contracting for engineering, construction and start-up costs for the building, which has never been updated. The hall, which opened in 1967, houses the departments of English, history, philosophy, religion, political science, sociology anthropology and social work. The project would update heating and cooling systems and modernize the classrooms. The trustees also will discuss and vote to authorize the planning, design, construction, equipping and furnishing of a new data center. The $5.4 million facility would be housed in the basement of Faust Hall.

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Holiday Combo Baseball Camp: A Day with the Pros

The Central Michigan baseball program will host its annual Holiday Combo Camp on Dec. 17, with a special incentive for campers in attendance. The Chippewa coaching staff is inviting campers to "Spend a Day with the Pros," as current professional baseball players and former CMU stars such as Josh Collmenter, Dan Taylor and Trent Howard will be in attendance to help instruct throughout the day. Collmenter recently finished his rookie season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, placing fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, going 10-10 with a 3.38 earned-run average. Collmenter was vital in helping the D-Backs claim a NL West Division title and earned a win in game three of the National League Division Series over the Milwaukee Brewers.

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CMU, faculty reach tentative agreement on contract

Central Michigan University says it has reached a tentative agreement on a new three-contract for school faculty. The school said in a news release sent late Thursday that the deal with the CMU Faculty Association was reached after a 14-hour negotiating session facilitated by a county judge. Details of the tentative agreement weren't released pending ratification. The CMU Faculty Association has a general membership meeting scheduled for Sunday. It wasn't immediately clear if a vote would be held then. Negotiations began in April. The two sides have held 34 meetings — including six with a state mediator.

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MSU student from Mount Pleasant one of 36 across nation named Marshall Scholar

A Michigan State University senior from Mount Pleasant was one of just 36 students throughout the country named a 2012 Marshall Scholar, a postgraduate scholarship allowing students to study in the United Kingdom. Rebecca Farnum is the 13th Marshall Scholar in MSU history, and also one of just two students in the state of Michigan awarded the honor this year. A member of both James Madison College and Honors College at MSU, Farnum has been engaged in undergraduate research her entire academic career and is currently using mathematic methodology to predict how, and if, people, organizations and governments will work together to improve food and water shortages in the Middle East and North Africa, writes Kristen Parker of MSU News.

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MSP rules inmate’s death due to drug overdose

The Michigan State Police post in Mount Pleasant says it has concluded its investigation into the in-custody death of a Midland man. The Michigan State Police were requested by the Isabella County Sheriff's Department to conduct an investigation into the in-custody death of 35-year-old Bradford Gibson. Gibson passed away at the Isabella County Jail on Sept. 24. The State Police investigation revealed officers from the Mt. Pleasant Department had been dispatched to the Wayside Central, at approximately 1:41 a.m., to respond to difficulties bar personnel were having with Mr. Gibson.

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Dreams come true for Zarin-taj at Soaring Eagle's Water Lily lounge

Here's a holiday treat you won't want to miss, especially if you're a fan of smooth, soulful jazz. A few nights ago, we headed for the Water Lily lounge at Mount Pleasant's Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort to catch Saginaw's own Shirlene "Zarin-taj" Brown. It seems like only yesterday that she called, thrilled, crying, praising God, to say she had made the cut on the resort's entertainment circuit. And Saturday, nearly a year later, we were one of many who couldn't find an open seat in the lounge. Fortunately, with Isabella's restaurant within earshot, we didn't miss a note. Accompanied by Braun Khan and Matt Moresi, Brown poured so much emotion into her Christmas selections, she turned songs we've heard a hundred times already this season into living, breathing prayers.

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Five Chippewas Earn All-MAC Honors

Five members of the Central Michigan football program have been named to the All-Mid-American Conference team by the conference's head coaches. Junior defensive back Jahleel Addae was named to the All-MAC first-team defense, while senior tight end David Blackburn was selected to the second-team offense. Junior offensive lineman Eric Fisher, junior receiver Cody Wilson and freshman receiver Titus Davis all were voted to the third-team offense. Wilson earns his third career All-MAC honor. He was named to the all-conference second team as a receiver and third team as a punt returner in 2010. Addae is a repeat selection to the All-MAC squad after collecting third-team accolades in 2010. Blackburn, Fisher and Davis are first-time All-MAC honorees.

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Chicago brings Christmas to Mount Pleasant's Soaring Eagle

It was nearly 45 years ago when Walt Parazaider and five friends say around the kitchen table at his apartment in Chicago, talking about putting together a sound they called the Beatles with horns. And Saturday, Dec. 3, four of the original six — Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Parazaider — along with Lou Pardini, Keith Howland, Tris Imboden, Drew Hester and Jason Scheff, "our newcomer of 25 years," Parazaider quipped, will bring that signature sound again to Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant. Playing on Chicago's new Christmas album, "O Christmas 3," it offers holiday favorites along with the songs that put it in the history books as the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades.

Motorcycle helmet law one step closer to repeal

Jeff Browne has strong feelings about the potential repeal of Michigan’s motorcycle helmet law. Browne, Mount Pleasant Police public information officer, said he likes the law because he was once struck on duty while on a motorcycle. “Had it not been for my helmet, I’m not sure how much of my head would have been left,” Browne said. “I got hit and then bounced off the cement several times, and it left a pretty big patch in my helmet.” Earlier this month, the state House approved to repeal the current law with legislation that gives motorcyclists older than 21 the right to drive without a helmet if they have at least two years of experience and at least $20,000 worth of medical insurance.

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CMU Music School's Opus on the move to Midland

For the first time in 14 years, Central Michigan University's annual School of Music fundraiser, Opus, will not be held in Mt. Pleasant. The upscale fundraiser will be taking the show to the Midland Center for the Arts next year for Opus XV and features some of the most talented music students at the university. The students must compete to be part of the concert. "We wanted to profile the music students in another location in order to provide additional opportunities," Christine Alwood CMU director of stewardship and donor relations said. CMU School of Music students perform at this annual event which usually attracts close to 300 donors including state and local politicians. The event is an opportunity for the university to thank contributors with a showcase of talent. Proceeds go towards the School of Music endowment funding scholarships, equipment and travel for music students.

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Former Saginaw police K-9 handler discusses 9/11 rescue effort with CMU crowd

Brittney Lohmiller | The Saginaw News archives

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A retired Saginaw police officer who traveled to Ground Zero with his K-9 partner after 9/11 recently spoke to a Central Michigan University crowd. A Central Michigan Life video shows Joaquin Guerrero, who retired from Saginaw’s police force in June after 22 years, talking to the Mount Pleasant crowd about his experience in September 2001 with Rookie, the K-9 who Guerrero said in 2004 likely died from cancer caused in part by inhaling carcinogens from the World Trade Center’s rubble. The video also shows Guerrero promoting a book he co-authored about his career with Rookie called “Michigan and Rookie: Guardians of the Night.”

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CMU faculty could strike next week

Central Michigan University's administration and faculty union have rejected what each side characterized as "last, best offers" in a contract dispute that could lead faculty to strike as early as next week. The union would not say Wednesday whether it planned to strike, as it did for one day at the start of the semester. A judge ordered faculty back to work and forbade a strike. That order expires Nov. 30. On Tuesday night, the union presented an offer for a one-year tentative contract that included a wage freeze, something the university wants. The offer would provide a necessary cooling-off period and allow both sides to work on a new three-year deal for next year, union President Laura Frey said in a news release. Administrators rejected the terms, saying the university would stick to its latest offer of a three-year contract that includes no raise the first year, a 2.25% raise the second year and a 2.5% raise the third year.

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Chris Young rides rising star to Mount Pleasant's Soaring Eagle

Overnight success doesn't exist, "at least in my opinion," says country singer Chris Young. But anyone watching Young's career in recent years – four No. 1 singles on the Billboard charts, numerous awards and nominations among the majors, including bids for Grammy and County Music Association nods, and a gold album with "The Man I Want to Be" – knows he's on the fast track to something big. "It's been a lot more exciting lately," he admitted, calling to talk about his show with Mark Chesnutt on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant.

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State trooper accused of improper strip search, cavity search; attorney criticizes vague warrant

State police Trooper Douglas Hunt is charged with two search-related misdemeanors in connection with a November 2009 traffic stop. Hunt, 38, is charged with conducting a strip search and a cavity search Nov. 2, 2009, in Saginaw County. What’s not clear is whether the state Attorney General’s office, which is handling the prosecution of Hunt, is accusing the 12-year trooper of acting improper during the alleged search or whether the search itself was improper. Hunt’s arrest warrant is vague, not listing a victim, witnesses, or location other than Saginaw County. “We look forward to seeing what the accusation is, because we don’t understand it,” said Hunt’s Saginaw-based attorney, James F. Piazza. “(The warrant) is incomprehensible as written.”

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CMU faculty union to present contract offer to administration

The Central Michigan University Faculty Association will present a contract offer to the administration. CMU's student newspaper, Central Michigan Life, reports the union, after rejecting the administration's final offer last week, now has a counter offer. The administration proposed a contract more generous than state-appointed fact finder Barry Goldman recommended, which included allowing the faculty to keep their current health care. Faculty Association President Laura Frey said the contract was "unacceptable." Goldman sided with the university on the matters of health care insurance and salary. The administration offered a wage freeze for one year with increases equal to 4 percentage points over three years.

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Mount Pleasant woman accused of stealing $1,000 worth of prescription drugs

A 33-year-old Mount Pleasant woman is facing drug charges in federal court in Bay City. Jamie H. Gibisas allegedly stole more than $1,000 worth of prescription drugs from a location on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation in Isabella County on Aug. 10, said U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. Gibisas allegedly altered the label on the medication, making it appear that the cost was covered by insurance when it was not, said McQuade.

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Man arraigned in slaying of wife in Isabella Co.

An Isabella County man whose 4-year-old son was the subject of a weekend Amber Alert has been arraigned on a murder charge in the slaying of his wife. Thirty-five-year-old Jason Fish was arraigned Monday on open murder and other charges in Friday's shooting death of 34-year-old Stephanie Fish. He had been found Sunday with the couple's child during a traffic stop in Genesee County. The child was safe. Jason Fish was held without bond. A preliminary hearing is Dec. 1. A message seeking information on whether he had a lawyer was sent Tuesday to the county sheriff.

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Isabella County man wanted in Amber Alert now accused of killing wife

A man who was wanted Sunday as part of an Amber Alert for his 4-year-old son is now accused of killing his wife, possibly with a rifle. Police today said they had arrested Jason Lantz Fish, 34, of Weidman, on a charge of open murder for the death of Stephanie Rochelle Fish, 34. Her body was found inside the family's home in the 900 block of North Rolland Road in Sherman Township. Police seized a .22-caliber rifle as evidence, but did not say it was used to kill Stephanie Fish.

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Thanksgiving Dinner at Isabella Community Soup Kitchen provides extra meal for local residents

Anyone in need of a warm meal could walk through the doors of the soup kitchen Sunday and be handed a plate piled full of food. Sunday marked the second Thanksgiving dinner held at the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, 621 S. Adams St. “This is a great time to remind people you care and it’s like an extra gift for them,” said Danielle Ismirle, assistant service director for Aramark at Central Michigan University. Ismirle said the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen did not require a proof of income or Isabella County residency. The meal was also provided at no cost. Volunteers served about 175 patrons a traditional meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Raffle tickets were also handed out upon entrance to each guest. The prize for each number called was a turkey.

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Toledo Vs. Central Michigan Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread And More

Toledo will try to stay in the race for the MAC Championship as it travels to Mount Pleasant to take on Central Michigan in a Friday night matchup. Toledo is tied for the lead with Northern Illinois in the West Division of the MAC with a 5-1 conference record after topping Western Michigan 66-63 in the highest scoring game in the history of the league. Northern Illinois holds the tie-breaker with the Rockets, after Toledo fell to the Huskies 63-60 the week before the shootout with the Broncos. Central Michigan enters its final game of the year with a disappointing 3-8 record. The Chippewas have a chance to improve from last year's 3-9 finish with a win over the Rockets.

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CMU Opens Dual Season at Chattanooga

Central Michigan's wrestling program opens the dual meet season on the road this weekend, visiting Chattanooga for a pair of nonconference matches. The Chippewas will face Stanford at noon Sunday, then wrestle Chattanooga at 3 p.m. "Stanford has a really good team with two wrestlers who are ranked in the top five in the country," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "Chattanooga won the Southern Conference last year and is probably the best program in the South. Our guys are going to have to be ready to perform." Sunday's duals will mark the first official competitions for CMU this season after a contingent of Chippewas competed unattached at the Eastern Michigan Open and Michigan State Open the past two weekends.

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Great Alaska Shootout to be Televised Nationally

Chippewa fans will have several options for following the Central Michigan University men's basketball team in the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout during Thanksgiving weekend. Eight of the tournament games are scheduled to be televised nationally while all games are available online courtesy of Alaska Anchorage's subscription web streaming service. The games selected for national broadcast will air on Fox College Sports, YES Network, DIRECTV Sports Pak and Dish Network Multi-Sport Pak. CMU's opening-round game against New Mexico State on Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, will air nationally at 10:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. AST). It also will air on regional networks, including MASN, NESN, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Southeast and Altitude Sports.

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Chippewas Maintain Fight but Fall in Double-OT, 77-75

Central Michigan overcame obstacle after obstacle but couldn't overcome its own shooting at the line as Charlotte outlasted the Chippewas, 77-75, in double overtime. The 49ers (2-0) hit their final field goal with 2:15 left the second extra period to go up 73-72, and hit four of their next six free throws to take a 77-72 lead with just under a minute to play. A three-pointer by the Chippewas' (1-1) Austin McBroom cut the deficit to two, and, after a pair of missed free throws by Charlotte, CMU had one final opportunity. In front of their own bench with eight seconds left on the clock, they had trouble inbounding the ball and a desperation attempt on the baseline by Trey Zeigler fell short at the buzzer. "It's unfortunate that we didn't come out on top of this one, but there were a lot of good things that we were able to overcome," said head coach Ernie Zeigler. "We gave ourselves a chance, but just couldn't get over the top."

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CMU to start planning Saginaw medical school campus this fall

Construction costs for the Central Michigan University College of Medicine Saginaw campus could be $16 to $18 million. This fall, a task-force will start planning the Saginaw campus, which includes two buildings near Covenant HealthCare and St. Mary’s of Michigan, according to CMU’s information database for the medical school. The partners will announce full cost projections in the spring. The Saginaw campus will open in the winter of 2015. On Friday, CMU officials released 10, inch-thick volumes of the university’s self-study and database for an accrediting organization after three Freedom of Information Act requests from student newspaper Central Michigan Life and faculty organizations Academic Senate and Faculty Association.

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Meijer president, poet, professor to speak at CMU's three fall commencement ceremonies Dec. 10

The president of Meijer Inc., a world-renowned scholar and a professor will speak at the fall commencement at Central Michigan University. There are 2,512 graduates in three ceremonies on Dec. 10 in McGuirk Arena in the CMU Events Center. At 9 a.m., Meijer President and business leader Mark A. Murray will speak to the business, education and information technology graduates. Murray, who leads the Grand Rapids-based hypermarket chain with more than 190 stores in five states, will receive a doctor of humane letters honorary degree. Speaking to the 1 p.m. ceremony graduates in art, fine arts, music, social work and science administration is poet and scholar Herbert Woodward Martin. For nearly 40 years, Martin has been an educator and wrote right volumes of poetry for which he won awards. He will receive an honorary doctorate of letters.

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Welcome to Alice Cooper's nightmare, coming soon to Mount Pleasant

Alice Cooper was a few minutes late calling about his upcoming show at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant. The master shock-rocker was in Toulouse, France, and his calling card wasn't cooperating. But within minutes, we were off and running, talking about the Halloween show he put on days before at a palace in London. "It was too good," he said, chuckling. "The New York Dolls opened for us, and with the theme of Halloween, we had street performers doing tricks with fire. "That's when I thought we've got to get Arthur Brown to close the show. He's like 70 now but he came up with his head on fire, and my band behind him."

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Zeigler's Double-Double Helps CMU Win Opener, 65-60

Trey Zeigler recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds, to help Central Michigan past Ferris State, 65-60, in the season opener. The Chippewas (1-0) were able to jump out to an 18-2 lead, holding the Bulldogs (0-2) without a field goal for nearly the first 10 minutes. After a pair of free throws tied the game at 2-2, Ferris missed its next nine attempts from the field as Central pulled away to its largest lead of the night, 16, nine minutes into the game. The Bulldogs were able to recover, coming within seven twice in the half and outshooting the Chippewas most of the last 10 minutes. Five Chippewas saw their first official action within the first 10 minutes of the game, including Austin McBroom and Olivier Mbaigoto who both earned a spot in the starting lineup. Additionally, Zach Saylor returned to the court for the first time since the 2009-10 season, quickly grabbing a career-best five rebounds by the second media timeout.

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Late rallies not enough as Central Michigan falls to Ohio in 43-28 football loss

Central Michigan had no answer for Ohio's ground game Thursday night at Kelly Shorts Stadium as the Chippewas fell in a Mid-American Conference game at home, 43-28. Ohio (7-3, 4-2 MAC) finished with 309 yards rushing and 527 yards of total offense. The Bobcats also were 12 of 20 in third down conversions. The loss was Central Michigan's fifth in its last six games. The Chippewas stand at 3-8 overall and just 2-5 in MAC play. The Chippewas fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and trailed just 17-14 at halftime, but Ohio outscored CMU 12-0 in the third quarter. The Chippewas rallied to within one score twice in the fourth quarter, but the Bobcats clinched the victory with Beau Blankenship's 48-yard run with just 2:03 left in the game.

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Antonio Brown serves as example of Butch Jones' sincerity, coaching ability

Former Central Michigan University star Antonio Brown has worked his way up the depth charts for the Pittsburgh Steelers and has had a breakout season this year. An interested onlooker is his former coach at Central Michigan University, Butch Jones. When Jones left for Cincinnati, Brown announced that he would leave a year early to enter the NFL. Brown was a sixth-round pick by the Steelers in 2010 and has surprised many draft experts. But not Jones, who uses Brown as an example to his Cincinnati players about the benefits of hard work.

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CMU suspends journalism student, saying it takes 'possible threat seriously'

Saying it is “committed to the safety of its students, faculty, staff and community,” Central Michigan University announced this evening that it has suspended a journalism student. In an email sent from university Provost E. Gary Shapiro to CMU students and obtained by The Saginaw News, Shapiro stated “We take any possible threat seriously and use appropriate measures to investigate or otherwise address the situation.” The email didn’t identify the student or specify the nature of the “possible threat,” but stated an incident was reported recently to CMU authorities about the actions of a student in the journalism department. CMU officials, including the CMU Police Department, “have fully investigated these allegations and the investigation has resulted in the suspension of the student,” the email stated.

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Pastor Terry Jones tells CMU students he will not apologize for violence after Quran burning

After listening to Rev. Terry Jones for about a half hour, one student asked the Florida pastor whether he felt he should apologize for more than 30 who died in the wave of violence and killings sparked in Afghanistan when he burned a copy of the Quran this March. Jones batted the question back with one word: “No.” “I did not kill them. I burned a book,” Jones said at Central Michigan University on Wednesday, there to discuss the First Amendment with professor Timothy Boudreau’s media law class.

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Indianapolis Colts sign Dan LeFevour to practice squad

Former Central Michigan University quarterback Dan LeFevour was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. LeFevour will immediately step in as the No. 3 quarterback behind Curtis Painter and former Detroit Lion QB Dan Orlovsky. Peyton Manning, out with a neck injury, remains on the active roster, while Kerry Collins is on injured reserve and is out for the season. LeFevour was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft by the Chicago Bears, but was cut before the season started. He was signed to the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad for the 2010 season, but did not play.

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Four newcomers to take seats on Tribal Council

Four newcomers will take seats on the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council in December. First-time council members Stephanie M. Peters, Steven James Pego and Courtney Wemigwans (Kahgegab) join former council member Lorna Kahgegab Call as the new faces on the Tribal Council. All will represent District 1, the Isabella Reservation. Voters picked the top 10 candidates from a field of 20. Incumbent District 1 representatives Diana Quigno-Grundahl, Charmaine Marjorie Benz and Sheila A. Leaureaux finished out of the running in Tuesday’s vote. Incumbent council member Keith Mandoka did not make it past the primary. Incumbents representing districts 2 and 3 were returned to office. In District 2, Saganing, incumbent council member Ron Nelson ran unopposed; in District 3, representing at-large members, incumbent Michelle Stanley defeated challenger Frank Cloutier.

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Three arrested in meth lab bust in Pine River Township Monday

Another meth bust in Pine River Township Monday night resulted in the arrests of three Alma people. Carl Wayne Reed, 52, and Richard Dean Donley, 54, were each charged with maintaining a methamphetamine lab and, with possession of meth, said Gratiot County Prosecutor Keith Kushion. Pamela Dee Ferguson, 34, also of Alma, was charged with maintaining a meth lab only, he said. She had no methamphetamine on her person. Kushion said that members of the Mid Michigan Area Group Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET) received a tip that meth was being manufactured in a camper on West Madison Road. Police put the property under surveillance and when a vehicle pulled away from the camper, police stopped the car and found methamphetamine among the occupants. A search warrant was then issued and police found a meth lab in the camper, Kushion said. No one was living in the camper at the time, but Kushion said it is alleged that Reed and Donley used the camper to cook the meth.

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Mount Pleasant man pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in shooting death of wife

Gary J. Reen faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the April shooting death of his wife. Reen, 56, accepted prosecutors’ plea agreement on Monday, in which prosecutors will drop the initial open count of murder that Reen faced. Reen shot and killed his wife, 51-year-old Cheryl Reen, on April 1 in the couple’s pole barn at East River near South Leaton in Chippewa Township. Gary Reen’s son, Gary Reen II, testified at Reen’s preliminary hearing that the father confessed to the son regarding the shooting. Reen turned himself in to police the night of the shooting. If Reed had been convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, he would have faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Reen also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.

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Tribal council tightens requirements for membership

A deeply divided Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council has voted to change the requirements to become a member of the Tribe. In a 6 to 5 vote, the council voted to tighten the source of the Indian blood quantum requirement for members. The Tribe's constitution, adopted in 1986, requires that members be descended from a person on one of three lists compiled in the 19th century, or from a Tribal base role compiled in 1982, plus be at least one-quarter "Indian blood." The constitution does not, however, define what is meant by Indian blood. Early version of the Tribe's enrollment ordinance also left it largely undefined, and it was interpreted to mean descent from most North American indigenous people. The council then tightened that to define it as descent from a member of any federally recognized Tribe. The newest version, adopted at a special session of the Tribal Council Oct. 26, specifies that only "Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan" blood counts toward the one-quarter Indian blood.

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Mt. Pleasant leaf pickup under way

The city of Mt. Pleasant's leaf pickup is under way. Residents will have full weeks of leaf pickup opportunities, with a full week in between each pickup to rake leaves. According to the city, each collection week will encompass the entire city.

Week of Oct. 31: Staff will collect leaves in a city-wide sweep.

Week of Nov. 7: Residents to rake leaves.

Week of Nov. 14: Staff will collect leaves in a citywide sweep.

Week of Nov. 21: Residents to rake leaves.

Week of Nov. 28: Final collection of leaves. citywide.

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Market on Main brings fine deli food downtown

Downtown Mt. Pleasant has undergone a major transition in just a few short weeks. “In the past few weeks we’ve had a flurry of terrific new businesses open up in downtown – Midori, Camille’s on the River, Edward Jones, Gingko Tree Inn and Riverbluff Bistro. Each of them have its own distinct style and focus, from specialty grocery items to fine dining to financial services,” Mt. Pleasant Downtown Development Director Michelle Sponseller said. “I’m thrilled at the businesses that are choosing to be located downtown. They offer a variety for customers and expands the visitor base that may not have spent a lot of time downtown in the past.” Downtown Mt. Pleasant’s newest establishment is The Market on Main, located at 120 S. Main St., which opened in the last week of October.

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Central Michigan men's basketball thumps Marygrove in exhibition opener, 93-36

The bright, talented freshmen shined Wednesday night as they helped lead Central Michigan to a 93-36 victory over Marygrove in its exhibition opener at McGuirk Arena. CMU freshmen Austin Keel and Austin McBroom each played strong in their first action for the Chippewas. Keel scored a game-high 16 points off the bench in 19 minutes of play and McBroom, who started, hit all three 3-pointers for CMU. Five players finished in double figures, led by Austin Keel's 16 points. Olivier Mbaigoto had 14 points and McBroom, Trey Zeigler and Finis Craddock each tallied 10 points for Central Michigan. Central Michigan was deadly shooting the ball Wednesday, going 36-for-61 for the game or 59 percent. The team also hauled down 52 rebounds, led by Colin Voss' game-high 11 rebounds.

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MAC Championship Would Be Icing on Cake for Lee

Some might say that Paulina Lee of the Central Michigan field hockey team takes on too much. She will beg to differ. "I have an interest in everything," Lee said. "I've always had an extreme interest in doing as much as I can. I don't want to be the best at everything, but I would love to know how to do everything. If I had the time I would love to join a singing group or join the adventure club. It has a lot to do with my upbringing." A co-captain of the Chippewas, she has taken on the role of a leader not only on the field, but off it as well. She has become a student-athlete that not only her teammates, but also fellow student-athletes can model themselves after. Lee partakes in several extracurricular activities, including Phi Kappa Psi, a co-ed business fraternity on the campus of Central Michigan. She also serves as the vice president of CMU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and represented Central Michigan Athletics at the inaugural NCAA forums in Indianapolis, Ind., last spring.

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State fact-finder sides with university on pay and health care coverage in CMU Faculty Association contract dispute

After two months of anticipation, a state-appointed fact finder has released his report on the labor dispute between Central Michigan University administration and its faculty association. There were eight issues where the two sides presented their arguments to the fact finder, Barry Goldman. The two biggest issues are salary adjustments and health care benefits; Goldman recommended the university’s proposal on both issues. “There are two brute facts in this case,” Goldman said. “The first is that we are in Michigan in 2011. Politically and economically there has never been a worse time for public sector collective bargaining.” While admitting that CMU has cash reserves, (then $228 million in unrestricted assets) Goldman said this isn’t the time to spend them. “Circumstances are bad and getting worse,” he wrote. “It would be extremely unwise for CMU to eat its seed corn.”

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Mt. Pleasant preparing for new style that Petoskey plays

When you have been around the game of football as long as Mt. Pleasant coach Jason McIntyre has, you feel like you have seen everything there is to see. But that is exactly what has McIntyre worried about Saturday's Division 3 district championship game with Petoskey, as the Northmen's offense is something McIntyre has never seen before. "Their offense is something I have never seen before. They run a grind-it-out offense with a lot of blockers and they do a lot of off tackle. It is a real physical style," McIntyre said of Petoskey. "It is a little nerve-racking because we have just a week to prepare for the game." Petoskey is now 9-1 on the season after a 31-14 win over Bay City John Glenn last week. The Northmen have been led by back Joe Robbins, who rushed for 206 yards and a touchdown last week and also has many of the school's career rushing records.

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Beaverton youths injured after darting in front of vehicle in Mount Pleasant

The driver of a car that struck two Beaverton teens in Mount Pleasant was not at fault, an investigation has revealed. The juveniles, whose names were not released, ran into the path of the westbound car that a 21-year-old Fenton man was driving on East Broomfield Road near Johnson Road about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, said Mount Pleasant Police Officer Jeff Browne. Both victims were transported to Central Michigan Community Hospital. One was transferred to Covenant Medical Center in Saginaw. Additional details were not released.

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Mt. Pleasant’s Salvation Army collects coats for kids in need

Salvation Army Capt. Brian Reed of the Mt. Pleasant Corps Community Center wants to see every area child in need have a warm winter coat in the coming months. This year is the first the local Salvation Army is collecting “Coats for Kids,” a campaign that has been held annually for several years in some other Michigan cities. Coats can be dropped off at the Mt. Pleasant Tim Horton’s on East Pickard Street near North Mission Street. Donations of coats or monetary donations in cash or check form can also be donated to the Salvation Army at 1308 Burch St. in Mt. Pleasant.

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‘Life Behind Bars:' mid-Michigan man pens song, produces music video

via The Morning Sun

As a corrections officer, mid-Michigan resident Bob Bacon is no professional musician. His love of music inspired him to record a song and produce a music video. “Life Behind Bars” was shot this summer at Marty’s Bar in Mt. Pleasant. “I just wanted to do it. (It was a) vanity project,” Bacon said. “I work at a prison and I was out back behind Marty’s Bar smoking and I just as a joke said, ‘Look I’m going to spend all of my life behind bars.’ “At first everybody would think it’s about prison, but it’s not. It’s about going out behind the bar to smoke.”

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Mid Michigan History: Beware of the Mt. Pleasant speed trap

via The Morning Sun

Mt. Pleasant City Attorney Edward N. Lynch, pictured left in the photo on right, had a six-member jury observe speed-time operation in November 1956, as prelude to a jury trial in which a motorist had been tagged by Mt. Pleasant’s new “semi-robot” cop and protested the ticket. Officer Maynard Pickens operated the machine for, from left beyond Lynch: Officer Tom Martin, Officer Ray Harless, Attorney Ray D. Markel, Defendant Gordon McKinnon, Judge James E, Ryan, jurors – Kenneth Elliott, Jessie Haight, William Downey, Joy Allswede, Louise Bissett and Leona Quinlan, Attorney B. A. Wendrow and Police Chief Vernel Davis.

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Haunted Yard is popular destination in Mt. Pleasant

via The Morning Sun

When Kriss and Mike Roethlisberger were looking for a house in Mt. Pleasant, they wanted to make sure the yard was big enough for their collection of frights. Having started scaring people around Halloween at their country home between Mt. Pleasant and Winn about 15 years ago, the couple wanted to continue the tradition when they moved to 814 N. Lansing St. in Mt. Pleasant. Not only is the “Haunted Yard” large enough for the collection, the couple has added to it over the years and hundreds if not thousands of thrill seekers have toured the yard, which is filled with spooky creatures and a “safe deck” for anyone who gets too scared. Designed for children, the safe deck at the Roethlisberger’s house near the corner of North Lansing and West Pickard streets has “gizmos” that children can play with, including a fog bubble machine.

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Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreaction striving for improvement

via The Morning Sun

Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreation Department is looking to improve on the services it currently offers. Throughout the week of Nov. 7, random surveys will be sent out to roughly 20 percent of the households in the city asking for feedback. "What we are trying to accomplish is, No. 1, what is the recreation department doing in terms of programming? What are we doing (well)?" Mt. Pleasant Recreation Manager Riaan Anthony said. "(We want to know if) we're meeting the needs of residents, if we're meeting the needs of residents and what programs they want to see." Mt. Pleasant's recreation department has never sent out a survey like this before. Residents will have an opportunity to tell what they think the city can improve upon with community recreation services, activities, and programs through a community recreation needs and interests survey.

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Where's Waldo Scavenger Hunt fundraiser planned today at CMU

via The Morning Sun

A “Where’s Waldo?” Scavenger Hunt is planned for 6 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Finch Fieldhouse entrance on the campus of Central Michigan University. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. Teams of two will search for Waldos hidden around campus, with clues leading to the next Waldo’s location. Cost is $12 per team. Contestants will receive a raffle ticket for participating. Raffle tickets may also be purchased for $1 each or $8 for an arm’s length. All proceeds will benefit Believe in Miracles, a Michigan charity dedicated to enriching the lives of Michigan children who suffer from a life-threatening medical condition. For more information about Believe in Miracles, visit www.believeinmiracles.org.

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Princeton Review names CMU College of Business Administration to 294 best business colleges list

via MLive.com

The Princeton Review named Central Michigan University’s College of Business Administration as one of the top 294 business schools in the world. “This ranking is a testament to alumni satisfaction with our college,” said Charles Crespy, College of Business Administration dean. “We have relentlessly focused on innovative, high quality, business-connected programs that inspire students to excel in diverse global environments. We embrace the Princeton Review’s endorsement of our efforts.” The publication surveyed 19,000 students attending the schools to achieve the ranking. The full report is available Princeton Review’s 294 Best Business Colleges 2012 book.

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Mount Pleasant Police pursue man in vehicle, foot pursuit through campus

via CM-Life.com

A police chase ensued early Monday morning when Mount Pleasant resident Brandyn Wiggins fled after being pulled over. According to a press release from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, an officer pulled over the 26-year-old man at approximately 12:17 a.m. near the intersection of Crawford and Broomfield roads. The officer believed Wiggins showed signs of intoxication and proceeded to ask him to step out of the vehicle for field sobriety tests. Wiggins then fled the scene, driving his 2003 Ford Crown Victoria through Central Michigan University’s campus while being pursued by the officer. The pursuit ended when Wiggins crashed into a utility pole after he was traveling too fast. He had been attempting to turn off Broomfield Road to go north on Isabella Road.

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Mount Pleasant boys crushed to death by off-road vehicle

via MLive.com

Two 13-year-old Mount Pleasant boys died here when an off-road vehicle rolled on top of them on Monday, media reports indicate. Mecosta County Sheriff’s officials found the boys unresponsive on a private property — about 50 miles northeast of Grand Rapids — where they were riding the off-road vehicle, The Detroit Free Press reports. Officials say the vehicle’s roll bars were removed, a factor that helped trap the boys beneath the vehicle, the report indicates. Both boys were pronounced dead at the scene, officials say. The names of the victims were not immediately available.

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U-M to pay CMU $850,000 for 2013 football game

via MLive.com

Central Michigan University will receive $850,000 from the University of Michigan to play a football game in Ann Arbor in 2013. Central Michigan Life, CMU's student newspaper, reports CMU will receive 450 tickets to the game on Aug. 21. CMU and U-M last played in 2006 at Michigan Stadium, and with the Wolverines winning 41-17. U-M has won all three games the two schools have played against each other. In 2008, the University of Georgia paid CMU $875,000 to play in Athens.

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'I'm still hot' sums up Betty White as she heads for Mount Pleasant

via MLive.com

I'm the luckiest old broad in the world. There are days you might hear me say that, but this time around, it was Betty White, a lovely lady, calling about her show coming Saturday, Oct. 29, to the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant. She was sitting on her couch, she said, snuggling with her golden retriever, who never lets her out of his sight. An animal activist, White is still reeling from the death of her shih tzu, another retriever and her Malaysian cat, all within the past year. "Ponti is all I have left, just one beautiful golden retriever," she said of her pets. Copies of her new book, her seventh, had just arrived, "It's about the Los Angeles Zoo," she said. "I've been going there for 50 years so all the animals are my friends, and we had these wonderful pictures that were given me.

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Police search for man who attempted to kidnap Mount Pleasant teen

via MLive.com

Law enforcers here are searching for a man suspected of attempting to kidnap an 18-year-old woman last Friday. A Mount Pleasant police report describes the suspect as a Hispanic or Native American male in his late 20s or early 30s; with black curly hair; 5-foot, 7-inches tall and about 160 lbs.; with a black sweater and red baseball hat; and wearing glasses. A sketch is provided. The suspect was driving in a single-cab, older-model red pickup truck, possibly with a yellow sticker in the back passenger side window, the report indicates. Police report the man at 1:50 p.m. Friday approached the teenager while he was on a bicycle, and after she turned away his attempts at a conversation, he returned in the red pickup truck near Crapo and Bellows.

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Medical marijuana supporters rally in Mount Pleasant

via Midland Daily News

Bob Wood of Sanford sat in a folding chair outside the Isabella County Building holding up a "legalize it" sign for driver-bys to see. Wood was one of many taking part in a medical marijuana rally Tuesday afternoon in Mount Pleasant outside the Isabella County Building. "When voters passed this law, they did not intend for police to attack caregivers and patients," Wood said. "It was not the intention of voters." The medical marijuana law, which has been called vague and unclear, has been under fire by local and state authorities and politicians since voters passed it in 2008. Medical marijuana advocate Brandon McQueen spoke at the event. He said it is a personal health care issue. "It's the right to choose the health care they want," he said.

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MPHS graduate trying to become Rhodes Scholar

via The Morning Sun

Mt. Pleasant native and 2008 Mt. Pleasant High School graduate Becca Farnum is taking a large step to better secure her future. Farnum has applied to become a Rhodes Scholar. “Becoming a Rhodes Scholar would be an incredible honor,” Farnum said. “It would allow me to study at Oxford University, fulfilling both a personal dream and jumpstarting my career as an academic.” Currently the 21-year-old is in her senior year at Michigan State University majoring in both interdisciplinary humanities and anthropology. A lot of time, effort and discipline have gone into Farnum maintaining a 3.9 GPA and applying for the scholarship. Applying to be a Rhodes Scholar takes a lot of work and time on its own.

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Mt. Pleasant Man Headed to Prison for Attack

via 9 and 10 News

A Mount Pleasant man is headed to prison after officials say he attacked a man and severely injured him by kicking him with a steel toed boot. The assault happened back in March on on the Saginaw Chippewa Reservation in Mt. Pleasant. Back in June, Aaron Barnes admitted to the attack, and kicking the victim.

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Zeigler Previews 2011-12 Season for the Media

via CMU Chippewas

Central Michigan University's basketball season is just five days old, but already there's a big difference on the floor for head coach Ernie Zeigler. "The excitement for me and our program going into year six is the talent level we have right now," Zeigler said at CMU's annual media day on Tuesday afternoon in McGuirk Arena. "But, that excitement has to be somewhat guarded because of the youth that is still here." CMU's coaching staff inked highly regarded recruiting classes each of the last two years and those players have made their marks already with their athleticism. "I'm excited about all the different (personnel) combinations we are going to have and the style we are going to be able play," he said. "We have guarded optimism for the expectations we have for ourselves, but I think that the biggest thing is we know we have a chance to be successful. The question is how successful? That part of it will bare itself as the season progresses." 

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Bizarre incident leads to man hit by car

via The Morning Sun

Prosecutors will sort out a Saturday incident in which a driver stopped to help a group of pedestrians before getting angry and running into one of them. It was shortly after the Central Michigan football game ended that a 20-year-old Rochester Hills man stopped near Fancher and Kinney. “This one group was trying to get their buddy under control,” said Officer Jeff Browne of the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Seeing this, the would-be Good Samaritan approached to lend assistance, apparently. But the unruly fellow, a 19-year-old from Vassar, redirected his anger at the stranger who had stopped to calm him down. “He stopped to help, but the guy who would become our victim got mad at the the guy who would become our suspect, and it kind of went from there,” Browne said. 

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Girlfriend, ex-wife turn child molester over to police

via The Morning Sun

When a girlfriend spotted child pornographic photos on her boyfriend’s cell phone in August, she turned him over to the police, but she did it her way. First, she marched right over to his ex-wife’s place and the two of them went to the Alma Police. A search warrant for the home of Michael Bernard Bell, 45, of Alma was issued and 200 pornographic photos of children were taken off his computer and cell phone, said Gratiot County Prosecutor Keith Kushion. During the investigation police also learned that Bell had been involved with a 15-year-old boy. After interviewing the boy, who lives in Midland County, police learned that Bell had given the boy marijuana in exchange for sex. Bell ultimately confessed to the molestation, Kushion said.

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Terror on 27 is scarier than ever

via The Morning Sun

When U.S. 27 was first being constructed something happened to all of the road workers that can’t be explained and they all disappeared, according to the story. Every October some builders return to the site where they disappeared to wander. “They wander looking for answers to the same simple questions. . .Why us? and When will it end?” The terror actually began nine years ago when Corey Fowler and his family decided to open a haunted house along the highway now designated as U.S. 127. “This is our ninth year doing it and basically it’s my core family, my mom and dad, wife, two sisters and their husbands,” Fowler said. “Basically it started with just them but now we got a huge staff and we’ve got two haunted attractions and a bunch of events out back.” The two haunted attractions are called “Insanity” and “Entanglement.”

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Police Brief: roundup of investigations through Homecoming Weekend

via CM-Life

According to press logs from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, there were 12 reported liquor violations, three cases of obstructing police, two cases of trespassing, two cases of disorderly conduct, one case of aggravated assault and one count of attempted kidnapping. The attempted kidnapping of an 18-year-old Mount Pleasant woman is under investigation. The attempted kidnapping took place at 3:03 p.m. on Oct. 14 at 1100 Crapo St. One of the liquor violations included citations stemming from a nuisance party. A 21-year-old Mount Pleasant man and a 21-year-old Lansing man were cited for hosting the nuisance party, while a 22-year-old South Lyon man and a 19-year-old Belmont man were cited for attending. The citations took place at 12:05 a.m. on Oct. 15 at 805 Douglas St.

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Men's Hoops Opens Practice on Friday Night

via CMU Chippewas

Year six of the Ernie Zeigler era gets underway for Central Michigan University basketball this Friday, Oct. 14, when the Chippewas hold their first official practice of the season at 7 p.m. “I think the players have been chomping at the bit to get going,” Zeigler said. “Our individual workouts this fall progressed well with a lot of teaching on both sides of the ball. You’ll see a big change with us defensively this year in both schemes and language. “Now that we can get into a regular practice routine, we will be able to focus on our new defense and the different variables in a 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 setting.” CMU returns seven letterwinners, including two starters, from last year’s squad that finished 10-21 overall and 7-9 in the Mid-American Conference. “The most impressive thing about this team so far as been the chemistry,” Zeigler said. “All 16 of the players are working together, pushing each other and doing their best to get better every day. They are spending time together off the court. It has been refreshing.”

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The Embers Opens Inside Kelly/Shorts Stadium

via CMU Chippewas

After leaving a void in the community since its doors closed in 2007, a piece of the long-time Mount Pleasant fine-dining staple The Embers has returned thanks to a partnership between Central Michigan University and former owners Clarence Tuma and his son Jeff. In recognition of the profound impact The Embers had on the community, signature items based on famous The Embers menu will be offered at the concession stands at Kelly/Shorts Stadium during home CMU football games throughout this year and the foreseeable future. "We're excited that the Tuma family was receptive to us bringing a piece of that into our stadium, and giving alumni and friends who come to our game an opportunity to think back and recall the great past and history of The Embers and their connection to it," said CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke, who worked with the Tuma family to make the partnership happen.

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Car-train crash victims identified; neighbor who lost nephew at crossing wants stop sign installed

via The Morning Sun

Beverly House knows the railroad crossing at Denver Road north of Rosebush as well as anyone, and fears it more. House wants the yield sign marking the tracks replaced with a stop sign. She lives just west of the tracks, and her nephew was critically injured and later died after a train hit his pickup truck in 1994. Monday night, she and her husband saw the latest crash scene before emergency crews arrived. “We were coming home and I looked down the tracks and all we could see was orange,” she said. “There was a young man yelling ‘help, help, help.’” In Monday’s crash, a 20-year-old Rosebush woman failed to yield and was critically injured when a train hit her GMC Envoy.

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Postal Service worker suffers head injury in crash between mail truck, pickup in Isabella County

via MLive.com

Police said two drivers were injured this afternoon in a collision between a U.S. Postal Service truck and a pickup truck in Isabella County. Karen L. Reeves, 39, of Remus, who drove the Postal Service truck, suffered head trauma and was transported to a Mount Pleasant hospital and later transferred by helicopter to a hospital in Grand Rapids, according to Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski. The driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck, 62-year-old Patrick E. Murphy of Vestaburg, was transported to Central Michigan Community Hospital in Mount Pleasant following the 1:38 p.m. crash, according to police. The injured drivers’ conditions weren’t immediately available.

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Brandon Named MAC Defensive Player of the Week

via CMUChippewas.com

Junior defender Bailey Brandon has been named the Mid-American Conference's Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Brandon steadied Central Michigan's defense and provided some offense at key times over the weekend en route to the Chippewas sweeping Miami and Bowling Green to keep their MAC record unblemished. Brandon helped CMU post its eighth shutout of the season in Friday's 1-0 win over Miami, assistant in allowing just one shot on goal from MU.

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Man indicted by grand jury for failure to register as sex offender

via Midland Daily News

Douglas Chuck Ritter, 43, of Mount Pleasant was indicted by a federal grand jury in Bay City for failure to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced. The indictment charges that from April to August 2011, Ritter failed to register and update his registration as a sex offender after being convicted of a sex offense in the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Court after entering, leaving or residing on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation in Isabella County.

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Chippewas Stun Eagles 3-2

via CMU Chippewas

Kaitlyn Schultz had a season high 21 kills, as she guided the Central Michigan volleyball team to a 3-2 victory, after trailing 0-2, in the team's first home game of the season. Following an Eagles' (13-4, 1-2) timeout in the fifth set, and the score 8-6 in favor of the Chippewas (8-6, 1-2), Val DeWeerd notched two kills making the lead 10-6. Lindsey Dulude added one of her 13 kills following an EMU point making the score 11-7. Schultz did the rest of work as she reeled off two more kills including the final dagger to give CMU a 15-9 set five win.

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