Rewind: News Highlights From The Last 7 Days

UAW workers at two of Lansing’s three auto plants voted against a contract with General Motors last week. UAW Local 1753, representing 200 workers at GM’s Lansing Redistribution Center, approved the contract with 66% in favor. UAW Local 602, representing 2,300 workers at the Lansing Delta Township plant, rejected the terms with 61% voting against. UAW Local 652, at Lansing Grand River Assembly, also opposed the deal with 58% rejecting the terms. Despite these holdouts, the UAW announced Monday that members at General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis had ratified a record four-and-a-half-year agreement for its 146,000 members. A total of 64% of UAW workers across all three companies voted in favor of the agreement, which would boost wage increases 23% to 25%, while starting wages and top wages would see increases of about 70% and 33%, respectively.

The search for Michigan State University’s next president has been narrowed down to one finalist in University of North Carolina Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, The State News reported. The other finalist was University of Texas at San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy, but MSU officials confirmed last week that he had dropped out. Guskiewicz, an award-winning neuroscientist and concussion researcher, has been his university’s chancellor since 2019. He joined the UNC faculty in 1995 and became chair of the Exercise and Sports Diet Department in 2005. On Thursday, he said he was considering the opportunity. MSU Trustee Dennis Denno, chair of the presidential search committee, said in October that a president would be announced by Thanksgiving.

The East Lansing City Council voted unanimously to appoint George Brookover as the city’s new mayor. The decision came after newly elected Council members Kerry Ebersole Singh, Mark Meadows and Erik Altmann took their seats alongside Brookover and Dana Watson. Ebersole Singh was then elected mayor pro tem, 3-2, with Brookover and Watson voting for Watson. Brookover’s father, Wilbur Brookover, served as mayor of East Lansing from 1971 to 1975.

The Michigan State Capitol Commission revealed conceptual plans for a proposal to build a new park on Capitol grounds. The project, known as Park Michigan, would transform a current parking area east of the Hall of Justice into a green space with monuments, gardens, gathering spaces and performance venues. The plan would include a “We the People Plaza,” a 360-degree viewing center where visitors would be able to experience new views of the Capitol Building and the Michigan Library and Historical  Center. The park will also be connected to the Capitol by way of the Frank J. Kelley Walkway, and to the Lansing River Trail via a non-motorized path. The commission plans to pursue the project through a public-private partnership. Once work is completed, the commission would be responsible for maintaining the park.

The Lansing Police Department has been awarded $900,000 in law enforcement grant funding. The largest sum, $314,987, will go toward victim assistance support, followed by $239,039 for vehicle theft prevention, $190,863 for traffic and speed control and $158,406 for firearm safety.

 A 35-year-old woman was shot to death near the 2800 block of Averill Drive in Lansing on Saturday afternoon. Police arrived at the scene around 6 p.m., where first responders pronounced Shamika Parker dead. LPD Captain Eric Pratl said the department does not believe the shooting was a random act. LPD has confirmed an investigation, but no arrests had been announced as of Tuesday afternoon.

Two men were pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting at Waverly Park apartments in Lansing Monday evening. LPD arrived just after 5 p.m., where they found a 22-year-old and a 30-year-old dead from gunshot wounds.

A single gunshot at Birch Tree Apartments in Lansing put residents out in the cold at around 11:30 p.m. Thursday after the shot damaged a water pipe, WILX reported. The shot damaged the pipe, causing a major leak and water damage throughout the building. LPD said the third floor suffered the greatest damages, but all residents of the building have been cleared out for safety reasons. It’s unclear when those residents may be able to return to their homes.