Latest news with #mid-Michigan
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
6 things to do during the final week of school
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS-TV) – It's Parenting Connection Tuesday, and 6 News is here for you with tips, strategies, and helpful reminders from child development experts on how we can be better parents and guardians. Today's topic: 6 things to do during the final week of school Some of us older parents can already hear Alice Cooper's 'School's Out' gradually getting louder as we enter the final week of the school year. Summer vacation starts for most mid-Michigan kids Friday afternoon. This week is usually fun, which includes things like field days, yearbook signings, and parties… but with all the excitement, sometimes families forget a few things they wish they had done before the year wraps up. Child development experts say, try to do these 6 things before school's out for the summer that'll all go a long way for creating great memories: Take a last day of school picture and don't just keep it in your smartphone, print a copy out. Work with your kid on a memory scrapbook. This can include pictures, but other things like awards or symbolic items. Make a time capsule. Fill something up that includes items that were popular or newsworthy over the past school year. Have your child write a letter to their future self. Have your child write thank-you notes to their teachers, coaches, and adults who helped. Plan a last day of school surprise with your kid, like going for a scoop of ice cream. None of these takes much effort — and many years from now, child development experts say, your kids will thank you for making them do it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Birthright citizenship worries Michigan immigrant community
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — President Trump signed an executive order back in January that would 'deny citizenship' to children who are born to people living in the U.S. illegally or temporarily. The president's executive order was blocked by a federal judge, who called it 'unconstitutional,' but that still leaves many unanswered questions for first-generation citizens. A mid-Michigan woman, who wanted to remain anonymous due to her father's citizenship status, says that as an American raised by two immigrant parents, she's terrified. 'I, myself, was born when neither of my parents had legal status,' she said. Although she was born in the U.S. in 1988 to two Mexican immigrant parents, she says her parents didn't receive their legal status until after she was born. 'That puts me in a very, very stressful situation because if it were retroactive, what does that leave me?' she said. 'That leaves me being undocumented.' She finds herself in the same situation as many other people who were born to immigrant parents who live in the United States. She says currently, her mother is a U.S citizen and her father has his green card, but she still worries about what could happen next. Julie Powers, Executive Director for Immigrant Law and Justice Michigan, says she worries for the children who could be affected. 'It's going to create chaos and confusion. It's going to absolutely devastate our schools. It's going to devastate our courts, because everything's gonna have to go through the court system,' said Powers. 'These are children, for the most part, who are most likely to be affected by this.' Powers says President Trump's executive order conflicts with one of the amendments written in the U.S. Constitution. 'Birthright citizenship was enshrined in the 14th Amendment immediately after the Civil War, and the intention was to ensure that everyone who was born in the United States and formally enslaved people were actually counted as full people instead of three-fifths, and so, it's been in our Constitution since the 1860s,' said Powers. She says due to the President's executive action, her clients are uneasy. 'A lot of clients are not wanting to file paperwork because they're afraid to come to a public location,' said Powers. 'Some kids aren't in school right now or doing distance learning, remote learning.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fentanyl dealers would get mandatory prison under bills
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A set of bills advanced this week in the state House would set harsher penalties for drug dealers who peddle fentanyl, carfentanil, heroin and their derivatives. 'These bills impose a mandatory minimum (prison term) for drug traffickers,' explained one of the bills' sponsors, Rep. Sarah Lightner, R-Springport, in an interview Friday with Target 8 via Zoom. 'We needed to figure out a way to disrupt the supply chain. They are peddling death in our communities.' Inside The fentanyl crisis Lightner acknowledges she's encountered some pushback. Mandatory minimums have faced criticism historically. 'I get that mandatory minimums are something of the past,' said Lightner. '(But) the pendulum has swung, I think, so far to the other side now. I think it's time for us to say, 'We're not going to take it.' It's not just going to be a slap on the wrist.' 8,500 fentanyl pills in Grand Rapids storage shed brings prison In 2023, the most recent year available, fentanyl overdoses killed 2,168 people in Michigan, according to the state health department. Under House Bills and , the mandatory minimum sentences would range from five to 30 years depending on the amount sold. On the low end, less than 50 grams would carry a minimum five years in prison up to 20 years. More than 1,000 grams would garner at least 30 years in prison up to life without parole, as well as a mandatory $2 million fine. Summary: House Bills 4255 and 4256 At a March 19 hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, two mid-Michigan parents who've lost children to fentanyl testified in support of the bills, as did Calhoun County Prosecutor David Gilbert. 'I used to be not a big fan of mandatory minimums just because we were usually getting the low-hanging fruit,' Gilbert testified. 'But things changed right around 2012 when fentanyl and carfentinil hit … (they) are basically the primary movers and killers today in the drug culture.' But Stephanie Kammeraad of Grand Rapids, whose son, Carlos, in January 2023, told Target 8 she does not support mandatory minimums in every case. 'Too late': Grand Rapids teen died even as fentanyl fatalities dropped 'I do think every situation is unique. I worry about those who don't know that what they're dealing or selling has fentanyl in it,' said Kammeraad. 'Then, my heart breaks for them because I picture our son, Carlos, potentially being one of those people. … I don't know that locking people away is fixing the problem.' Kammeraad said Carlos' struggle with addiction could have prompted him to sell drugs in desperation. 'An addict's brain isn't thinking clearly,' Kammeraad said. 'It's only thinking about, 'How do I get the next hit?' That's all they can think about. Their brain chemistry has changed.' Kammeraad wants to focus resources on treatment, not incarceration. Still, she acknowledges mandatory minimum prison terms could make a positive difference. 'It gets people off the streets, yes, which is good,' Kammeraad said. 'I guess it could save someone's life.' If a dealer knowingly sells fentanyl or sells solely to enrich themselves, Kammeraad agrees that a mandatory prison sentence is appropriate. Lightner noted that the bills passed the House, which has a Republican majority, with bipartisan support. She hopes the Democrat-controlled Senate will consider the bills promptly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vietnam veterans prepare to go on mid-Michigan Honor Flight
WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — Next week, dozens of Michigan veterans will be in our nation's capital as part of the mid-Michigan honor flight. It's especially meaningful for two West Michigan veterans, because they weren't fully appreciated when they returned home from Vietnam. One group of veterans get together weekly at Marge's Donut Den. They're all dealing with PTSD. Ismael Figueroa, of Wyoming, doesn't just go for himself. 'Some of them are hurting. I like to go because I can learn from them, but I can also share, and I feel I can help, just by talking to them,' said Figueroa. 52 years later, Navy veteran finally gets his service medals Figueroa was 21 years old when he was drafted and sent to Vietnam — a long, divisive war. 'Absolutely nothing. They tell you nothing until you land in Vietnam and they open the door,' he said. But this mechanic who took care of the hydraulics, electronic, anything to do with the firing of the weapon, would soon find out. 'When you get in Vietnam, the one thing they do tell you: If you can make it for 90 days, your odds on surviving Vietnam are great.' Not only were Figueroa and his buddies fighting to stay alive, they were also dealing with heartache from home. 'In Vietnam, you get 'Dear John' letters, which me and Frank got one, Frank wanted to shoot himself … and I talked him out of it. You got guys that got divorce papers. Can you imagine getting divorce papers and you're in the middle of a war?' Figueroa said. Middle schooler raises funds for Mid-Michigan Honor Flight 'When the deserters were going to Canada to get out of the draft or to get out of going to Vietnam, I could've gone there legally,' said John Racicot, of Caledonia, who wasn't even a U.S. citizen when he was sent to war. But he didn't. 'No. I had been in the United States at the time for nine years, it's your duty,' he said. 'It wasn't pleasant, you never knew, just never knew what would happen.' He knew quickly he needed help. 'Once you got in country, you learn religion real fast, because then it's real,' Racicot said. Figueroa and Racicot were ready to go home but some Americans weren't ready for them. 'Nobody approaches you; they keep their distance,' explained Racicot. 'There was no party. It was basically business as usual. I don't think my dad ever said anything about welcome home,' said Figueroa. Figueroa, who was told to not even wear his uniform home, knows it was worse for others. 'You're in a war, you're doing what you're told, you're serving your country, and you've got these certain people treating you like trash,' Figueroa said. But he feels the love and support of his son, also named Ismael Figueroa, who is a veteran as well. 'You were there every time I came home,' Figueroa said to his father. A Mother's Mission: Honoring her fallen son by helping heroes He'll be his dad's guardian for the mid-Michigan honor flight. They'll be among dozens of veterans who will be in our nation's capitol seeing the memorials dedicated to them. 'It's an honor to go,' said the older Figueroa. 'I was surprised and honored,' said Racicot. After waiting several years, Racicot also got the call. He'll be going with his grandson. 'I want to show my grandson what happened there,' he said. While the older Figueroa and Racicot have heard stories about the honor flight, they don't know how they'll react. Figueroa will soon be back at his weekly gathering to talk about his experience on the honor flight. While his family wasn't there to greet him when he returned home from war, they'll be there when he gets back from the honor flight. 'They deserve this, they deserve that recognition, he's my world,' said the father Figueroa's wife. Be sure to tune in Sunday after News 8 at six to watch Vietnam: A Lost Generation at 7 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
McDonald Rivet says she'll seek reelection to the U.S. House instead of a Senate run
U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, speaks at her swearing-in ceremony in Flint, Mich., on Jan. 27, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Freshman U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat from Bay City, ruled out a run for U.S. Senate Thursday, saying she will instead seek reelection to the House. 'I love mid-Michigan, and representing our region in Congress is the honor of my lifetime. I first ran for office because too many families in our district work hard but struggle to get by, and now they are worried about what extreme proposals from DC would mean for their lives and their ability to make ends meet,' McDonald Rivet said in a statement. 'In this moment, each of us should put ourselves in the position that allows us to do the most good. So I am excited to run for re-election in our highly competitive district, help win back the House, and move an agenda that uplifts the working people in our communities.' McDonald Rivet had been exploring a possible Senate candidacy following the announcement in January by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) that he would not seek reelection in 2026, a surprise decision that complicates Democrats already-slim chances of retaking the upper chamber next year. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 advantage. Her decision leaves state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), who announced last week she was running for Peters' seat, as the only announced candidate for the Democratic nomination. Potential rivals include U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham), who Politico reported in February had hired additional staff for a possible run, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) and Abdul El-Sayed, a former gubernatorial candidate who recently stepped down as Wayne County's health director to explore a possible run. On the Republican side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-White Lake) has hinted at another run for Senate in 2026 after being narrowly defeated last November by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly). Former gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Holland), and state Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, (R-Coldwater) have also been mentioned as mulling candidacies. There had been speculation that U.S. Rep. John James might enter the race for the GOP nomination, but he ended that with his announcement Monday that he was instead running for governor. McDonald Rivet's decision to seek reelection to the House isn't a sure thing. While she won the 8th District by 7 percentage points in November, President Donald Trump won it by 2 percentage points and the National Republican Congressional Committee indicated they had their eye on flipping it next year. On the same day as McDonald Rivet's announcement, the NRCC issued three separate statements condemning her votes against a budget bill, voter registration legislation, and a bill to limit the power of federal judges. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
