Battle Creek's former mayor may come back to fill a vacancy on the city commission. Michigan State University denies a white nationalist group's request to hold an event on campus. The Bombers lose the opening game of the Summer Collegiate World Series.
Former Battle Creek Mayor John Godfrey could return to the city commission before the November election. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that Commissioner Mike Sherzer is moving out of the city, but has not given a date for stepping down. The City Commission voted Tuesday to appoint Godfrey to the position if Sherzer resigns. Commissioners have 30 days to appoint someone once there is vacancy, but the Battle Creek city charter says it can’t be done within 60 days of the November election.
The owner of a craft beer business in Kalamazoo says it is closing after he was accused of being a Nazi, and a second brewer says his business has been caught up in the firestorm. Pictures of Craft Draft 2 Go owner Aaron Van Arsdale with a swastika on his head and giving a Nazi salute circulated on social media recently. He says posting the pictures taken at a tailgate before a football game was "bad judgment." But Van Arsdale says he is not a Nazi. Messages on social media sites have urged customers not to patronize his business. Meanwhile Boatyard Brewing owner Brian Steele tells the Kalamazoo Gazette that his business was dragged into the controversy. A story by Forbes reported that Van Arsdale’s girlfriend worked at Boatyard. Steele says she was an intern two years ago, and he doesn’t know anything about her belief system in his words “beyond craft beer.”
Michigan State University has denied a request from a white nationalist group that wanted to hold an event on campus. The National Policy Institute, led by well-known white nationalist Richard Spencer wanted to hold an event on the East Lansing campus in mid-September. The university issued a statement Thursday saying that it was denying the request. MSU officials cited concerns about public safety following violence at a white supremacist event in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. Texas A&M and the University of Florida also recently denied requests from the National Policy Institute to hold events on their campuses. The Detroit Free Press reports that the National Policy Institute may take the case to court.
Michigan State Police are cracking down on drunk driving. The Kalamazoo Gazettesays it’s part of the state’s new "Get Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. Last year Michigan police arrested more 32,000 people for driving under the influence of alcohol. There were also 271 drunk driving deaths. Michigan State Police will be doing more patrols for drunk drivers starting Friday.
Dozens of teachers picketed outside the Kalamazoo Public Schools Board meeting yesterday. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports educators aren’t pleased with the current contract negotiations. The teachers union, Kalamazoo Education Association, says the district should be spending more on its educators. Among other things, the KEA has suggested three fewer work days and a more than $44,000 increase in teacher health savings accounts. That would put the budget one-point-five million dollars more than what the district proposed. Kalamazoo Public Schools has three more negotiation sessions scheduled before kids go back to school on September 5.
There have been 600 drownings in the Great Lakes since 2010. The Detroit Free Press says that’s according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. On average, almost half of those drownings occur in Lake Michigan. Overall drownings are down this year compared to this time last year. Experts note that swimmers often overestimate their swimming abilities, and underestimate how dangerous water conditions can be. Most Michigan beaches don’t have life guards, but they do have flotation devices. Swimmers should locate those devices each time they go to the beach.
In baseball, Battle Creek will try to force a third and decisive game in the Summer Collegiate World Series. The Bombers lost at St. Cloud Thursday night 7-5. The two teams meet again Friday night at C.O. Brown Stadium. If the Bombers win they will play again Saturday night in Battle Creek to decide the best of three game series and the Northwoods League Championship.