Battle Creek schools are back to square one on a plan to sell two closed school buildings. Some Northern Michigan University students and employees want the school to rescind an invitation for Governor Rick Snyder to give its commencement address. Michigan candidate for Governor, Shri Thanedar is accused of fraud in a federal lawsuit.
Battle Creek Public Schools’ plan to sell two closed elementary school buildings has fallen through. In February, the Battle Creek School Board authorized Superintendent Kim Carter to negotiate a sale of the Urbandale and Fremont school buildings to the Los Angeles-based UC Education Group. The two schools were closed last year. But the Battle Creek Enquirer reports that district officials say UC Education Group pulled out of the sale because of internal issues. The Battle Creek district has listed the properties with a local relator.
Northern Michigan University has invited Governor Rick Snyder to give its commencement address in May, and WNMU reports some people aren’t happy about it. Students are circulating petitions against the invitation. And a group of university employees and the public wants it canceled. Northern Michigan University President Fritz Erickson says he respects those who don’t agree with the decision. But he says the university welcomes a broad range of opinions and ideas. Opponents of Snyder’s visit say his involvement in the Flint water crisis makes him too controversial. They say his actions don’t fit Northern’s core values.
Michigan gubernatorial candidate Shri Thanedar is accused in a federal lawsuit of making fraudulent and misleading claims to inflate the value of a company he sold last year. The lawsuit filed yesterday in US District Court in Detroit claims that Thanedar misrepresented his company’s monthly income streams and that he personally directed employees to smooth over volatile revenue growth shortly before the sale. In a text message to the Detroit News, Thanedar says he denies every claim made the lawsuit, and intends to fight the lawsuit. Thanedar and two other Democrats, Gretchen Whitmer and Abdul Al-Sayed, have launched campaigns for Michigan Governor.