MAinstage | the Annual event kicks off the semester, 3A
Central Michigan Life
Monday, Aug. 23, 2010
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
CMU junior mugged early Saturday morning Alleged suspects still unknown By Ryan Czachorski Senior Reporter
Photos by jeff smith/staff photographer
Mount Pleasant Police officers Nathan Koutz, left, and Michael Covarrubias write a ticket for a minor after he bumped into the officers with a case of alcohol Saturday on South Main Street. The minor was cited for open intoxicants but not a Minor in Possession.
Patrolling
Main Street
Police Officers Jeff Browne, left, and Nathan Koutz explain expectations for Welcome Weekend parties Saturday at a residence on South Main Street.
Cooperation with area police mostly high throughout festivities By Ryan Czachorski | Senior Reporter
T
he moment Jeff Browne showed up to 1020 S. Main St. the party really heated up. Though Browne, Mount Pleasant Police public information officer, only intended to talk to the residents about party protocol, his arrival at 9 p.m. on Saturday sparked a chain of events. The music was instantly turned down, over half the people scurried inside and cornhole boards were immediately removed from the lawn — a common reaction to officer presence throughout much of Welcome Weekend.
Sgt. Dan Gaffka briefs eight police and fire officials on procedures for Welcome Weekend foot patrols Saturday evening at the Mount Pleasant Police Department, 804 East High St.
“It’s been one of the busiest,” Browne said. “Maybe not in terms of tickets, but in terms of traffic and complaints.” Another commonplace of the weekend’s festivities were tickets for Minor in Possessions and open intoxicants. Official totals for MIPs and other weekend crimes were not available from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, but press logs indicated at least 22 MIP tickets were written between Thursday and Saturday. The Isabella County Sheriff’s Department handed out 20 MIPs on Friday and Saturday night combined. Browne said the weekend was among the busier
in memory due to the large freshman class and a high number of guests in the area. Despite the high number of party-goers, Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said cooperation was prevalent. “There were a lot of people, but when we asked them to disperse, they did very well,” Mioduszewski said. Over Friday and Saturday, the Sheriff’s Department broke up 79 parties and gave out two citations for disorderly conduct. Both the MPPD and the Sheriff’s Department had multiple officers on foot to patrol the party scene. A weekend | 2A
Police are still on the lookout for suspects in a Saturday morning unarmed robbery on Central Michigan University’s campus. The robbery took place at the corner of Preston Street and West Campus Drive between 4:15 and 4:30 a.m. The victim, a 20-year-old CMU junior, was allegedly approached by three or four assailants, assaulted and had his wallet stolen. Following the robbery, the suspects fled the scene and headed south toward the Towers residence halls, according to CMU Police. The suspects were described as three or four black males, but no other information was released. Troy sophomore Libby Motzenbecker, a resident of West Campus Apartments, had not initially heard about the robbery and felt police should have informed her complex, which sits just north of the scene of the incident. She said she routinely walks back from downtown to her apartment. “It makes me worried,” she said. “Now, I am definitely going to have someone with me at all times.” The victim suffered non-lifethreatening injuries.
“He was not admitted to the hospital,” said CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley. “He sought his own treatment.” Police re-interviewed the victim Saturday, but no new information was released on the crime. Yeagley said the police department is hoping to release a suspect description on Monday with the information they have. Sgt. Cameron Wassman said the department is still actively searching for more information to aid the investigation in its early stages. “We hope we might get some tips,” Wassman said. “Unfortunately, without very much suspect information, we might reach a dead end.” Motzenbecker moved into her apartment last week after living in the residence halls during her freshman year. She said she doesn’t regret the decision despite the incident nearby, and attributed it to the wildness of Welcome Weekend. A press release was sent out to Towers staff to post and keep students informed of the situation. In addition to re-interviewing the victim, CMU Police are looking for any eyewitnesses. If anyone has any information on the incident, they are advised to call the CMU dispatch line at 774-3081 or the tip line at 774-1874. metro@cm-life.com
Temporary faculty vote overwhelmingly for union representation UTF could soon be certified by state By Amelia Eramya Staff Reporter
After a yearlong battle, adjunct faculty has gained the right to bargain with the Central Michigan University administration. Members of the Union of Teaching Faculty voted by a margin greater than 3 to 1 for union representation Friday. “It was a long road,” said Dan Kukuk, organizer for the American Federation of
Teachers Michigan. “We had some major obstacles, but we’re excited now.” The Michigan Employment Relations Commission sent ballots to UTF members at the end of July. Ballots were due Thursday. Members could vote yes or no for union representation or to have representation from the Michigan Education Association, Kukuk said. AFT Michigan has represented UTF in collective bargaining with administration since November 2009. “We expect the state to certify the results shortly,”
A union | 2A
LIVE | Jeff Daniels performs downtown
Mountain 101 to officially launch in Sept. New radio station targets older, local crowd By Heather Hillman Senior Reporter
Tim Patishnock is excited for the opportunities that could come with the new radio station he is working with. He is the program director for the Mountain 101, a new radio station focusing on adult album alternative
music. The Mount Pleasant junior said the station currently broadcasts on 101.1 FM, has been on the air for a couple of months and will be officially launched in September. The new station will be run by WMHW. “You can really find something that you like on this station,” Patishnock said. “Acoustic, jazz, world, rock, indie, folk — I really tried to make it as diverse as possible.” The Mountain 101 originally started as an HD sta-
tion that would require a subscription to listen to. After HD failed to catch on as they had hoped, Patishnock said they went back to the drawing board to create a local radio station anyone in town can listen to. The station will feature artists from as far back as the 1970s to more modern musicians such as Coldplay and John Mayer. Patishnock said his goal was to keep a good balance between music that is both new and exciting and old and familiar.
“91.5’s focus is on modern rock, which is more cutting edge and more aggressive,” Patishnock said. “I personally saw the new station as being geared toward a somewhat older crowd and skewing more female.” Berkley freshman Vince Pettelle said he feels the station is not geared toward college students and the type of music they enjoy. However, he said that if he was in a relaxed mood, he would consider checking
Jeff smith/staff photographer
A Mountain | 2A
Actor Jeff Daniels performs for a large crowd Saturday during the Max and Emily’s Summer Concert Series on Broadway Street in downtown Mount Pleasant.
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