Joshua H. earns EC point

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Joshua H. caught a mistake on my portfolio page where I had a missing word in my introduction. That shows the importance of proof-reading and that anyone — teachers included — can make mistakes. Thanks for your help, Joshua.

It also gets him on the board in the Extra Credit Contest.

50 Homicides in Nine Months for Flint

A body found in an abandoned home in Flint has been ruled a homicide by the Flint police, making it the 50th homicide in Flint in less than nine months. This is five times the national average and it is the third time Flint has had 50 homicides in one year since 1990. In a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Dayne Walling and Police Chief Alvern Lock urged Flint residents to be proactive about crime prevention. They emphasized the anonymous tipline that the city instituted in July 2009 to help investigators. The tipline number is (810) 237-6812.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/09/a_killing_field_--_50th_flint.html

Actor Tony Curtis Dies at 85

Actor Tony Curtis died on Wednesday, September 29, at his home in the Las Vegas Area. Coroner Mike Murphy confirmed that the actor died of a heart attack. He was 85 years old. Curtis is most known for his roles in movies like “Sweet Smell of Success”, “The Defiant Ones”, and “Some Like it Hot”. His first wife was the star of “Psycho”, actress, Janet Leigh. Curtis and Leigh’s first daughter is famous actress, Jamie Lee Curtis. Besides Jamie Lee, Curtis is survived by five other children.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100930/OBITUARIES/9300440/1361/UPDATE/Actor+Tony+Curtis+dies+at+Las+Vegas-area+home

Mother Accused of Faking Son’s Illness

Carol Schnuphase, a 47-year-old Roseville mother, raised more than $7,000 to help her son fight against leukemia. She asked for money at a variety of events held through her neighborhood church and Facebook. When her twelve-year-old son died of leukemia, Schnuphase opted not to hold a funeral.

This is when family and friends became suspicious.

When family and friends investigated further, they found that Carol Schnuphase had been faking her son’s illness and death the entire time. She began her ruse by making a Facebook page,but quickly increased her earnings through church events and public fundraisers. Schnuphase shaved her son’s head and eyebrows to make it look like he received chemotherapy and reportedly spiked his applesauce with opiates to make him look more ill. With her son fully costumed, Schnuphase had him make public appearances to ask for donations. Carol’s son is now in foster care and Schnuphase faces felony charges.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/09/roseville_police_mom_raised_7k.html

Fenton Bookstore Redesigned and Renamed

Little Professor Book store in Fenton has been reopened as Fenton’s Open Book. Owner Karen Piacentini was a former Little Professor employee who decided to reopen the store because she saw a need within the community. Piacentini wanted to continue the tradition of a locally owned book store in Fenton. By changing the shop’s layout and adding a café and Wi-Fi internet access, Piacentini hopes to make a quaint and cozy environment for local readers.

http://www.mlive.com/fenton/index.ssf/2010/09/around_town_fentons_open_book.html

Sunday Mornings No Longer Sober

Yesterday, Michigan lawmakers approved a bill that would allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday mornings. The current law does not allow store owners to sell alcohol before noon on Sundays. This approved 58-page bill would allow alcohol sales after 7:00 am on Sunday mornings. However, store owners would have to buy a special license for $160. Now that the bill has been approved by lawmakers, the decision to pass it lies with Governor Granholm. The bill was one of the last addendums to the budget for the next fiscal year.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100930/POLITICS02/9300404/Bill-to-expand-Sunday-liquor-sales-heads-to-Granholm-s-desk

Schools offer prizes to get children in school

Schools all over Mid-Michigan are finding incentives for children to show up for school on Student Count Day. 75% of the Flint Community schools budget is typically what the $8,000 per child present in state funding gives. Even though Flint Administrators expect the budget to drop, they are being optimistic with a goal of 11,000 students which would be roughly a drop of 1,200-1,500 students. Durant - Tuuri - Mott Elementary school had 98% of their 530 students showed up. For the students who were not able to make it to school, there is another count day in February.