Rewind: News from the last 7 days

Jaquez Moye-Young, a 14-year-old student at Eastern High School, was shot and killed Saturday in north Lansing. He was found on West Oakland near the U-M Health-Sparrow's St. Lawrence campus and was pronounced dead at Sparrow Hospital on Michigan Avenue. Police have made no arrests as of Tuesday morning. It’s Lansing’s fifth homicide this year, all since April 10.

Seth Waxman, a vice chair of the Mason Planning Commission, was arrested Saturday in Bluffton, Indiana, on felony charges of child solicitation to engage in sexual intercourse and knowingly possessing a contraband legend drug. The arrest was livestreamed on Youtube by Predator Catchers Inc.  He entered a not guilty plea when he was arraigned Monday and has resigned his position in Mason.

Muhammad El-Amin, 36 and a teacher and basketball coach at Holt High School, was arrested Thursday in one of several child sex stings conducted last week by multiple Lansing-area law enforcement agencies. He was arraigned Friday in 54-A District Court on one count of child sexually abusive activity, two counts of computers-internet-communicating with another to commit a crime, and accosting children for immoral purposes — all felonies. El-Amin was placed on administrative leave. He will face a probable cause hearing May 17 and preliminary hearing May 24.

Lansing’s City Council unanimously approved Monday the appointment of Greg Venker, 41, as city attorney after delaying a vote on Mayor Andy Schor’s choice for nearly a month. The Council tabled a resolution to appoint Venker as James Smiertka’s successor April 8 after some members wanted more time to meet with the candidate. Venker, who served as interim city attorney, spent nine years practicing law in Wisconsin, including six as a state prosecutor and three at a private law firm. Smiertka, 78, served from 1994 to 2004 and again from 2016 until March.

The city of Lansing began Monday demolishing the former National Guard building at 2500 S. Washington Ave. to make way for building a $175 million public safety complex. City officials broke ground last October for the complex, which will include the Lansing Police Department's new headquarters, its lockup facility for short-term prisoners, a relocated fire station and the 54A District Court. The National Guard building has housed the city's elections office and the Lansing Public Media Center for more than 14 years. It also features a large mural by Max Sansing that may be reproduced in the future. Bricks are available free at the site.

Meridian Township Supervisor Patricia Herring Jackson submitted her resignation to the township board effective Thursday (May 9) without explanation. Jackson was appointed in 2022 after the death of Ron Styka and elected that fall to serve out his term, but she did not file for reelection this year. Trustee Scott Hendrickson filed for the post and is running unopposed in the August Democratic primary. No Republican has filed.

A new sign reading University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Michigan Medicine was placed 10 stories high on the downtown Lansing hospital Saturday to acknowledge Sparrow Health System's official 2023 merger with University of Michigan Health network. Universal Sign Systems used two cranes to hoist the sign, which also included the block “M” logo. The name change happened April 1, but it may take another year for all the signage, websites, paperwork and other Sparrow artifacts to be upgraded, officials said.

Costs of the investigation into bullying and misconduct claims by MSU trustees are estimated to be approaching $2 million. An invoice obtained by the Lansing State Journal shows that Miller & Chevalier billed MSU $1.4 million for its work through January. The board asked Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in March to consider removing Trustees Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno. The board has been billed for at least $22,000 in travel and meal costs for attorneys and their staff traveling to interview board members and others.

Eaton County Prosecutor Douglas Lloyd said Friday that three members of the county’s Sheriff’s Office were justified in using deadly force when they shot and killed Garrett Freeman on Jan. 11 in a rural area near Sunfield. Freeman, 33, of Mulliken, pointed a gun and fired in the direction of Lt. Preston Dahlgren and deputies Shelby Studley and Randi Lane during the incident. The shooting stemmed from a domestic assault investigation, which followed an altercation between Freeman and his ex-girlfriend in which he drove his vehicle into hers.