Rewind: News from the last 7 days

A man has been charged in a May 2024 shooting that killed one teenager and injured six others. Kylete Owens, 17, died from his injuries, including a gunshot wound to the head. Police recovered 58 shell casings from the area in and around Rotary Park, and the casings came from multiple calibers of guns, according to a statement from John Dewane, Ingham County’s top prosecutor. Prosecutors have charged Damarion Joseph McCall, a 20-year-old Lansing resident, with open murder and six counts of assault with attempt to murder, as well as weapons offenses and a habitual offender charge. McCall is scheduled for a probable cause hearing and preliminary hearing in January. He was arrested on Sunday, his bond was set at $500,000 and had not been posted as of early Monday afternoon. Dewane said Lansing Police detectives did an extensive investigation, including witness interviews, surveillance video and forensic analysis. He said police requested the multiple charges.

Former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham was introduced Sunday as the new head coach for the University of Michigan football team. It followed his hiring and his signing of a 5-year deal on Friday, which came after the firing and arrest of former U of M coach Sherrone Moore the week before. The Whittingham press conference took place in Orlando, where the Wolverines are preparing to play Texas in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Whittingham, 66, won 177 games in 21 years and guided the Utes to two Rose Bowls, three conference championships, and an undefeated 2008 season capped by a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. U-M assistant Biff Poggi — named interim coach after Moore’s firing and who called the program a “malfunctioning organization” earlier as he made his own interest in the position known — called Whittingham a “perfect fit” for the team.

A man was shot and killed by a homeowner in Fowlerville after allegedly breaking in on Christmas Day. The man, accused of traveling from the Lake Orion area to break in, was the estranged husband of a woman who was visiting at the home. Authorities have said the homeowner is believed to have acted in self-defense after the estranged husband fired multiple shots. The homeowner was treated at U-M Hospital in Ann Arbor for non-life-threatening injuries. The incident is still under investigation.

The Michigan Court of Appeals has overturned a ruling from Ingham County Circuit Court related to a 2021 fireworks show at the Izzone Campout. The decision determined there was not enough evidence to prove a company’s negligence was a factor in a student’s eye injury by an unidentified object. Adam Russell was struck in the eye by the object at the campout and suffered permanent vision loss, according to court records obtained by the Lansing State Journal, leading Russell to file suit against Black Diamond Fireworks. Circuit Court Judge James Jamo ruled in favor of the company in November 2024, but the Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Russell was not responsible for proving the act was the only catalyst for his injuries.

Arturo “Art” Santa Cruz, founder of the popular El Azteco restaurant in East Lansing, died at his home in New Mexico on Thursday, the business announced on social media. Santa Cruz opened the restaurant at the former Pizza Pit location on M.A.C. Avenue in 1976. He had earned a math degree from New Mexico State, then came to MSU to get his master’s degree in counseling, according to a 2016 Lansing State Journal story. But despite having no restaurant experience, Santa Cruz decided to open “El Az” to fulfill his vision of an underground restaurant. Five years later, he launched a second location on Saginaw Street in Lansing, then he expanded and relocated the EL restaurant to its current fixture on Ann Street in 1990 – and the rooftop dining space two years later. In 2012, Santa Cruz sold the restaurant to Paul Vlahakis.

The holiday is over except for the returns, so it is time to start looking at ditching that real tree and dumping busted decorations. Real trees can last for three to six weeks with daily watering, so unless you got yours rather late in the season, it’s probably time. Lansing and East Lansing residents can put their trees on the curb from now until mid-January, no stickers or registration required. Trees should be stripped of any ornaments and trees taller than 6 feet should be cut in half. Granger also collects Christmas trees, treating them as yard waste. Existing customers can get their trees picked up for $10 a tree, with no advance scheduling but there may be delays based on demand. Residents of Meridian Township can drop trees off at Nancy Moore Park for free or for $10 at the Meridian Recycling Center. There’s also a Boy Scout fundraiser, for Troop 164G (covering Haslett, Okemos and East Lansing) on Jan. 3. Fill out a form for the fundraiser at https://www.meridian.mi.us/Home/Components/News/News/6256/16