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LIFE IN BRIEF: 5 men charged with robbing CMU student at gun point — so they could allegedly buy more alcohol » alcohol PAGE 3
SPORTS: Wednesday, June 12, 2013
CMU athletics director Dave Heeke says he’s staying put » PAGE 4
cm-life.com TOUR DE MOUNT
MOUNT PLEASANT
Professional cyclists ride through Mount Pleasant for Le Tour » PAGE 4
‘American Idol’ winner Kris Allen kicks off Max & Emily’s Summer Concert Series Series » PAGE 3
Knight hired as CMED communications director Previous finalist for student publications director finds a different opportunity By John Irwin Editor-in-Chief
Jim Knight, a finalist for Central Michigan University director of student publications, has been
hired as the College of Medicine’s lead communications official. For Knight, the wife of husband of Associate Vice President of Communications Sherry Knight, the opportunity to be closer to
chance to work in a new position that hasn’t existed before and is very important, is exciting.” Knight, the former manager of human resources communications at the University of Michigan, was previously one of three finalists for the student publications director position, whose duties including advising and overseeing Central Michigan Life and The Central Review. His candidacy was greeted
family, while working in a brand new position as CMED director of marketing and communications was too much to pass up. “Family is cerJim Knight tainly a part of it,” Knight, a 1984 CMU alum, said. “But, the
with controversy in April because of a perceived conflict of interest due to his marriage. While he was passed over for the student publications position, Knight will soon find himself working at CMU anyway, beginning his new job with CMED on Monday.
A KNIGHT | 2
STATE LEGISLATURE
Bill would give college grads tax credits for student loans By John Irwin Editor-in-Chief
SHANNON MILLARD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Mount Pleasant resident Tom Dreyer sits in the drivers seat of his 1961 Chevrolet Impala convertible during the 29th Annual Mount Pleasant Summer Festival “Rods in the Park” car show at Island Park, 331 N. Main St
HOT WHEELS
Locals show off their rides at Mount Pleasant Summer Festival By Nathan Zinzi | Staff Reporter The smell of elephant ears and carnival food lingered over Island Park Sunday evening as the Mount Pleasant Summer Festival came to a close, as did a group of car aficionados. As most everything else was winding to a close at the festival, a group of men and women from around mid-Michigan lingered, showing off their rides at the Rods in the Park car show. Model-T’s from the 1930s and ‘40s were on display, fixed up and looking better than many of the newer cars parked nearby. Chevrolet trucks from the 1960s were in such great shape, that they were being sold for nearly three times what the original asking price 40 years ago. Each car had a personality and each driver had their memories engrained within their vehicles. “It’s definitely a chick-magnet,” Roy Cummings said of his 1964 Nova SS. “I built this thing from the ground up. It’s my pride and joy.” His other “show-off ” car is a 1965
Chevy pick-up, all original parts, which he only takes out when he can afford to gas it up at $4.25 per gallon. Mount Pleasant native Tom Dreyer brought his 1961 Chevrolet Impala to the show, which he had been working on for more than 20 years. “Pretty much right when I bought the old rust bucket, I started fixing her up,” Dreyer said. “It’s an interesting, but very expensive, hobby.” His first car was a 1960 Chevy Impala, which is the reason he decided to fix up one to begin with. “I wanted to relive my glory days I guess,” he said with a smile. Many of the people who attended the car show were car fanatics. The owners were being drilled by folks who wanted to know everything there was to know about the beauti-
SHANNON MILLARD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A 1961 Chevrolet Impala convertible on display during the 29th Annual Mount Pleasant Summer Festival “Rods in the Park” car show at Island Park, 331 N. Main St.
fully kept vehicles. “It’s a difficult task maintaining a car to look brand new,” Novi senior Tim Barrett, who came to the show with a few of his friends. “I have always been into fixing cars, but I never have gotten involved with car shows. I love coming to them because you never see cars like these on the streets anymore, and rarely are you able to talk to the owners.”
All in all, no cars were sold that day at the car show, despite each being up for sale. But everyone had a great time. “I was here last year, I was here this year and you better believe I’ll be back next year,” Dreyer said. “Hopefully with something else to show.” metro@cm-life.com
LANSING— A new bill working its way through the state Legislature would give college graduates an income tax credit if they continue to live in Michigan after graduation. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Glenn Anderson, D-Westland, is designed to help ease repayment of student loan debts for recent graduates while giving them an incentive to remain in Michigan. “My legislation addresses two significant problems in Michigan — the growing student loan debt crisis for college graduates and the economic brain drain we experience when our students move to other states after graduation,” Anderson said in a news release. “The credit would be a financial incentive for graduates to stay in Michigan.” If passed, graduates would receive a tax credit equal to up to half of what’s paid in student loans each financial year without exceeding up to 20 percent of the average tuition rates at public Michigan universities. That translates to about $2,100. In order to be eligible for the tax credit, one must be a Michigan resident who graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree from any Michigan university. Midland graduate student Katy Leng said she is already planning on staying in the state after she earns a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. But she is not sure the tax credit would be enough to keep her in Michigan if she had a choice. “It would be something to think about, but it definitely wouldn’t be a deciding factor,” she said, adding that her top priority is finding a job, regardless of if that job is in-state or not. However, Hudson graduate student Brandon Curtis said the legislation would come as a huge relief to him should it pass and be signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder. “I’m a single father, and as a grad student, (student loan debt) has gotten to a point where I have considered joining the Army for the tax credits they get,” Curtis said.
A TAX CREDIT | 2
CMU student Chloe Mercer organizing Oklahoma tornado relief trip By Arielle Breen Staff Reporter
With images of a tornado-torn Oklahoma City suburb fresh in her mind, one student decided to take action and offer relief to the city. On May 22, an EF5 tornado with winds of at least 200 mph destroyed much of the city of Moore, leaving 24 people dead and more than $2 billion in property damage in its wake. The devastation left an impact Mount Pleasant senior Chloe Mercer, so she decided to do something about it. She is in the process of organizing a relief trip to Oklahoma
City starting Aug. 15. “I thought it would be a good idea to get the community involved and see what we could do,” Mercer said. Mercer has worked closely with Scott Harding, the founder and CEO of the National Relief Network, to make the trip happen. She said giving back to the community was commonplace growing up in her family and that her background in construction and medical firefighting made a trip to Oklahoma make sense to her. She said one of the goals of this relief trip is to expose young adults to relief work in the hopes they will
continue to give back throughout their lifetime. “It’s a very rewarding trip, not just in the sense of for the community we plan on helping, but also for the volunteers themselves,” Mercer said. Mercer’s originally hoped to have 35 volunteers come along to cover the minimum price for the charter bus, but she has heard from at least 65 who plan to volunteer. Travel to and from Oklahoma, travel between job sites, food and accommodation are all included in the cost, which will vary depending on how many people end up volunteering. A RELIEF | 2
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNYSA JOHNSON/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL/MCT
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers from Brookfield’s Elmbrook Church recover items from the remains of Kathy and Don Easter’s home, May 27, 2013 in Moore, Okla.