CMU baseball takes series against Ohio, 1B
Monday, April 4, 2011
Students relive high school tradition at flashback prom, 3A
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Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
Husband charged with murdering wife Cheryl K. Reen worked as former CMU secretary By Jake Bolitho Metro Editor
A former CMU employee was found dead Friday and her husband is charged with open murder. Gary John Reen, 56, of Chippewa Township, was arraigned Saturday after turning himself over to police and telling them he shot his wife, Cheryl Kristine Reen. He remains jailed on $2 million bond. Deputies found the body of the 51-year-old woman in a pole
barn at a residence located at 7120 E. River Road, where Gary Reen told deputies he had shot her, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski. Investigators determined Cheryl Reen was shot at least two times with a handgun. Cheryl Reen, whose name is listed in a past CMU directory, worked as an administrative secretary for the School of Health Sciences as recently as 2005. It was not clear whether she was working for the university at the time of her death. CMU Human resources officials did not provide any information regarding her current employment status as of Sunday evening. Reen is also charged with felony firearm possession. He
has asked for a court-appointed attorney to represent him. A date for Reen’s next court appearance will likely be set some- Gary John Reen time this week, Mioduszewski said. The alleged homicide stemmed from a domestic dispute at the home, about a mile and a half north of the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd. “They were having marital problems at the time,” Mioduszewski said. Sheriff’s deputies and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police
arrived at the scene 6:57 p.m Friday after Reen turned himself in. Investigators from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab arrived later from Bridgeport to process the scene and collect any evidence. Their 15-year-old son was also staying at the residence prior to the incident. The teenager, who was inside the home at the time of the alleged shooting, has since been turned over to other family members. “He didn’t know what was going on,” Mioduszewski said. “ Beyond marital problems, a clearer motive behind the alleged homicide has not yet been determined. Reen is sayA murder | 2A
jake may/photo editor
Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski, left, walks past police tape to joins members of the sheriff’s department at the scene of a homicide at 7120 E. River Road. Gary John Reen, 56, has been charged by prosecutors with open murder. “Homicides in Isabella County are very rare,” Mioduszewski said.
Attorney general supports prosecutors’ questions concerning marijuana law By Jordan Spence Staff Reporter
Local prosecutors are receiving support from the state level in their desire to clarify the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. In the Isabella County case, Prosecutor Larry Burdick filed an appeal against Compassionate Apothecary challenging the legality of caregiver and patient transfers. Schuette filed papers supporting that case last week. “We welcome the attorney general’s input into the case,” Burdick said. “I think he’s taking the correct position on this issue.” Burdick’s appeal stems from the case State of Michigan v. McQueen, in which Isabella County Judge Paul Chamberlain ruled in favor of Brandon McQueen, owner of the dispensary that now operates as C.A. of Mount Pleasant, 311 W. Michigan St. Chamberlain stated the profits of the owners are legal because they fall under their role as caregivers. However, Schuette is supporting Burdick and argues dispensaries cannot
paige calamari/staff photographer
Harrison senior Nathan Heath participates in a limbo contest during Relay For Life Saturday night at the Indoor Athletic Complex. The event marked Heath’s fifth consecutive year attending Relay For Life. The event, which is the largest fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, attracted numerous students and community members to remember loved ones, support those in the fight, honor survivors and stand up against cancer.
Run for their lives Student groups, families raise money for cancer in relay event By Mike Nichols Senior Reporter
Relay For Life participants came together over the weekend to show people living with cancer they are not alone in the battle. Registered student organization Colleges Against Cancer hosted its seventh annual Relay For Life event, a fundraiser bringing volunteers to walk in
support of the American Cancer Society, from 10 a.m. on Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday. Hundreds walked laps inside the Indoor Athletic Center’s Jack Skoog Indoor Track. “It’s supposed to symbolize that cancer never sleeps, so neither shall we,” said Newport senior Andrea Wight, who served as the team development cochairwoman. Fifty-nine groups of RSOs, families and others raised just less than $10,000, bringing the total amount raised for the cause since September at CMU to $43,727.99. Katie Bosscher, associate director of the mid-Michigan
cm-life.com Watch our video coverage of the event! ACS office, said she was very proud of the job CMU has done with Relay For Life. She said the money raised has funded cancer research from 44 Nobel Laureates and has made an important impact in the lives of cancer patients. “We’ve upped our number of survivors to 360 a year and our goal is to reach 1000 over the next 20 years,” Bosscher said. “Events like (Relay For Life) will help us get to that goal.” Lapeer junior Billy Sanders
and Bronson junior Jonathan Milliman wore the medals of cancer survivors. Both developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 4 and were pronounced cancer-free three years later. When they became roommates their freshman year, they were each shocked to learn the other had survived the same cancer. Milliman said he was thankful to see so many people donating to help fund the research that had saved their lives. “It’s sweet that so many students came out here for such a good cause,” he said. “Kids have
operate as a for-profit organization under the medical marijuana law, which was approved by Larry Burdick Michigan voters in the November 2008 election. Burdick said Schuette’s assistance is just another voice in the issue and he does not expect it to delay the case. “I’m not too worried about the change in the appeal,” McQueen said. “I don’t think it will end up hurting our business or patients either.” Schuette spokeswoman Joy Yearout said the attorney general chose to support the appeals because he wants to do all he can for those trying to protect public safety. She said because the laws are vague, they tie the hands of prosecutors. “The attorney general can offer a broader perspective on the cases,” Yearout said. “There are certain common sense public safety laws that are in effect that
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Snow, slush cause sharp increase in car accidents Smashed vehicles, downed electrical lines among effects By Orrin Shawl Staff Reporter
Unexpected winter weather caused a spike in accidents throughout the Mount Pleasant Area Sunday. A fallen tree totaled two cars and tore an electrical wire from a house at about 3 p.m. at 1025 Washington St. There were no injuries reported from the incident. Tecumseh junior Ann Travis, who lives at the home,
compared the experience to watching the film “War of the Worlds.” “We thought the world was ending,” Travis said. “Sirens were going off and I was about ready to see Tom Cruise and (Dakota Fanning). You never know how close to death you can be until a tree falls on your car.” Travis owned a Black PT Cruiser that was wrecked by the tree. An Audi A4 belonging to Rockford sophomore Kalyn Langfeldt was also damaged. Troy senior Lew Price said he and his roommates were not around when it happened.
“We pulled in five minutes after it happened,” Price said. “We saw all of (the emergency personnel) in the backyard and we were wondering, ‘What the hell are they doing?’ As soon as we drove up and saw, we were like, ‘Oh my God.’” One accident during the day occurred on Bluegrass Road about 1 p.m, where a vehicle rolled over and at least one injury was reported. The vehicles involved in the accident were pulled out by Ace Towing, 1504 N. Fancher Ave. Within the 3-to-4-hour period beginning at around
1 p.m., the company pulled out about 40 vehicles, said Tiffany Gepford, office manager at Ace Towing. The company dealt with at least three rollovers, including a few vehicles that hit guard rails on the expressway. “At one point, we had about 17 calls. We were very busy today,” Gepford said. “People were surprisingly patient and willing to wait.” A shift supervisor at the Mount Pleasant Police Department did not have information on the number of reported accidents and declined comment. metro@cm-life.com
Sean Proctor/staff photographer
A tree fell on an Audi A4 owned by Rockford sophomore Kalyn Langfeldt and a PT Cruiser owned by Tecumseh junior Ann Travis around 3 p.m. on Sunday at 1025 Washington St. Travis, who was outside cleaning off another car nearby, said it was like “War of the Worlds.” “You never know how close to death you can be until a tree falls on your car,” she said. “It was so surreal.”
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