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Gov. Rick Snyder gives the State of the State address Thursday at the State Capitol Building in downtown Lansing.
‘We’ve become the comeback state’ Snyder talks jobs for youth, immigration in annual address By Simon Schuster and Olivia Dimmer sschuster@statenews.com and odimmer@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS
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ansing – In his fourth State of the State address, Gov. Rick Snyder delivered a wide-ranging speech brimming with optimism, peppering in a slew of promises that included connecting young people with jobs and retaining an international work force.
The governor emphasized the need to keep talented people from abroad working in Michigan, pledging to create a new office called the Michigan Office for New Americans to encourage legal immigration to the state. The initiative could impact more than 7,000 international students at MSU who are here on temporary visas. “If someone has the opportunity to come to our country legally let’s hold our arms open and say ‘Come to Michigan, this is the place See SNYDER on page 2 u
To see video footage and post-State of the State interviews, visit statenews.com/multimedia.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley shakes hands with Gov. Rick Snyder before the State of the State address Thursday at the State Capitol Building in downtown Lansing.
Alleged I-96 shooter’s trial begins Thursday with victim testimony By Katie Abdilla kabdilla@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Following jury selection, the trial for the alleged I-96 shooter began Thursday afternoon with victim testimony. MSU alumnus Raulie Casteel, 44, allegedly went on a shooting spree in 2012, targeting
24 people between Oct. 16 a n d 2 7 of that year while driving on the I-96 corridor. The shootings span Casteel ac ross fou r separate counties, including
Ingham County. Casteel faces nine counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and nine felony firearms counts. He also faces terrorism charges in Livingston County. The cases are being prosecuted by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office in Livingston, Shiawassee and Ing-
ham counties. Casteel attended MSU from 1995 to 1997, graduating with a degree from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. At the time, his former roommate described his actions as “shocking” and “unexpected.” In October, the Wixom, Mich., resident pleaded no contest but mentally ill for the
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DeWitt, Mich., residents Bill and Cheryl Ballard.
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charges he faced in Oakland County. He will be sentenced on Jan. 30. Casteel was previous evaluated and found to have delusional disorder, but was found competent enough to stand trial. In a previous interview with The State News, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said it took a rather lengthy
“
We can’t wrestle the guy’s rankings, Minty their record or fest their reputation,”
St.Johns, Head wrestling coach Tom Minkel sports, PAGE 6
process to describe the incident during the trial in October. “It took an hour and a huge map showing the interstate so the judge could understand all the charges,” Cooper said. “It doesn’t take into account all of the other counties.” If he is convicted, Casteel could face life in prison. His trial reconvenes Friday morning.
Then-freshman 141-pounder Nick Trimble state news file photo