Power out in Downtown Ypsilanti, UPS driver trapped inside truck

A driver from UPS/Overnite is trapped inside his truck after a powerline fell. This happened on South Huron next to Ypsilanti City Hall around 1:15p this afternnon. YpsiNews reporters saw a bright flash from a transformer behind City Hall. The damage resulted in a power line falling across the road and landing on the truck. The driver is OK, but Ypsilanti Fire Department has asked the driver to stay in the vehicle until crews from DTE can make sure the line is not energized.

Ypsilanti police have closed off South Huron at Ferris. The power outage has snarled traffic in every direction as drivers look for alternate routes. Traffic lights are out at Huron and Michigan Ave as well as Washington and Michigan Ave.

Power is out for businesses and residents in about a 6 block area.

Wolverines Lead After Day One at EMU Swim Invitational

Thanks to a fast start and equally-fast finish, the No. 19th-ranked University of Michigan women’s swimming and diving team leads after the first day (Friday, Dec. 4) of the Eastern Michigan Invitational, held at the Michael H. Jones Natatorium. The Wolverines won four of the day’s six events, scoring 361 as a team to lead second-place Eastern Michigan by 63 points (298).

Michigan looked in command from the opening gun. Senior Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community) gave U-M a first-place finish in the meet’s opening race, the 1,650-yard freestyle, making it her first win in that event this season. Her time of 16:40.53 was good enough to meet NCAA ‘B’ qualifying standards. Sophomores Kristyne Cole (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Megan Craig (Ann Arbor, Mich./Mercy) and freshman Kally Fayhee (North Aurora, Ill./Rosary) finished in sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, earning a total of 36 points for the Wolverines.

The 200-yard butterfly was dominated by U-M seniors Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Courtney Beyer (Los Altos Hills, Calif./Los Altos) as both earned new season highs in the 200-yard butterfly and finished 1-2, with Kelly earning an NCAA ‘B’ mark. Senior Emily Christy (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring Ford Area Senior) and redshirt senior Lori Morton (Portage, Mich./Central) rounded out the Wolverine contingent, as the quartet combined to score 63 points and occupy four of the top seven places. The Wolverines ended the first day of competition in the 400-yard freestyle, once again taking the top two spots, with the foursome of Kelly, senior Leigh Cole (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), sophomore Alexa Mehesan (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) and K. Cole taking home first place with a time of 3:25.67.

The Wolverines placed four swimmers in the top 11 during the 100-yard freestyle, led by a second-place finish from L. Cole, who narrowly missed out on first by a slim margin of seven one-hundredths of a second. Freshman Katherine Carl (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser) beat her previous career best (55.21) by nearly four seconds, clocking in at 51.76. Despite swimming exhibition, her time was the third-fastest in the event Friday.

Sophomore Liz Johnson (Milford, Mich./Milford) broke away down the stretch of the 200-yard backstroke to earn a first-place finish, with freshman Ashley Cohagen (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) coming in third. Freshman Julia Andracki (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) had the lead down the stretch in the 200-yard breaststroke but could not hold off a late surge from Ana Pena Gonzalez of Wayne State and finished in second at 2:20.72.

Senior diver Stephanie O’Callaghan (Howell, Mich./Howell) secured top honors in the only diving event of the evening, scoring a 581.30 on the three-meter board. Fellow senior Caitlin Dunphy-Daly (Royal Oak, Mich./Rochester) came in fifth (524.80), while redshirt freshman Sarah Suprise (Portage, Mich./Hackett Catholic Central) came in 12th (404.05).

The Wolverines return to Jones Natatorium tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 5) for the conclusion of the EMU Invitational, in search of their seventh straight EMU Invitational title. Competition will begin at 10 a.m. and continue at 6 p.m.

Team Standings (After Day One)

1. MICHIGAN 361
2. Eastern Michigan 298
3. Toledo 233
4. Wayne State 210
Event Winners/U-M Finishers (Day One)

1,650-yard Freestyle
1. Emily Hanson, U-M 16:40.53#
6. Kally Fayhee, U-M 17:13.39
7. Kristyne Cole, U-M 17:17.49
8. Megan Craig, U-M 17:21.23

200-yard Backstroke
1. Liz Johnson, U-M 2:01.33
3. Ashley Cohagen, U-M 2:03.01
10. Emily Brunemann, U-M 2:10.39
11. Emily Hanson, U-M 2:10.62

100-yard Freestyle
1. Sarah Kowalski, Eastern Michigan 51.06
2. Leigh Cole, U-M 51.13
4. Catherine Nosal, U-M 51.86
6. Alexa Mehesan, U-M 52.27
11. Katrin Vetter, U-M 53.69
Katherine Carl, U-M 51.76
Liz Koselka, U-M 52.77
Mary Grace Godfrey, U-M 53.10
Deirdre Jones, U-M 53.34

200-yard Breaststroke
1. Ana Pena Gonzalez, Wayne State 2:19.85
2. Julia Andracki, U-M 2:20.72
8. Val Barthelemy, U-M 2:25.83
Emily Brunemann, U-M 2:23.05

200-yard Butterfly
1. Margaret Kelly, U-M 1:59.19#
2. Courtney Beyer, U-M 2:02.90
5. Emily Christy, U-M 2:04.66
7. Lori Morton, U-M 2:06.37
Linnea Johnson, U-M 2:05.47
Keenan Koss, U-M 2:06.24
Emily Brunemann, U-M 2:06.35

400-yard Freestyle Relay
1. MICHIGAN, ‘A’ 3:25.67
(Margaret Kelly, Leigh Cole,
Alexa Mehesan, Kristyne Cole)
2. MICHIGAN ‘B’ 3:28.90
(Liz Johnson, Liz Koselka,
Mary Grace Godfrey, Catherine Nosal)
MICHIGAN ‘C’ 3:31.51
(Katrin Vetter, Katherine Carl,
Deirdre Jones, Kally Fayhee)
MICHIGAN ‘D’ 3:34.12
(Linnea Johnson, Megan Craig,
Emily Brunemann, Emily Hanson)

Three-Meter Diving
1. Stephanie O’Callaghan (U-M) 581.30
5. Caitlin Dunphy-Daly (U-M) 524.80
12. Sarah Suprise (U-M) 404.05

# NCAA ‘B’ qualifying standard

N O T E S

• Michigan has won the last six EMU Invitationals.

• Emily Brunemann did not swim the 1,650-yard freestyle, the event in which she won a national title back in 2008. Instead, she swam in the 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard butterfly, all for the first time this season.

• Megan Craig swam the 1,650-yard freestyle for the first time since her sophomore year in high school. She finished in seventh place (17:17.49).

• The EMU Invitational is Michigan’s last swimming event of the calendar year. They return to the pool Jan. 2, 2010, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the Copa Coqui.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Jim Richardson
On his team’s performance Friday … “Really solid. For the people who swam at Purdue, we wanted to see if they could swim between their fastest times of the season so far and what they swam at Purdue. That’s been the majority of them. For the people who had more rest, we wanted to see them swim faster than they have all season and how close to lifetime bests they could come. We had a lot of real good swims out there. I am very pleased.”

On the performance from some of the well-rested freshmen and upperclassmen … “I think it shows that they have stayed true to their training. They haven’t let the fact that they haven’t competed take anything away from their preparation. Everyone says it’s the will to win. It’s not — it’s the will to prepare to win. That is the most important thing. They have passed that test with flying colors. We see day in and day out where people are and what they are capable of doing. It is nice to see them step up in somewhat of a pressure situation and do it then. We want these meets to be an accurate reflection of their training.”

On whether his team was sluggish with their times following the two-week break … “I would be disappointed if it were for any reason other than illness or fatigue from academic pressure, which is happening right now. I don’t think we have the kind of people on this team that are fragile like that. You don’t get points for how you feel or how you look. It can be ugly and fast, and that’s okay at times like this. Learning how to get your hand on the wall when you feel good or you feel bad is a real important skill to develop in the pool.”

U-M Senior Emily Hanson
On her first-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle … “It feels really good. Bruno [Emily Brunemann] wasn’t there and she always pushes me. Today gave me an opportunity to see where I was at. I’ve been training real well all season and gotten pretty consistent results. Definitely feels good to get a win.”

On her relationship with Emily Brunemann … “I think this past summer really helped mold our relationship. We spent a lot of time together training day in and day out. We are really close.”

On how her senior year has been going … “I am having an absolute blast. Our team is such a tight-knit group. There’s still a lot left to the season, but I am having a lot of fun.”

U-M Freshman Katherine Carl
On her 100-yard freestyle time … “It was a great time for me. It was my fastest of the season and I’m very happy with that. Training is hard, but I’m definitely getting faster and stronger as the year progresses.”

On her freshman season to this point … “I love it here. The coaches are great, the rest of the girls on the team are awesome. It’s a perfect fit for me.”

U-M Senior Emily Brunemann
On swimming in three events for the first time this season … “It was Stefanie’s [Kerska] choice, actually. She wanted me to work on my strokes for the 400 IM and that was the whole reason for doing it. It was also to give me a little bit of a break from the mile (1,650). I know I was going to have to do a lot of events, but up until this afternoon, I didn’t know which ones. I think I did okay. I am not a backstroker. It is my worst event, but I think I did alright in the other ones.”

On not swimming the 1,650-yard freestyle … “Also Stefanie’s choice. If it were up to me, I probably would be out there because I love the mile. But it’s nice to occasionally get a break.”

Story courtesy of University of Michigan Sports Information.

(Editors Note: If the story seems slanted towards U-M athletes, it is because YpsiNews.com has called Eastern Michigan University Sports Information Office several times over the past year for EMU sports news and stories, but they haven’t returned our calls.)

Spartan wrestlers pound EMU

The Michigan State wrestling team defeated Eastern Michigan, 26-9, on Thursday (Dec. 3) night to improve to 3-1 on the season. EMU is now 2-1-1 on the year.

“It was an excellent team effort tonight,” said Spartan head coach Tom Minkel. “We had some tough, hard-fought matches, and I think this was the best team effort we’ve had in some time.”

The match started at 174 pounds where Ian Hinton defeated EMU’s Nick Hendrick, 5-1. After a pair of Eagle wins at 184 and 197 pounds, heavyweight Alan O’Donnell put MSU on top, 10-6, when he defeated David Wade, 2-1.

“I was pleased we were able to keep our composure and stay on task early on,” Minkel said. “I feel like we’ve made some good progress in the last couple weeks, and hopefully, we continue to improve.”

The Eagles 18th-ranked Chris Jenkins slashed the MSU lead to 10-9 when he defeated Eric Olanowski at 125 pounds but that would be as close as EMU would get, as the Spartans claimed the night’s final five matches.

No. 1-ranked Franklin Gomez won his 22nd consecutive match at 133 pounds to start the Spartans’ winning streak, followed by freshman Dan Osterman, who registered a major-decision win (15-6) over Andrew Novak at 141 pounds.

“We were all pleased with Danny,” said Minkel. “He is a freshman but wrestles like a seasoned veteran. He stepped up and did what we expected him to do tonight.”

David Cheza (149 pounds), Anthony Jones Jr. (157 pounds) and Kyle Bounds (165 pounds) closed out the meet with wins for MSU.

MICHIGAN STATE 26, EASTERN MICHIGAN 9
174 lbs.: Ian Hinton (MSU) dec. Nick Hendrick (EMU), 5-1 MSU 3, EMU 0
184 lbs.: Phillip Joseph (EMU) fall Nick Palmieri (MSU), 1:27 EMU 6, MSU 3
197 lbs.: Josh Lewis (EMU) maj. dec. Tyler Dickenson (MSU), 12-3 MSU 7, EMU 6
HWT: Alan O’Donnell (MSU) dec. David Wade (EMU), 2-1 MSU 10, EMU 6
125 lbs.: No. 18 Chris Jenkins (EMU) dec. Eric Olanowski (MSU), 5-0 MSU 10, EMU 9
133 lbs.: No. 1 Franklin Gomez (MSU) dec. Sean Clair (EMU), 4-2 MSU 13, EMU 9
141 lbs.: Dan Osterman (MSU) maj. dec. Andrew Novak (EMU), 15-6 MSU 17, EMU 9
149 lbs.: David Cheza (MSU) dec. J.J. Johnson (EMU), 6-2 MSU 20, EMU 9
157 lbs.: Anthony Jones Jr. (MSU) dec. Aaron Sulzer (EMU), 5-4 MSU 23, EMU 9
165 lbs.: Kyle Bounds (MSU) dec. Justin Brandel (EMU), 8-2 MSU 26, EMU 9

Story courtesy of Michigan State Sports Information.

(Editors Note: YpsiNews.com has called EMU Sports Information for news and stories several times over the past year but they haven’t returned our calls.)

EMU debates concealed guns on campus

EMU Student government hosted a debate over propsed changes to Michigan’s Concealed Carry laws. Representatives from the NRA and the EMU Police department argued for and against the concealed carry of firearms on campus.

Advocating for concealed carry was Reid Smith, a member of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, and Professor David Coy, an accounting professor at Adrian college and a volunteer on the Board of Directors for the National Rifle Association. Coy arrived about 15 minutes late.

Arguing against guns on campus was Paul Leighton, a criminology professor at EMU, and Greg O’Dell, Chief of the EMU Department of Public Safety.

Just over 100 students, staff, visitors, and EMU police officers attended the nearly two hour debate.

Michigan law prohibits anyone under 21 to carry a concealed weapon. So a large number of EMU students would not be permitted to hold a concealed pistol license as they are too young.

Chief O’Dell said he was opposed to the possession of guns on campus as it would increase the rates of suicide. O’Dell said cops have an extraordinarily high rate of suicide because of easy access to guns.

According to NIH and the FBI, police officers are twice as likely to commit suicide as the general public. Leading one audience member to ask after the debate if perhaps EMU police officers should not be permitted to carry guns on campus.

Ann Arbor.com reported about one student who told the story, “My aunt was murdered by someone with a concealed weapons permit,” she said as her voice began to crack and she fought back tears. “Just because people go through these classes doesn’t mean they won’t kill someone.”

The student wouldn’t give her name and left before the debate ended. A student sitting next to her said the aunt was killed by a family member in their home. The murder apparently had nothing to do with the concealed carry of a firearm.

Under Michigan law and the Michigan State Constitution, concealed carry is currently allowed on the campuses of public universities except concealed carry in dormitories and classrooms. The EMU Board of Regents passed a rule against the possession of any firearms while on campus.

According to a recent ruling from Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and the Michigan State Police, licensed concealed carry permit holders may openly carry a firearm into a pistol exclusion zones including dormitories and classrooms.

The carrying of a concealed weapon on campus can be confusing. During the debate, it was pointed out that off-duty police officers that are also EMU students have carried firearms into classrooms. This is apparently a violation of the Regents policy. According to the university no action has been taken against these students.

Moreover, an officer or CPL holder that drives to EMU and then safely stores their firearm in their vehicle is still in violation of EMU Regents policy while their actions are legal under state law. Michigan State University Regents addressed this confusion as they too had a complete ban on firearms.

In June 2009, MSU Regents changed rules to allow the carrying of concealed weapons in open spaces by licensed concealed permit holders while still barring firearms in buildings. According to MSU spokesman Kent Cassella, “The rules were changed to better align with county and state law.”

Lansing’s Statenews.com reported, “At the University of Michigan, guns still are completely banned, with the county prosecutor enforcing the ban, (MSU Trustee Colleen) McNamara said. She said the prosecutor who handles crime on MSU’s campus did not prosecute people who violated MSU’s ordinance, instead siding with state law and prompting the board’s vote to change policy.”

Daniel Throop Revolutionary War Veteran Memorial

A new headstone and memorial mark the long lost grave of a Revolutionary War veteran. Over three hundred people attended the memorial service for Capt. Daniel Throop (prounounced Troop) at Judd Cemetery in York township on Friday.

Throop served in the 2nd Regiment, Connecticut Light Horse, and according to records fought in the Battle of Lexington in 1775.

Washtenaw Road Commissioner Fred Veigel, Realtor Gary Lillie, and Ann Arbor Attorney and Washtenaw Historic District Commissioner Elmer White spent two years researching Throop’s gravesite and service record. They also raised the money and organized volunteers to acquire the marker and organize the event.

Decedents of Throop drove 140 miles from Alma Michigan in Central Michigan to attend the event. Daniel Throop, Jr. spoke on behalf of the family and thanked the volunteers and crowd for honoring one of their decedents.

Watch a slide show of the memorial service with photos taken by John Reiser.

Next Page »