East Lansing Debates Police Staffing, Healthcare Costs, and Commemorates Historic Shipwreck

July 11, 2025 – East Lansing, MI — As calls grow louder for increased patrols to curb reckless driving, East Lansing police say their hands are tied due to a staffing shortage. City Council Member Eric Altmann, speaking on 1320 WILS, placed part of the blame on a strained relationship between the city and its police department.

“There was a period where the council was definitely not interested in seeing police succeed,” Altmann said. “We have to change that because we lost a lot of officers during that period. Policing is a tough profession, and it became a lot tougher when society decided they didn't trust police.”

Altmann stressed the need to rebuild support for law enforcement to reverse the trend.

Meanwhile, healthcare is also in the spotlight as Democrat and Michigan State University education policy professor Josh Cowen officially launched his campaign for the 7th Congressional District seat, currently held by Republican Tom Barrett of Charlotte.

“Healthcare costs too damn much,” Cowen said on 1320 WILS, recounting a conversation with a local family struggling despite having Medicare and a solid pension. “The cost of long-term care and support at home was just through the roof. We have to do something.”

In a lighter note, endurance athletes are preparing for a one-of-a-kind tribute to one of Michigan’s most storied tragedies. The Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim, a 411-mile relay from Lake Superior to Detroit, will kick off July 26. The event marks the 50th anniversary of the ship's sinking.

Jim "The Shark" Dreyer, event organizer and endurance swimmer, explained that 17 teams of four swimmers will each take half-hour turns with 90-minute breaks in between. “You still have to stay loose and you have to answer the bell in an hour and a half,” Dreyer said. “That mileage at the end of the day is going to be anywhere from like five to eight miles.”

Finally, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Chicago will bring their legendary sound to the Wharton Center this fall. The multi-Grammy-winning band is scheduled to perform in East Lansing on November 12. Tickets are now available.