Lansing Traffic Closures, Sentencings, EV Layoffs and Political Debates Mark Busy Week in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. — Commuters on Lansing’s west side are being advised to plan extra time as ramp closures begin this week. The eastbound I-496 ramp to Creyts Road in Delta Township, along with the ramp from Creyts to westbound I-496, are now closed for pavement work. The Michigan Department of Transportation expects the project to continue through November 6. 

 

In Livingston County, 25-year-old Cullen Lindsay has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in connection with a fatal wrong-way crash last April on I-96 near Williamston Road. Prosecutors say Lindsay was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when he collided with a vehicle driven by a Washington State man. Sentencing is scheduled for January 5. 

 

Meanwhile, a Lansing teenager has been sentenced to 20 to 41 years in prison for shooting two 16-year-old boys last year near Riddle Elementary School. Marcell Keshawn Marshall was sentenced on two counts of assault with intent to murder as well as felony firearm possession. 

 

A 39-year-old powerline worker remains in critical but stable condition after being electrocuted Wednesday morning along the 4900 block of South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. A witness reported seeing the man “fly up and hit the [ground]” as resuscitation efforts began immediately. Lansing Fire Department crews transported him to the hospital after providing medical aid. 

 

General Motors confirmed layoffs affecting up to 3,400 workers at electric vehicle manufacturing sites nationwide, including 1,200 workers at Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center. The reductions come amid slowing EV demand. 

 

Republican gubernatorial candidates gathered in Kent County for their first debate of the campaign — though not all contenders appeared. Former Attorney General Mike Cox criticized Congressman John James for not attending, saying Michigan “doesn’t grow… by electing people who don’t show up to work.” 

 

Candidates participating — including Anthony Hudson, Tom Leonard, Aric Nesbitt, Ralph Rebandt and Carla Wagner — focused on reducing housing costs. Ideas ranged from eliminating property taxes to cutting government size, loosening licensing regulations and increasing housing supply. Additional debates are scheduled November 5 in Roseville and November 20 in Traverse City. 

 

The Fair Food Network is expanding its Double Up Food Bucks program statewide ahead of anticipated losses in SNAP benefits as a federal government shutdown enters its 30th day. The program matches fruit and vegetable purchases up to $20 per day. 

 

At Michigan State University, leaders will cut the ribbon on the new Spartan-One-Stop — a centralized support hub for student accounts, financial aid and registrar services. The center aims to streamline resources and reduce administrative burdens for students.