The City of Lansing has once again activated its Code Blue cold weather emergency plan as below-freezing temperatures are expected to persist through the next several days. Under the plan, local warming shelters will extend hours and increase capacity through 7 a.m. Tuesday, January 6. To help residents reach shelter safely, CATA, along with Lansing Police and Fire, are providing free transportation to warming centers.

A new warming shelter also opened over the weekend. Union Missionary Baptist Church, located on South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will operate nightly from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Meanwhile, thousands across Michigan remain without power following strong winds on Sunday. Consumers Energy reports more than 30,000 customers were still affected as of early Monday morning, primarily in northern Michigan, with additional outages reported near Owosso and Ionia. In Lansing, approximately 150 Board of Water & Light customers were also without service.

The high winds disrupted air travel as well. Flights at both Capital Region International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport experienced delays and cancellations. The FAA issued a ground stop for Delta Airlines flights at DTW lasting more than two hours.

In court news, a Lansing man charged in connection with a deadly Memorial Day mass shooting near Rotary Park was arraigned Sunday. 20-year-old Damarian Joseph McCall faces more than a dozen felony charges related to the shooting of seven people on May 27, 2024. One victim, 17-year-old Kylete Owens, died after being shot in the head. McCall is charged as a habitual third offender. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 9.

The Ingham County Sheriff’s Office is also warning residents about a law enforcement impersonation scam. Officials say scammers are calling people and falsely claiming there is a warrant for their arrest, then demanding payment in Bitcoin. Authorities emphasize that law enforcement agencies do not request payment over the phone and do not use cryptocurrency. Residents concerned about suspicious calls are advised to hang up and contact the Sheriff’s Office directly using a verified number.

In public health news, U of M Health Sparrow has installed new Narcan vending machines at its Carson and Clinton Community Hospitals. The machines dispense free nasal naloxone, supplied by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, as part of efforts to reduce opioid overdose deaths.

Elsewhere in the region, the City of Mason has received a $500,000 grant to redevelop a vacant two-story historic building into mixed-use residential and commercial space downtown. A construction timeline has not yet been announced.

At the pump, GasBuddy reports Lansing gas prices jumped nearly 25 cents from last week, averaging $2.86 per gallon Monday. Prices are still 10 cents lower than a month ago and 14 cents lower than this time last year.