LANSING, Mich. — Mid-Michigan residents faced snowy and icy conditions Tuesday as a winter weather advisory remained in effect through 10 a.m., with forecasters predicting between two and four inches of snow, particularly during the early morning hours.

In response to hazardous road conditions, Michigan State Police urged drivers to slow down and remain alert, especially around emergency vehicles. The reminder follows two separate incidents Tuesday morning in which MSP patrol vehicles were struck while troopers were responding to crashes on Interstate 96. One crash occurred near Lansing Road, while the other happened near Millett Highway. Authorities reported no injuries in either incident and released no additional details.

 

Controversy surrounding East Lansing Police Chief Jennifer Brown resurfaced during Tuesday night’s city council meeting. The discussion stems from an incident during Michigan State University’s Welcome Week last August, when two young Black men were pepper-sprayed by officers and later arrested and charged with disorderly fighting.  During public comment, one speaker criticized city leadership, accusing officials of remaining silent amid ongoing litigation and failing to promptly investigate the officers involved.

The issue gained further attention Tuesday with the installation of a new billboard on Lansing’s east side at the intersection of Kalamazoo Street and Mifflin Avenue. The billboard references a previous comment by Chief Brown to WLNS-TV regarding a disproportionate number of minorities committing crimes in East Lansing, stating it is not acceptable to target minorities or mislead the public.

 

Elsewhere in the region, students at Waverly High School staged a walkout Tuesday to protest recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota and other parts of the country. Supporters of ICE maintain that the agency’s efforts are aimed at maintaining public safety.

 

In legal news, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that a former health center CEO has been charged with nine counts of health care fraud. Authorities say 59-year-old Tamela Peterson, former owner of the Oxford Recovery Center in Brighton and the Oxford Center in Troy, is accused of submitting false insurance claims for services not provided. Peterson is scheduled to appear in court next week.

 

On the global stage, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is participating in a panel discussion in Switzerland at the World Economic Forum titled “Closing the Manufacturing Talent Gap in the U.S. and Beyond.” The conversation addresses concerns over workforce shortages and long-term competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.

 

The Detroit Auto Show continues today at Huntington Place, featuring the Future Leaders Program. The initiative focuses on expanding high school student access to career pathways in the automotive and mobility industries and will be on-site through Thursday.