Prosecutor for accused I-96 shooter announced
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings, Livingston County Prosecutor David Morse and Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry announced Nov. 27 that the Attorney General’s Criminal Division will lead the prosecution of Raulie Casteel for crimes allegedly committed in the three counties.
According to a release from the attorney general’s office, Casteel has been charged and arraigned in Livingston County with six counts related to an alleged shooting incident on I-96 in Howell. The felony charges include: assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle and carrying a firearm with unlawful intent.
“Already, local, state and federal authorities have come together to protect the public, and this prosecution is a continuation of that cooperation,” Schuette said in a release. “I look forward to working with my colleagues from Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties to bring these cases to a close.”
Casteel is also charged with 60 counts for alleged incidents in Oakland County. He has not yet been charged for alleged incidents in Ingham and Shiawassee Counties.
The Oakland County Prosecutor will continue to handle the case filed in that county.
EMU to celebrate World Aids Awareness Week
Eastern Michigan University’s Student Government, in cooperation with the Ypsilanti HIV/AIDS Resource Center, will kickoff World AIDS Awareness Week Dec. 1 with a candlelight reception and artistic exhibition.
The event will be in the Student Center Auditorium from 6 – 9 p.m. and will feature musical, rap and spoken word performances and guest speakers including Michigan State Rep. David Rutledge, D-Superior Township.
Free HIV rapid testing will be available, and a panel from the internationally celebrated AIDS Memorial Quilt will also be on display from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 1-7.
MDCH Receives $1.6 million grant for hepatitis prevention and surveillance
The Michigan Department of Community Health has been awarded a three-year $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The grant is to support the monitoring and prevention of both acute and viral hepatitis.
“This is the first time Michigan has been awarded funding for viral hepatitis surveillance,” said James Haveman, director of the MDCH, in a release. “I commend MDCH across multiple public health fields such as epidemiology, prevention, substance abuse, immunizations, corrections and the laboratories, for their collaborative efforts which led to the success of this grant application. Hepatitis affects millions of Americans, and opportunities such as this are critical to detecting and treating those cases.”
According to a release from MDCH, 60 to 75 percent of those infected with hepatitis are unaware because of the asymptomatic nature of the diseases.
“Most cases are not reported until they have symptoms of advanced disease such as chronic liver disease or a type of liver cancer,” the release stated.
The funding will allow MDCH to improve surveillance systems and increase awareness among public and private providers.
Gov. Rick Snyder travels to Canada
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder celebrated the grand opening of the Michigan Trade Office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Nov. 26.
“The Michigan Trade Office builds on the strong foundation we have with Canada,” Snyder said in a release. “It will add to the level of service we can offer our businesses, strengthen our relationship on many fronts and expand mutually beneficial opportunities for our businesses and citizens.”
The purpose of the office is to help Michigan companies research, identify and capitalize on market opportunities in a broad range of industry sectors across Canada, according to the release.
