(WXYZ) — Parents of L'anse Creuse Public Schools demanded transparency and accountability at a school board meeting Monday night after they learned that a student recently charged with murder but long a suspect was able to walk the school halls for months was initially taken into custody in June of 2024 for the murder of a 17-year-old that happened in February of 2024 on the border of Grosse Point Park and Detroit but was then released Previous coverage: L'Anse Creuse parents frustrated after student arrested in homicide case The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office says at the time they did not have enough evidence to keep him in custody Sinegal was arrested on April 1 and charged as adult with murder and other felonies on April 2 Board Trustee Sandra Hernden says parents should have been notified after the first arrest and the student should not have been allowed back on school grounds “Why are we not owning what’s going on," she asked at the Monday Committee of the Whole meeting “We’re supposed to not just educate but protect our children Superintendent Keith Howell addressed the incident for the first time in person Monday night reading a prepared statement that said in part: some parents and even some board members are not satisfied saying they're just glad the suspect hadn't turned violent on school grounds I honestly almost want to move," parent Melissa Lewandwski said Howell added that the district is preparing to launch a district-wide safety audit survey for families staff and students to strengthen the district's safety systems and procedures this month Village Manager Bob LaFave (left) and Village President Ronald Ervast (right) listen to the council converse about the Michigan Energy Assistance Program There are concerns about the program covering natural gas that the village does not provide L’ANSE — The Village of L’Anse held its first council meeting of the month on Monday where the village opted into the Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) The council also came to an agreement with its AFSCME Union workers and police union which the village has opted out of since 2013 Changes to MEAP require the village to construct a low-income assistance program though concerns exist that finances could be spent on natural gas bills that the village does not provide but we’d have to find a nonprofit locally to work with reporting and financing and just from a feasibility standpoint that doesn’t really work well for us,” Village Manager Bob LaFave explained The program keeps heat on for low-income residents who struggle to pay the cost LaFave pointed out that communities downstate have nonprofits that could address the issue but such structures do not exist in the same size and capacity in many U.P at least until we have something maybe better we can offer our customers this is what we can do now,” LaFave said The council also approved the contracts of the AFSCME and police union workers which will see both receive pay increases AFSCME workers will be receiving a three percent increase each year over the next three years The police union received the same increase in pay and LaFave complimented the work between union negotiators and the village not everybody got everything they wanted on both sides but I think it represents a fair deal,” he said Army Corps of Engineers has released a new shorter timeline for its environmental review of the Line 5 .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Michigan A L’Anse Creuse school board member said he “doesn’t trust” high-level school officials because they withheld news from the board over a pending multimillion dollar budget deficit for several months Trustee Shane Sellers made his comments during Monday’s L’Anse Creuse Board of Education meeting as board members were discussing the budget shortfall and its impact on potential employee layoffs later this year “I have a lack of trust with what took place with the budget I have a lack of trust because it took so long for our superintendent and assistant superintendent to deliver that news” of a budget shortfall Neither Superintendent Keith Howell nor Assistant Superintendent Kathy Konon responded to the comment during the meeting the assistant superintendent for business and operations said at Monday’s board meeting the district is now looking at a $7.6 million shortfall That’s lower than officials had feared earlier when they said it could be as high as $9 million Howell has said in the past that he waited for four months to inform the school board because he wanted to bring as much information as possible to the community and didn’t want to sound like an “alarmist.” He now agrees that he should have informed board members earlier about the financial challenges facing the district Both administrators are new to L’Anse Creuse Public Schools Howell was hired this past summer from Grosse Pointe Public Schools while Konon formerly worked in Lakeview Public Schools in St School board members and district officials are wrestling with the $144 million annual budget for the 2025-2026 school year The original budget already had a $3 million deficit that had been approved by the board But expenses were higher than expected and the district’s revenue was not as much as anticipated L’Anse Creuse’s projections were $884,000 short while unexpected expenditures came in around $3.7 million Among the expenses cited were a lack of grant funding that had been counted on; increases in legal costs and staff payouts due to turnovers; additional retirement costs; and others School officials are holding budget workshops in an effort to cut costs officials plan to use budget surplus — or the so-called rainy day fund — to pay off the red ink That will leave about $11.3 million in the fund But with volatility expected over reductions or eliminations of federal grants and other uncertainties administrators can’t rule out employee layoffs so we have to get into a space where we are right-sized,” Howell said Howell noted that the Grosse Pointe school district in 2023 had a $103 million budget that included the elimination of 15 teaching positions as well as some programs He said he believes a number of Michigan school districts will go through a similar exercise either this year or the next Sellers said he would prefer the district target administrators and leave teachers as a last resort to cut “If we are going to have to do that (layoffs) then it should start in this building,” he said it needs to come from this building first before it comes to buildings that have students in them.” Board President Adam Lipski vowed to take a tougher approach to approving future budgets “This board is going to be very diligent in June when the (amended) budget is approved (WXYZ) — Parents in Macomb County are voicing their concerns after a student was arrested at L’anse Creuse High School North The Wayne County Prosecutor's office confirms 16-year-old Ryan Sinegal of Roseville was taken into custody on April 1st and charged the next day with first-degree murder two counts of assault with intent to murder the teen shot up another teen's car near the border of Detroit and Grosse Point Park While police arrested Sinegal in connection with the 17-year-old victim's death last June Sinegal was released and allowed to return to school for the 2024-2025 school year "They dropped the ball," said Jacqueline Weinmann "Every day I have to read posts on Facebook about what has gone on with this student and my child has been there and it’s scary." the student was required to use a clear backpack according to school board officials Following Sinegal's second arrest in connection with the case last week Parents say they were left in the dark until last week and are now calling the circumstances unsettling "Let us know last year that this was going on so we can make the decision where we want to send our child this year you don’t have to give us what they did," said Weinmann "It’s going to keep being on my mind until we get some answers Let us know what you’re going to do different." Wednesday 7 News Detroit reached out to the school district superintendent for an interview and showed up at the administrative offices The district sent back the following statement "We’re in the business of not just educating our children but we're in the business of keeping them safe while they’re being educated and that’s where we really failed," said Sandra Hernden who is a member of the district's board of education Hernden says following the letter sent to parents and students describing what it was like in the halls with the suspected shooter she spoke to 7 News Detroit Wednesday as a parent who also has students in the district we’re going to really have to look at policy and procedure moving forward We're going to have to put in some sort of district safety measures Sinegal is due back in court for a probable cause conference April 16th Where Your Voice Matters (WXYZ) — L'Anse Creuse Public Schools says they are seeing up to a $9 million budget shortfall and held a meeting Monday night to explain to the public how they got into the deficit Some community members say they need more answers and solutions “I just don’t understand the lack of transparency," L'Anse Creuse Public Schools parent Carrie Ryan said Superintendent Keith Howell addressed the community saying this information should have been presented earlier adding he feels like the budget deficit will not reach $9 million but is still higher than the original $3 million the district thought they would be at just months ago “We're not feeling it's going to be a $9 million loss Howell says with rigorous financial management the district is expected to get back on track but kept the way in which they would do that vague saying revenue enhancements will be looked at and reducing expenditures No matter how many millions the district is in a deficit of the question on Monday was how the district got here Related video: Parents question multi-million dollar budget deficit in L'Anse Creuse schools Assistant Superintendent Kathy Konon presented this year’s budget and blames COVID-19 rainy day funds that ran out as part of the problem higher cost for expenses as well as the state promising funds that never panned out “We are kind of stuck in the middle of the state and the federal government who are pulling the strings Trustee Shane Sellers sent a letter to the prosecutor's office recently demanding to see if anything malicious went on and has since filed a police report Trustee Sandra Hernden also brought up purchases that were striking to her at the meeting that she says could also be part of the problem "How about $9.99 that was used for a membership for DoorDash," Sellers asked at the meeting as she was looking over financial data their focus is on getting the budget under control and being transparent May 2024 coverage: L'Anse Creuse Public Schools' $330 million bond proposal shot down by voters Stop doing circles 'cause the meeting was still all circles," Ryan said The next regular school board meeting where the mid-year budget will be addressed is March 31 (WXYZ) — A massive budget deficit of as much as $9 million is being discussed on Monday night at a L'anse Creuse Public Schools board meeting Parents were alerted to the news that expressed major concerns over the shortfall tripling in less than a year “I don’t understand how that much money goes missing," Ryan Strukel “I would definitely not want it to affect the teachers or what that can provide for my kids," parent Rachel Hanner said Confusion is turning to fear and even anger at what's playing out in the district “What was going through your mind?" I asked Hanner and what are we going to do about it now?” she said I called the superintendent to request an interview but he declined and instead sent me a statement School Board Trustee Shane Sellers said he is not satisfied with the explanation and said he's filed a police report “What made you ask for criminal investigation?" I asked "I don’t know how we went from $3 million to a $9 million deficit in six months The recent outlook is just being processed by students Sellers is also asking when the district knew about the deficit “When did they know before informing the board I was very concerned when the superintendent told me it was four months," he said The district has 9,400 students and 1,400 employees and Sellers said the facts must be brought to light Although this school year may not see drastic changes There are also more financial questions being looked at by district leaders and local law enforcement “It’s not going to be good if a lot of things are cut and taken away," Strukel said L’Anse Area Schools Board of Education Amanda Nordstrom (left) President Joan Bungi (center right) and Jim Fedie (right) conduct their monthly meeting L’ANSE — The L’Anse Area Schools Board of Education held its monthly meeting on Monday evening and approved a variety of motions The board approved the motion for the baseball co-op between L’Anse Area Schools and Baraga Area Schools for the Spring of 2025 The board then went on to approve the increasing of meal reimbursement for school employees with $15 for breakfast It was reported that only one company put in for a bid on a school bus that the school was no longer using and the bid for $1,200 was put in by 906 Truck & Equipment Service Inc The board approved the bid and then went onto report that an audit will be available in December School Superintendent Chris Davidson then shared that CCISD’s current strategic planning processes had begun “They’re honing it into priority areas and subgroups,” he said “So those are to establish a group or position that collaborates with community partners and school districts to bring them together establish and implement a process to review CCISD practices adopt a unified school year calendar to allow more collaboration in scheduling identify and apply for future facility space needs.” The next board meeting will take place on December 9 at 5 p.m IRON MOUNTAIN — The Upper Peninsula jobless rate rose to 8.4% in February Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInL’ANSE, Mich. (WLUC) - Comedian Ric Diez will be headlining a comedy show at The Extra Event Center in L’Anse next weekend A one-liner comedian with a lot of dark humor jokes Diez is famous for earning a golden ticket on the “Kill Tony” show Very self-deprecating jokes but also a lot of stuff that’s pretty personal,” Diezz said “Those of you that are used to seeing me do a minute some of the energy and the Ric Diez you know will still be there but you’ll see much more than that.” Regular tickets are $40. V.I.P tickets are $70. The show is March 22 from 8-10 p.m. ET. You can buy tickets here Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application at Brandon First Methodist Church with funeral services scheduled to follow at 1:00 p.m Interment will be in the McLaurin family plot at Old Brandon Cemetery the third son of the late John Campbell and Janet Fox McLaurin He grew up in Brandon where he began attending the newly-established Brandon Academy in 1966 He graduated from Brandon Academy in 1976 where he excelled academically and athletically He continued his education at the University of Mississippi where he became a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity graduating with a degree in business and finance in 1980 During the summers he worked for his brother Sidney at Diamond “D” Farms for six years he enrolled in the University of Mississippi School of Law and graduated on an accelerated course in August 1982 He was privileged to be in the last Ole Miss Law School class to enjoy the “diploma privilege” which constituted the exemption of the requirement of taking the Mississippi State Bar Examination He began his lifelong legal career practicing law with his father and elder brother John at the McLaurin & McLaurin Law Firm in August 1982 He had recently retired from the legal profession at the end of June 2024 after working forty-two years He was admitted to practice in all courts of the state and belonged to a number of professional legal associations all attesting to his superior ability as a seasoned trial attorney and advocate His sharp mind and astute conduct in and out of the courtroom contributed to his excellent reputation as a renowned counselor and litigator While in undergraduate school at Ole Miss he met Miss Tammy Harris of Memphis and they began a courtship which culminated in their marriage in Memphis on August 28 Emily was in every sense a “Daddy’s girl” and both Anse and Tammy reveled in her many accomplishments and achievements and the icing on the cake was the very recent birth of their first child including serving on the boards of the Metropolitan YMCA and the Country Club of Jackson hitting one “hole in one” during his playing years He served a term as President of the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce and for many years was a member of the Pearl - Brandon Rotary Club Anse was a faithful and lifelong member of Brandon First Methodist Church His hobbies included traveling far and wide including a trip to Scotland to play golf at the famed St and a number of visits to the Masters in Augusta He enjoyed many visits to Gulf Shores with his family and later to Oxford where he cheered on the Rebels’ football and baseball teams His baseball trivia knowledge was unequaled and he astonished many by his mastery of details He was a loyal supporter of the Mississippi Braves baseball team and for many years was a season ticket holder Anse’s survivors include his widow Tammy Harris McLaurin his sister-in-law Leigh Logan and her husband Stacy memorials may be made to Brandon First Methodist Church Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors PORT HURON — An incredible comeback attempt came up short for the Port Huron Northern boys basketball team After erasing a 16-point deficit in the second half, the Huskies couldn't hold on and lost to Macomb L'Anse Creuse North in a Division 1 district final at Port Huron High School on Friday "We dug a hole and didn't play very well (early)," Northern coach Brian Jamison said I thought they did a great job getting back into it." Added Jamison: "We asked (our kids) to play as hard they can shots just don't fall when you want them to." L'Anse Creuse North grabbed its largest lead midway through the third quarter on a free throw The Huskies eventually trimmed the deficit to eight in the period's final seconds Lancers guard Brandon Thomas drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it a 54-43 edge That shot — which sent the L'Anse Creuse North crowd into a frenzy — could've been the knockout punch it was Northern that delivered the next blow the Huskies stormed back with a 13-0 run to open the fourth five rebounds) started the rally on a layup MORE: St. Clair, Yale capture Division 2 district championships "I felt the energy coming from our team," Johnson said Morelan turned a steal into a transition layup at 5:21 to make it a 54-49 game He hit a corner 3-pointer a minute later that brought the Huskies within two "Our defensive energy picked up," Jamison said "We've got to do other things when we can't make shots — and defense is one of them," said Kadin Cantrell "We tried playing the best defense we possibly could." They tied the game with 3:06 remaining on a pair of free throws from Alex Jamison (11 points when Morelan scored on a transition layup at 2:40 "The definition of our team is facing adversity," said Alex Jamison I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to come back We're not afraid to keep working and working as L'Anse Creuse North responded with a go-ahead triple Northern tied it once more on a free throw but the Lancers came right back with another triple That made it a 60-57 game with 1:48 to play The score held until L'Anse Creuse North added two free throws with 20.3 seconds left six rebounds) nailed a corner 3-pointer to pull his team within two points the Huskies intentionally fouled Thomas with 7.9 seconds to go "They just hit more shots than us at the end of the day," Johnson said Northern has won at least 15 games in five of the past six seasons when the Huskies finished a pandemic-truncated schedule at 9-4 They should remain among the area's best next year Harju and Alex Jamison returning as seniors Northern's focus was on its current group of seniors: Johnson "I'm just super proud of all four of them," Brian Jamison said "It meant everything (to represent this program)," Cantrell said "I can't ask for anything more out of my teammates They put in everything they had all season." Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @BrendenWelper L’ANSE – The Baraga boys went the distance on Thursday night in L’Anse as they defeated the Purple Hornets 57-52 in the Battle of the Bay According to the Vikings’ basketball coach Jon Boever “I am so proud of these guys,” he said “I think the key though was controlling the rebounds We got a ton of rebounds that saved us.” The rivals shot out to an 11-11 tie after one It was then tied at 17 in the second before Baraga’s Landon Smith sunk two triples to put the Vikings up 27-25 at halftime I told them to stick to the plan,” said Boever They rose to the occasion and really worked the ball well.” The Vikings (12-4) had a little more pep in their step and made their shots while L’Anse were seemingly one and done on their end The Vikings biggest lead was 46-36 with little time left in the third It was a lead that couldn’t be mounted by the Purple Hornets (8-6) in the fourth and they fell to a five-point loss “Daniel Connor and Jamie Denomie both get bame balls,” said the Baraga coach “Connor for his rebounding and scoring down low (16 points) and Jamie for his all around hustle and heads-up play.” Smith led the scoring for Baraga with 17 and Nolan Hendrickson poured in 10 L’Anse’s coach Rob Potter was pleased with the effort “We are young and still learning,” he said “We were a little too hasty in our shooting and missed some because of that We have come a long way and still have work to do.” The Purple Hornets had two players in double figures They were Talan Larson with 12 and Keegan Davidson with 10 The Purple Hornets are at Calumet on Monday The Vikings will travel to Wakefield-Marenisco to face the Cardinals on Tuesday MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jackson Jobe pitched six shutout innings to earn his first major league win on Saturday as the .. DETROIT (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points 15 assists and 11 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks in a .. (AP) — Marco Kasper scored his second goal of the game at 3:22 of overtime to give the Detroit Red ..