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Friends and Community Shiawassee County News and Views, 2910 W M-21, Owosso, MI (2025)

12/10/2025

BREAKING - Rural Northern MI To Receive $920 Million For Broadband Construction.

Lansing, MI - Friends Community News Group, December 10, 2025, 3:30 a.m. ET - Efforts to expand high-speed internet across rural northern Michigan are set to accelerate after federal regulators approved $920 million for broadband construction, the largest single investment of its kind in state history.

The funding, awarded through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, is expected to help connect more than 200,000 homes, businesses and institutions that currently lack reliable service, according to the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the money will support the buildout of more than 31,000 miles of fiber-optic lines, with construction unfolding across northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula over the next four years. She called the investment a “game-changer” for rural communities long left behind by private-sector infrastructure.

“Expanding high-speed internet means expanding access to health care, jobs, and education,” Whitmer said in a statement.

State officials said the $920 million federal award will be paired with an estimated $550 million in private-sector matching funds, bringing the total planned broadband investment to roughly $1.47 billion. It is part of the national broadband expansion funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which sent more than $42 billion to states through BEAD.

Michigan has one of the nation’s largest broadband gaps, ranking third for BEAD-eligible locations. In several northern counties — including Lake, Osceola, Wexford and parts of the Upper Peninsula — less than 60% of households have access to internet speeds meeting federal broadband standards.

Eric Frederick, Michigan’s chief connectivity officer, said the infusion of federal money will help “close the digital divide that has held rural regions back for decades.”

BEAD-funded projects are expected to begin construction in 2025 and continue through 2029. The state’s separate ROBIN broadband program is also underway and is expected to connect an additional 50,000 households by 2026.

By: Tom Manke

SOURCES
1. Associated Press
2. Bridge Michigan
3. Michigan.gov / Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) — Official statements and data on miles of fiber, households served, and BEAD planning.
4. NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) — BEAD program allocations and Michigan’s ranking for eligible locations.
5. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) documentation — Federal broadband spending allocations.
6. Connected Nation / State broadband maps — Statistics on county-level broadband access.
7. Local reporting from MLive and Michigan Radio — Broadband project timelines and matching-funds estimates.

12/10/2025

Washington, DC - Friends Community News Group, December 10, 2025, 12:15 a.m. ET - Two U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jets flew over the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday in a show of American military presence that comes amid heightened tension between Washington and Caracas, the Pentagon confirmed.

With a $15 million bounty on Maduro's head, and with Maduro's security force knowing the U.S. is going to oust Maduro one way or another. U.S. officials are wondering if Maduro's security force will allow themselves to lose everything if the U.S. intervenes, or whether, before the U.S. comes in, it will hand Maduro over to the U.S. and collect the bounty.

The jets are being tracked by public flight-monitoring websites as they circle above international waters in the Gulf for more than 30 minutes. Marking the closest U.S. warplanes have come to Venezuelan territory since the current round of U.S. pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro began.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the flight as a “routine training mission,” saying the aircraft remained outside Venezuelan airspace. The official declined to say whether the jets were armed.

But to many analysts and Venezuelan officials, the mission appears to be part of a broader strategy of intimidation — a visible signal of U.S. capability and willingness to project power in the region. The flyover comes after a series of lethal U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels operating off Venezuela and in the Caribbean Sea — operations that Caracas has repeatedly condemned as unlawful and threatening.

Venezuelan President Maduro has said these military actions are designed to destabilize his government and has accused the U.S. of seeking regime change. Analysts caution that while Tuesday’s flight did not violate international airspace laws, its political and symbolic message could further inflame tensions.

This operation adds to a growing U.S. military buildup in the region and underscores the stakes as Washington intensifies pressure on Venezuela.

By: Tom Manke

12/10/2025

BREAKING MICHIGAN NEWS ...
Muskegon, MI - Friends Community News Group, December 9, 2025, 10:30 p.m. ET - A 16-year-old boy was arraigned Tuesday on an open murder charge in the shooting death of a 73-year-old man in Muskegon, authorities said.

Kemaree Davis appeared in Muskegon County Probate Court on Dec. 9, 2025, where he was charged as an adult with open murder and a felony firearm count in the killing of Tomas Lee Stewart Sr.

Police said officers were called to a home on the city’s east side late Sunday night and found Stewart with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators identified Davis as a suspect and arrested him Monday.

Prosecutors have not released details on a possible motive, and authorities have not said whether the teen and victim knew each other. A judge ordered Davis held without bond.

If convicted, Davis could face life in prison.

The case remains under investigation.

By: Tom Manke
Photo: Tomas Lee Stewart Sr

12/10/2025

BREAKING - Man Lucky To Be Alive

Hastings, MI - Friends Community News Group, December 9, 2025, 10:15 p.m. ET - A Michigan woman has been charged with assault after prosecutors say she attacked her ex-boyfriend with a knife and a glass bottle during a domestic incident over the weekend.

Samantha Lier, 29, was arrested late Saturday after Barry County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a disturbance at a home in Rutland Township, authorities said. Deputies arrived to find a 32-year-old man with cuts to his hands, arms and face. He told officers Lier struck him with a bottle and then attempted to stab him during an argument, according to a probable-cause affidavit.

The man was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Lier fled the home before deputies arrived but was located a short time later and taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said.

She is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence. A judge set bond at $25,000. Court records show Lier does not yet have an attorney listed.

The case remains under investigation.

By: Tom Manke

12/10/2025

Appeals Court Disagrees That Trooper Was Allowed To Beat Handcuffed J Walker.

Lansing, MI - Friends Community News Group, December 9, 2025, 9:30 pm ET - An appeals court has upheld charges against a former Michigan State Police trooper accused of an “unprovoked” beating of a pedestrian in Saginaw, rejecting the trooper’s bid to quash the charges.

The Michigan Court of Appeals on Thursday affirmed a lower court’s decision to bind the trooper, Paul Edward Arrowood, over a 2022 incident in which he and a partner approached a man walking on the street, detained him, and — according to prosecutors — used excessive force even after the man was subdued.

According to the court’s opinion, video evidence and witness statements provided probable cause to support charges of misconduct in office and assault and battery. Prosecutors say Arrowood struck the man with closed fists and knee strikes, even after the man was taken to the ground and hand-cuffed.

Defense arguments that the force was justified and lawful were rejected by the court, which ruled that the “reasonableness” of Arrowood’s actions was a question for a jury — not a judge — and that the evidence presented met the standard to proceed to a full trial.

The case stems from a Sept. 4, 2022 encounter on Webber Street in Saginaw. According to court filings, the troopers told the man he could not be walking in the roadway, then forcibly moved him to their patrol vehicle. When the man resisted, prosecutors allege Arrowood and his partner used excessive, unwarranted violence.

With the appeals court’s ruling, Arrowood remains formally charged and is expected to face trial on both counts. The decision underscores renewed judicial scrutiny of police conduct and use of force in Michigan.

By: Tom Manke
Former Trooper Paul Edward Arrowood heads to trial.

12/09/2025

BREAKING INTERNATIONAL NEWS... The Infamous Bonnie Blue Picks The Wrong Country and Faces 15 Years.

Jakarta, Indonesia - Friends Community News Group, December 9, 2025, 5 pm ET - The arrest of British adult-content figure Bonnie Blue in Bali has triggered a wave of criticism from both Indonesian officials and international observers who say her long-running pattern of attention-seeking, sexually explicit stunts has finally collided with a country unwilling to tolerate her behavior.

Blue, whose real name is Tia Billinger, was taken into custody after police said she helped produce pornographic content with foreign participants at a rented villa.

Indonesia’s anti-pornography laws — among the strictest in the world — outlaw the creation and distribution of explicit material, a fact widely publicized to tourists. Authorities said her arrest was not a misunderstanding but a predictable outcome for someone who has repeatedly built her brand on sensationalism and disregard for basic decency.

For years, Blue has drawn criticism in the UK and online for vulgar self-promotion and provocative claims made to attract followers. Her arrest in Indonesia has now cast those habits in a harsher light, with critics arguing she behaved recklessly in a country where cultural, religious, and legal norms are far more conservative than the permissive environment she is accustomed to.

“Some influencers believe notoriety excuses them from consequences,” said an Indonesian legal commentator. “But this country does not bend its laws to accommodate people whose careers are built on violating social boundaries.”

Blue and other participants allegedly filmed explicit group scenes marketed to online audiences — content that Indonesian officials say directly violates the values and laws that govern public morality. Authorities emphasized that they view the acts not merely as legal violations but as displays of disrespect toward the host country.

The case has reignited criticism of social-media personalities who travel internationally with little regard for local customs, prioritizing shock value and online engagement over basic responsibility. In Bali — a region already frustrated with unruly foreign tourists — officials say this case represents a growing problem.

“People come here believing they can behave however they want,” one Bali community leader said. “But they forget they are entering a society with rules, not a backdrop for their online persona.”

Blue, who has in the past boasted of her outrageous behavior for clicks, now faces a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years. Even if deported, the incident marks a severe turn in the public perception of her career, with critics saying her arrest is less an accident and more the natural consequence of a lifestyle built on pushing boundaries without regard for consequences.

Indonesian authorities state that the investigation is ongoing and that Blue will not be permitted to leave the country until it is completed.

Because of Blue's Lack of accepting responsibility for her actions and her total disrespect for those around her, there is a belief that Indonesia may use her as an example of what not to do when visiting their country by giving her a lengthy prison sentence.

By: Tom Manke

12/09/2025

BREAKING - JUDGE FINALLY GIVES TRUMP PERMISSION TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES - BUT ONLY AFTER SANITIZED TO THE JUDGES REQUIREMENTS

New York - Friends Community News Group, December 9, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET - A federal judge has ruled that long-sealed grand jury records from the sex-trafficking investigation of Ghislaine Maxwell can be released, clearing the way for federal prosecutors to make public materials they had been unable to disclose for years. However, it will take time to sanitize the documents, as the Judge requires, before they are released.

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer granted the Justice Department permission to unseal the records, which include grand jury transcripts, search warrants, investigative files, and other documents tied to Maxwell and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Federal officials stated that they were prohibited from releasing the material without a court order, despite repeated requests to do so under newly enacted transparency requirements.

The decision follows Congress’s approval of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law directing the Justice Department to release unclassified Maxwell- and Epstein-related records. Prosecutors informed the court that, without judicial approval, grand jury rules prohibited them from publicly sharing any testimony or documents generated during the secret proceedings.

Engelmayer said the material may be made public with redactions to protect the identities of victims and other sensitive information. He also noted that the files are not expected to contain new allegations beyond what is already known about Maxwell’s role in Epstein’s abuse network.

Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year federal sentence after being convicted in 2021 of trafficking underage girls for Epstein. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Federal prosecutors must now prepare the records for public release in a searchable format. A U.S. attorney will be required to certify all redactions before the documents are posted.

The Justice Department has not announced a release date.

By Tom Manke

12/09/2025

Kalkaska County - Friends Community News Group, December 9, 2025, 1:15 p.m. ET -Two people were killed after falling through thin ice on a northern Michigan lake late Saturday, authorities said.

The Kalkaska County Sheriff’s Office said a 22-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy died after the ice gave way on Island Lake just before 11 p.m. A 14-year-old boy who was with them managed to pull himself out of the water and alert nearby residents, officials said. He was treated at a hospital and released.

Deputies and firefighters pulled the 22-year-old man from the water around 11:40 p.m. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Divers from the Northern Michigan Mutual Aid Dive Team recovered the 13-year-old’s body Sunday morning in about 8 feet of water, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities described the rescue conditions as extremely dangerous due to darkness and unstable early-season ice. Emergency responders from multiple agencies, along with a Michigan State Police helicopter, assisted in the search.

Officials urged the public to stay off lakes as temperatures fluctuate across the region. “No ice is safe right now,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The names of the victims have not been released. The incident remains under investigation.

By: Tom Manke

12/09/2025

BREAKING IN AUSTRALIA... Australia’s New Social Media Crackdown Locks Out Millions of Children — And Some U.S. Politicians Want to Follow Suit

Washington DC - Friends Community News Group, December 9, 2025, 1:00 p.m. ET - Australia’s sweeping plan to bar children under 16 from opening or using social media accounts is expected to force millions of young users offline, marking one of the most aggressive attempts by a Western nation to curb digital exposure among minors. The move is drawing global attention — and in the United States, it is quickly becoming ammunition for lawmakers pushing similar restrictions at home.

Under the proposed Australian framework, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X would be required to verify the age of all users, not merely accept self-reported birthdays. Companies that fail to remove underage accounts could face significant financial penalties, according to officials backing the plan. The initiative followed repeated government-commissioned reports warning of rising levels of online harassment, grooming attempts, depressive symptoms and addictive behavior among young teens.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the protections “long overdue,” saying the government has a responsibility to intervene where tech companies “have shown no willingness to protect children unless forced.”

It Is Expected Millions Will Lose Access...

Industry estimates suggest that more than 2 million Australian children under the age of 16 currently maintain at least one active social media profile — often without parental knowledge. Enforcement of the new rules would require platforms to purge those accounts or block logins, creating one of the largest mass removals of underage users ever seen.

Parents and educators are divided. Some see the change as a relief, believing children have been exposed to harmful content for too long. Others fear it merely drives teens toward workarounds, such as VPNs, borrowed phones or falsified IDs, which early surveys show many youths already understand well.

Will there be ripple effects in the U.S.?

The Australian plan is being closely watched across the Pacific. In Washington, several lawmakers — primarily from states that have already proposed teen-safety legislation — say Australia provides a model for the U.S. to adopt.

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy have each argued for age-verification requirements and restrictions that mirror Australia’s approach. Hawley said the Australian legislation “proves that major democracies can stand up to Big Tech and put children first,” while conservative advocacy groups claim the United States is “dangerously behind” on protecting minors from online harm.

In several states, including Utah, Arkansas, and Louisiana, lawmakers have already passed or proposed laws demanding parental consent for teens to hold social media accounts — though many of these laws face legal challenges on First Amendment grounds.

Meanwhile, child-safety activists cite growing bipartisan frustration following congressional hearings featuring TikTok and Meta executives. “Australia is doing what parents in America have begged for,” said one online-safety researcher. “The question is whether U.S. courts will allow lawmakers to do the same.”

Civil liberties groups in both countries argue that the laws effectively hand governments unprecedented control over digital identity. They warn that mandatory age verification could lead to mass data collection, privacy vulnerabilities and the exclusion of vulnerable youth who use online platforms for support.

Tech companies also contend that the measures may be unrealistic, expensive and easy to evade. But Australian officials say the benefits outweigh the risks — and U.S. lawmakers eager to replicate the policy agree.

By: Tom Manke

12/09/2025

BREAKING DRUG BOAT CAPTURED - Coast Guard seizes boat with more than 3,700 lbs of co***ne off Miami Beach

Miami - Friends Community News Group, December 8, 2025, 11:30 pm ET - The U.S. Coast Guard, working with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, intercepted a suspected smuggling vessel off the coast of Miami Beach and seized about 3,715 pounds of co***ne, a haul valued at roughly US $28 million, the agency said.

Three suspected smugglers aboard the boat were taken into custody, officials said, and the drugs along with the vessel were handed over to federal authorities for prosecution.

The seizure occurred two miles east of Government Cut, the shipping channel near Miami Beach and Fisher Island.

On board, law enforcement agents uncovered more than 1,000 concealed packages containing co***ne.

Authorities described the operation as the largest by a Coast Guard small-boat station since 1995.

“Protecting our maritime borders from illicit drug trafficking remains one of our highest priorities,” said Lt. Matthew Ross, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Miami Beach.

The seizure — part of an intensified push by the Coast Guard and its partners to intercept narcotics shipments — comes amid increased alerts over drug trafficking through maritime routes in the Caribbean and Atlantic. Experts say the volume of co***ne intercepted would potentially flood U.S. streets with massive amounts of illicit drugs had it reached shore.

The three suspects are now in federal custody. U.S. prosecutors are expected to bring charges under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and related statutes.

By: Tom Manke

12/09/2025

BREAKING MICHIGAN NEWS - Michigan schools face Title IX complaint over transgender volleyball player.

Ann Arbor, MI - Friends Community News Group, December 8, 2025, 11 pm ET - A Michigan parent has filed a federal Title IX complaint alleging that a transgender player was improperly allowed to compete on a girls’ high-school volleyball team, prompting questions about eligibility rules and whether female athletes were given adequate notice.

The complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Education and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), accuses Ann Arbor Skyline High School of allowing a transgender-identifying biological male to play on its varsity girls’ volleyball team without providing information to opposing teams or verifying compliance with state athletic-eligibility requirements.

According to the filing, the complainant’s daughter, a Monroe High School player, competed against Skyline and shared a locker room in at least one tournament setting. The parent alleges the school and athletic association failed to protect privacy rights and did not follow proper review procedures for transgender athlete participation.

The MHSAA’s policies require schools to obtain a formal waiver for transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports, but state lawmakers who reviewed the case say the association has not produced documentation confirming that such a waiver exists for the Skyline athlete.

Fourteen Michigan legislators — both Republicans and some Democrats — sent a formal inquiry to MHSAA seeking clarification, saying the question of eligibility and transparency “must be answered to ensure fairness, safety and compliance with Title IX.”

Skyline High School officials have declined to comment, citing student-privacy laws. The MHSAA said it is reviewing the matter but has not released any public findings.

The U.S. Department of Education has acknowledged receipt of the complaint. If accepted for review, a Title IX investigation could require the district or athletic association to release records, change policies, or take corrective action.

The case comes amid a national debate over how schools should balance transgender inclusion with protections for women’s athletics. Several states have tightened eligibility rules, while others have expanded access.

By: Tom Manke

12/09/2025

Over 99% of the Reponders Back Brian BeGole - State Representative in sponsoring legislation to Ban Sharia Law from ever being used in Michigan.
Results - The story was posted only 22 hours ago.
There has been 259,540 reads.
8,808 expressed support and only 128 expressed their disapproval.

Brian BeGole had this to say: "Sharia law doesn’t belong here. Not now and not ever, period. It threatens equal rights, due process, and the basic freedoms that each of us is guaranteed. I will fiercely support any action that keeps it out of Michigan. The Constitution is the only system of laws our courts should follow and if anyone is looking for a different set of rules to take over our courts they should start looking somewhere else."

Multiple U.S. states have enacted laws preventing courts from applying foreign or religious legal codes, including Sharia law, in cases where those codes conflict with state or federal constitutional rights.

The measures—passed in states such as Kansas, Arizona, Tennessee, Alabama, South Dakota, and North Carolina—direct judges to rely solely on U.S. law when resolving civil or family disputes.

Supporters argue that these laws ensure that constitutional protections, due process, and equal rights cannot be overridden by religious arbitration or foreign legal systems.

Michigan is home to one of the largest populations of people from the Middle East and North Africa in the country. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, about 54.5% of Dearborn’s nearly 110,000 residents report Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) ancestry. That means roughly 60,000 people in Dearborn identify as having MENA heritage. The most significant subgroups among them are those of Lebanese descent, followed by Yemeni, Iraqi, and broader Arab ancestry.

Dearborn has been under scrutiny after its Middle Eastern Descent Mayor told a Christian city resident during a city council meeting that he is not welcome in Dearborn and should move. The city has also started broadcasting the call to prayer over loudspeakers throughout the city five times a day.

The police department has also been under scrutiny since Arabic writing was added to its uniforms.

Brian BeGole (R) is in his second term, having been first elected to serve the 71st House District in November 2022.

By: Tom Manke

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