Patrick Lyoya had an outstanding warrant for his arrest when pulled over in the traffic stop that culminated in a fatal struggle with a police officer. Attorney Ven Johnson said that his client’s record is “completely irrelevant” because the officer had no information about Lyoya other than he was driving a car with mismatched license plates. Others say that Lyoya’s troubles provided motivation to flee the April 4 traffic stop and fight the officer for control of a police Taser before he was shot in the head. No one can know why Lyoya resisted arrest, Johnson, the Lyoya family’s attorney, told MLive. “Cop shot and killed him … hence no chance to explain,” Johnson said. READ MORE
Three Michigan high schools are once again rated among the top 100 best high schools in the country in the latest U.S. News & World Report best high school rankings released on Tuesday. The publication looks at metrics like college readiness and graduation rates to compile the annual list. Overall, 22.1% of the 660 Michigan high schools ranked by U.S News were in the top 25% nationally, with 24 high schools ranking among the top 5% in the county. On top of the list of the top 50 schools, we have a look at where each Michigan school landed in the national ranking: READ MORE
The Michigan Senate approved legislation this week that would end a fundraising loophole Republicans say Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took advantage of last year to exceed campaign contribution limits. The Republican-led bill would set legal definitions for what is considered an active recall effort and would require all unspent funds in a recall committee to be returned to donors in the order they were received. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday in a 21-14 vote along party lines. READ MORE
This spring marks two years since travel shut down but with restrictions easing, that dream vacation might finally become a reality. Michigan travel agents hear the eagerness from their clients. Jessica Gray, owner of Dream Vacations in Battle Creek, said her clients aren’t holding back any longer. “They don’t want just the regular old vacation,” she said. “They want an experience.” A recent survey found 81% of respondents agree they want to travel to destinations where they can immerse themselves into the local culture. READ MORE
In the second part of a series on Saginaw County's oldest active murder warrants, we look at the violent death of Joseph C. “Jojo” Espinosa. There were four suspects involved in the 30-year-old's death, but only three were arrested after the deadly night in 1978. Police reports state that about 8 p.m., officers responded to a shooting. They arrived to find Espinosa, wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and a sport shirt, lying face down in the center of the street, a blood pooled around him. Tire tracks were in the blood, near which were spent .45-caliber casings. READ MORE
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