SANDUSKY, Ohio (CBS Detroit) - For many in Metro Detroit, it will remain a part of our summer fun childhood memories. But, following an explosion Wednesday, Cedar Point’s Space Spiral came crashing to the ground.

In operation since 1965, the family friendly, high-rising, slow-spinning ride is being removed from the Sandusky, Ohio park to make way for GateKeeper, a new “winged coaster” set to debut next year.

The demolition was handled by a third-party contractor.

“Workers calculated precisely where the tower would land, and dug a large hole into the fall zone to cushion the impact of the cabin area,” according to park officials. “Everything was executed safely and according to plan.”

Although Space Spiral ridership has greatly declined over the years as crowds lined up for a growing collection of rollercoasters, not everyone is thrilled to see it go.

“I don’t know how they could have done it differently but I think it could have been different than blowing it up. It felt to me like blowing up an old friend,” commented Molly Brown, on Cedar Point’s YouTube page.

Disaster Transport will also be removed to make way for GateKeeper.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/video-cedar-point-space-spiral-crashes-to-the-ground/

DETROIT (WWJ) – With less than two months before the November election the NAACP has launched a campaign to register the estimated 2 million Michigan residents who are eligible to vote but are not registered.

“It’s a historic, non-partisan voter outreach campaign,” explained the NAACP’s Marvin Randolph. “What we’ve found is that across the nation there’s been a systematic, coordinated and well-funded attack on voting rights … changing the laws and making it more difficult for people to exercise their franchise and register to vote.”

Yvonne White, President of the NAACP in Michigan, said they’ve partnered with the Voter Participation Center which has already mailed out millions of registration applications to potential voters.

“So, we’re on the ground trying to educate the community, trying to register as many people as we can in order to inform them that you have the right to vote,” White said.

The “This is My Vote”  campaign is also using phone apps and the internet to reach out to younger potential voters.

For information about registering to vote in Michigan, visit this link.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/naacp-campaign-targets-2-million-unregistered-michigan-voters/

DETROIT -

Boy raped in Detroit map Local 4 has learned two men grabbed a boy who was at a Detroit elementary school Wednesday and sexually assaulted him.

The men knocked on the door at Wayne Elementary School and the 13-year-old boy came to answer. The men grabbed the boy and pulled him out of the school on Lakepointe Avenue near Kelly Road and Whittier Street on the city's east side.

The men tied up the boy's hands and raped him.

Neighbors in the area found the boy tied up. His grandparents arrived and he was taken to St. John's Hospital. It is not known what his condition is.

It also is not known if any arrests have been made.

 

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/news/Men-sexually-assault-13-year-old-boy-after-pulling-him-from-school-in-Detroit/-/4714498/16580162/-/vevckyz/-/index.html

Bill Pickard, Don Coleman, Leon Richardson and Rodney O'Neal

One hundred Black presidents and CEOs. That sentence alone speaks volumes. It speaks to the heights to which African-Americans have risen in business. It speaks to the beauty of dreams and the focus, dedication and preparation necessary to attain them. But perhaps most importantly, it speaks more to the possibility of such achievements than the achievements themselves. It makes us all glow with pride, knowing that those who have ascended up the corporate or entrepreneurial ladder did so not with a faint heart, but with an undying and unyielding faith in themselves and their vision.

The men and women featured in this year’s edition of “Who’s Who in Black Detroit” have certainly overcome tough obstacles and made untold sacrifices to reach this level, both personal and professional. And maybe that’s what makes their accomplishments so admirable. To navigate the treacherous terrain of the business world and achieve what they have achieved is a telling statement and one that, again, speaks volumes.

There are entrepreneurs on the list and there are those who climbed the corporate ladder. Neither is less impressive than the other, but it should be pointed out that African-American-owned businesses are on the rise. From 2002 to 2007, the number of Black-owned businesses increased by 60.5 percent to 1.9 million, more than triple the national rate of 18.0 percent. Over the same period, receipts generated by Black-owned businesses increased 55.1 percent to $137.5 billion. In 2007, the retail trade, healthcare and social assistance sectors accounted for 27.4 percent of Black-owned business revenue. And with 32,490 establishments, Detroit ranked fourth in the nation of cities with Black-owned businesses, behind New York, Chicago and Houston.

The 100 Black presidents and CEOs featured in the publication make up a cross section of business disciplines and industries. These leaders represent the automotive, construction, education, healthcare, hospitality, media and the nonprofit industries and employ thousands of people in and around Southeast Michigan. These businessmen and businesswomen have proven to be the best and brightest at what they do; many of them have received industry awards, acknowledgements from their original equipment manufacturer (OEM), automotive clients or generally remained at the top of the list in their respective industry.

The economic impact of these companies is big for this region. Collectively, they total billions of dollars in annual revenue and contribute handsomely to the overall economic recovery and vibrancy in Southeast Michigan. Several individuals on the list operate multiple entities.

Dr. Bill Pickard not only heads Global Automotive Alliance, he also owns six McDonald’s franchises in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas. He is most proud of the fact that he’s assisted others with obtaining McDonald’s franchises. Leon Richardson of ChemicoMays operates the largest African-American-owned chemical management concern in North America, and his company’s stellar delivery of quality goods and services has earned it General Motors’ Supplier of the Year award three consecutive years. Don Coleman of GlobalHue runs the largest ad agency targeting minority consumers. His clients include Verizon Wireless, Walmart and Chrysler Group LLC, among others.

There’s Dr. Herman Gray, Children’s Hospital’s first African-American president; Mark Douglas, second-generation leader of Avis Ford in Southfield, taking the reins from his father, Walter Douglas; Gregory Jackson of Prestige Automotive, one of the first African-American-owned companies to gross more than $1 billion. There’s Bill Perkins of the Perkins Automotive Group; he is also the first African-American co-chair of the prestigious North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Ron Hall Sr. of Bridgewater Interiors was awarded a $900 million contract with General Motors, the largest contract ever handed out to a minority business by GM.

The success stories that abound throughout the publication are inspirational and a testimony to the benefits of dedicated and focused hard work. Many of these individuals came from little, whereas others may have been provided a bit of a head start economically. Regardless of the origin of their journey, each individual, to one degree or another, withstood systemic pushback but persevered and ultimately reached their destination. They are all solid pillars in our community and deserving of being celebrated.

To obtain a copy of the 6th edition of “Who’s Who in Black Detroit,” visit www.whoswhopublishing.com.

Mayor Dave Bing and Gov. Rick Snyder today announced a plan to revitalize Belle Isle Park through a state-city partnership. The plan calls for a 30-year lease of the island park where the City would maintain ownership and the State would manage and fund park operations through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). According to Bing, the plan will restore Belle Isle to its initial beauty while and saving the city $275 million over the next 30 years.

“This is a win-win situation for the City and the entire State,” Bing told reporters at a press conference Wednesday morning. “We want the gem [that is] Belle Isle to be polished again.” Bing said he had spoken with several council members and is optimistic. “They are supportive of this. We all want the same thing … to make Belle Isle a safe, beautiful place for people to take their families.” If the City Council approves the plan, the first actions the DNR will take is to sharply up the safety patrols on the island and restore athletic fields and restroom areas, Snyder said.

There are also long-term projects for the island including more recreational activities and re-opening the aquarium, boathouse and canals. “We’re excited about the opportunity to partner with the City on a City-owned asset,” he told reporters. He said the proposal is an example of the State working “hand in hand” with the City. “This isn’t Detroit versus Michigan, this is Detroit, Michigan,” he said. If the lease is approved, Belle Isle will become a state park while maintaining city ownership.

The 36 recreation workers assigned to Belle Isle would not lose their jobs but instead be reassigned to other city parks and recreation centers, Bing said. According to George Jackson, CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the entire island will be under DNR control with the exception of the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservancy greenhouse. Snyder said the funding for the Belle Isle improvements would come from bonds paid for by the DNR and a number of grants. But said he was not going to “focus on dollar amounts”.

Under the 30-year lease, all state park rules would apply to Belle Isle including an annual $10 fee for private vehicles to enter the island. There would be no entry fee for people on foot, bikes or buses. Bing said he thought the Belle Isle announcement should be bigger news than former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s federal corruption trial. “We can’t let negative things that have gone on in the past overshadow out future,” he said.

There’s the real world, and there’s the media’s interpretation of the real world. That was the message from lawyers for both sides of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s federal trial stated repeatedly Tuesday morning as the jury selection process continued. “You understand the difference between reality and TV, right?” Michael Bullotta, prosecution attorney, asked a prospective juror who said she got most of her news from watching local TV. “ That thing, that tube, it’s entertainment” he said.

The idea that media sources are negative entertainment that is biased against Kilpatrick was a theme in the courtroom. One perspective juror, when asked if she had an opinion of Kilpatrick, said she didn’t have one because she didn’t know him. She said her bad impression of the former mayor and Detroit came from watching the news. “I had a negative feeling about the image of Detroit and Mr. Kilpatrick … that I didn’t have prior to media—the entertainment tube,” she said. Ultimately, she said she could set her negative impressions garnered through the media aside. Judge Nancy Edmunds added approved her to continue through the selection process despite objections from the defense team.

Race was another topic that the defense attorneys asked nearly every perspective juror. While all of the defendants are of African or Hispanic descent, most of the perspective jurors questioned on Tuesday were white, non-Hispanic descent. They were asked how they felt about affirmative action, and whether minorities are treated fairly in criminal trials. Race and issues surrounding the trail are “blasted through the media like everything else,” John Shea, a defense attorney representing Bobby Ferguson told a perspective juror.

Even a few light jokes were cracked. When one potential juror said she lived an hour outside of Detroit and rarely tuned in to Detroit news topics, Kilpatrick’s’ lead attorney James Thomas pointed out that she didn’t confine herself to her rural home. “You get around,” he said to instant chuckles from people in the courtroom including members of the press. Thomas took a chance to throw a zinger at the press, “So they do have a sense of humor,” he said.