If no deal is reached within that time frame, it could mean another FA strike in late November. However, labor law experts say such a scenario is unlikely.

“It’s reasonable to say that a well-researched fact-finding report will very likely have an impact on thoughtful people,” said Robert McCormick, a labor law professor at the Michigan State University College of Law. “You can’t predict it, but I think thoughtful people will say, ‘I may disagree, but will go forward with the fact-finder’s recommendation.”

Appointed state fact-finder Barry Goldman issued a report Tuesday favoring CMU’s administration on the economic issues of salary and benefits. However, he sided with the FA on the issue of retirement and promotion increments.

Both sides returned to the bargaining table Friday for seven and half hours, with no significant progress made.

McCormick pointed to a similar situation with Eastern Michigan University’s faculty in 2006, when a state fact-finder was brought in to make recommendations in response to a faculty strike. The final report from the fact-finder proved influential in helping the two sides reach an agreement in the weeks following its release, he said.

CMU would also have the option of imposing a contract on the faculty if the two sides remain at a standstill, according to law experts.

However, the Public Employee Relations Act does not define a set amount of days after fact-finding in which a unit of government can do so. Rather, it varies from employer to employer.

Steve Smith, director of public relations, did not have a timeline for the case of CMU.

“It remains the university’s intent to reach an agreement that is fair and equitable to both parties through collective bargaining, using the fact-finder’s report as a basis for future negotiations,” he said.

FA President Laura Frey has said the faculty would consider voting on another job action if such a move were to take place. They previously voted for a job action was a work stoppage that lasted for part of the first day of fall semester classes, before administrators gained an Isabella County court injunction to return professors to the classroom.

“The agreement signed by Judge (Paul) Chamberlain is in effect until 20 business days after the issuance of the fact-finding report,” Frey said. “I am hopeful that the administration will show its concern for students by bargaining in good faith with the FA bargaining team.”

McCormick said one major benefit of fact-finding is that the results are made public. Opening up both positions tends to speed up the process as both sides feel more pressure to get a deal done.

The fact-finder’s recommendations are significant, but not final, he said.

“It has the ability to persuade the public that the findings are correct,” McCormick said. “I would assume that the influence is there.”

The project’s $281,600 price tag was upped to $306,000, as additional money is needed to replace the building’s exhaust system, said Lt. Tom Recker, jail administrator.

The jail no longer meets specifications because of leaks created from the construction of a previous building addition. In that addition, the roofing was pulled up from the original building.

“The roof over there is in many stages,” said Commissioner George Green. “We’ve revamped it with several new additions.”

The project calls for the removal of insulation and ballasted membrane from the roof deck. Current sheet metal will also be removed and new perimeter blocking will be added to match the thickness of insulation.

“We’ve had several leaks in the facility to the point where it’s time to replace the roof, and do it all in one job, and do it all right,” Recker said.

The roof is being replaced for the first time in more than 50 years.

Isabella County commissioners approved the project Tuesday, stating the money will be taken from the county’s $549,000 commissary fund.

“We generate about $120,000 a year in commissary, so we’re feeling that we’ll have enough time to replenish that account, so that we will not spend more than what we have,” Recker said.

A 20-year warranty will be included in the project.

Great Lakes Systems will serve as the construction firm for the replacement project, outbidding six other companies.

The Jenison-based company was chosen after surveying several references who recommended the firm, Recker said.

It has carried out similar construction at jails in Kent and Allegan counties.

“(The references) said they were clean and safety-conscious,” Recker said. “I probably talked to 10 or 11 references, and I did not hear one negative comment about them.”

A beginning and ending construction date has not yet been set.

The north campus apartment housing project, approved Thursday by the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees, will consist of 94 units in two buildings. The facility will be located on Bellows Street, west of the Carlin Alumni House.

“It’s located in a very convenient location,” said Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management. “It’s just north of the Health Professions Building, so it’s very close to the College of Medicine and the activity there.”

The apartments are being built to replace several Washington Court buildings that have been demolished to make way for the Education and Human Services Building. Plans call for them to primarily house medical students and visiting scholars.

Construction will begin in November, and upon its completion in March 2013, will be ready for occupancy the following June.

There were a number of announcements during Thursday’s meeting including the approval of  a $1.5 million renovation to Real Food on Campus residential restaurant.

The facility will also include a Mongolian grill station in the future, as well as renovated food stations that already exist.

During the meeting trustees gave an evaluation of University President George Ross, commending him for his work but not giving him a $50,000-performance bonus.

“In summary, a strong performance for 2010-11 ending June 30,” said Chairwoman Sarah Opperman. “No bonus, in keeping with the current financial priorities and consistent with other actions that have been taken throughout the university and strong improvements  in fundraising.”

An independent auditor also presented trustees with results for the fiscal year that ended in June. CMU recorded $394 million in operating expenses and $155 million in debt.

CMU also saw an increase in unrestricted net assets of nearly $50 million, from $228 million to $276 million.

Jeffrey Fineis, a partner at the Lansing-based Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC, said that amount in unrestricted funds is a good level to be at, given the university’s expenditures.

Meanwhile, funding for the graduate housing will come from two sources — capital reserves and loans from three local banks. No tuition or tax dollars are being used to cover construction costs.

Central Michigan University has saved $10 million that will be used for the first part of the project, while the remaining $18.5 million will come from local financing. Authorization for the loans will likely show up on the board’s December or February 2012 agenda, said David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services.

“We don’t want to take that financing authorization until we need it,” Burdette said. “Once we take the loan, we’d have to start paying interest on it.”

At Thursday’s meeting, trustees also approved a motion for administrators to contract with PNC Bank for an increase in CMU’s monthly line of credit. The university’s current credit limit is $1 million and would increase to as much as $5 million under the adopted resolution.

The apartments will contain kitchens, washers and dryers, air conditioning, cable television, WiFi and optional furnishings.

“It is designed to be a graduate student housing apartment project that is basically going to be energy-efficient, very functional, and at the same time, aesthetically pleasing,” said John Fisher, associate vice president of Residences and Auxiliary Services.

Real Food on Campus

For the Real Food on Campus project, money will come from the Residences and Auxiliary Services replacement and renovation fund pool.

“It is in great need of some renovation and refurbishing,” Fisher said. “It is our largest and busiest residential restaurant on this campus.”

The facility serves about 2,000 students and has not been significantly remodeled for nine years, he said.

Debate over what it means, and debate over how the money can be used.

Former Faculty Association President Tim Connors said it is a simple matter of the university setting priorities.

“The administration sets its own priorities,” he said. “If your priorities change, you shift the money.”

The $228 million is pre-designated as reserves for several purposes, including maintenance, construction projects and contractual commitments. Public universities across Michigan have similar funds, most of which are in the dollar amount of hundreds of millions.

Steve Smith, CMU director of public relations, did not comment on whether the funds can be shifted toward other designations.

A 2010 financial report describes the unrestricted assets as “funds that have been designated by the governing board for specific purposes as well as amounts that have been contractually committed for goods and services, which have not yet been received.”

The use of the assets is not restricted by donors or grant agencies, according to the financial report.

That factor has drawn the eye of faculty, who are asking for increased salaries and benefits during bargaining talks.

“Based on the FA bargaining team’s salary proposal in the fact-finding document, the FA’s salary proposal is an estimated 0.5 percent of the annual CMU budget,” said FA president Laura Frey, in an emailed statement.

According to a Chronicle of Higher Education database, a fully-promoted professor at CMU earns an average salary of $98,400. An average associate professor makes $75,000, assistant professors make $61,400 and instructors collect $40,000 on average.

The numbers are not far off from universities of comparable size, such as Western Michigan University and Eastern Michigan University.

CMU’s unrestricted net assets in reserve, however, are considerably higher than both and have risen over the past several years. Only EMU and Michigan Technological University have witnessed declines.

David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, has stated about $5 million is available in the form of cash as an emergency fund. He referred comment to Smith for this story.

Meanwhile, CMU’s day-to-day cash reserves are separate and total about $61 million.

“CMU operations cost roughly $1 million a day,” Smith said. “This reserve gives us roughly two months of operating expenses.”

Smith said operational budgets from different universities have many complexities that can make comparisons misleading.

Effect on appropriations

Kurt Weiss, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, attributed some universities’ higher net assets to specific expenditures.

“Some universities included capital and maintenance funds, and others did not, with the former obviously reporting a larger amount,” Weiss said.

Reserves at public universities played no role whatsoever in sharp appropriations cuts this year, he said.

Rather, university’s tuition actions over the last five years were the most significant factor, Weiss said.

“The goal was to get the budget into structural balance where ongoing expenditures could be covered by ongoing revenues, eliminating the one-time fixes each year,” he said.

But CMU is still preparing for the worst.

“The university anticipates further state appropriation challenges and a structural deficit in the years ahead,” Smith said. “This has required us to reassess our budget priorities, as we no longer can rely on higher tuition to sustain us.”

Regardless of any cuts to state funding, the FA points to the unrestricted funds as a prime showing of the administration’s priorities and where faculty are placed.

Connors said the administration has the ability to change the designation of the funds but has simply been reluctant to do so.

He compared the funds to a student who has saved up money to pay off a credit card balance, but whose car battery unexpectedly dies. The student then uses the saved money to buy a new car battery because the need for reliable transportation becomes a higher priority.

“Depending on what (the priorities) are and how they change, they can be shifted,” Connors said.

Public Act 54, which went into effect June 8, prevents all “wage step increases” after the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement. Because both sides have yet to agree on a new contract, the lump sum payments normally gained upon faculty promotion are not being issued under the act.

The FA and Michigan Education Association argue the move to be an overstep of PA 54, preventing faculty from receiving their one-time payments for work completed prior to the contract’s expiration.

“All of the work was completed in the 2008/2011 contract,” said FA President Laura Frey. “At this point we are seeking the full amount for each faculty.”

An expedited court hearing process is underway to settle the issue of newly-promoted faculty receiving their lump sum payments, Frey said. The FA and MEA are also questioning the constitutionality of PA 54.

Steve Smith, CMU director of public relations, said he was unaware of actions taken by the MEA to challenge the act.

About 40 to 60 promoted faculty are eligible to receive lump sum payments for this year, Frey said.

“There’s a variety of them that were acted on by the board of trustees in July,” Smith said.

Professors promoted from the associate professor position earn $7,250 in one-time installments, assistants promoted to associates receive $6,250 and new assistant professors are paid $2,500. In ongoing contract negotiations, CMU is proposing lowering the first two by $1,250 and keeping the latter the same, Frey said.

Meanwhile, the FA proposes keeping all three the same.

Tenured professors are also eligible to earn lump sum payments every four years, pending an application and evaluation process which determines if they are still productive and current.

Frey said CMU had the opportunity to question the constitutionality of PA 54 and pay its promoted employees, but did not.

“My general understanding is that every state institution of higher ed has the ability to challenge the state constitution on certain aspects,” Frey said. “The way they are interpreting PA 54 is it is working in their favor.”

Because the hearing process is being expedited and not treated in standard time, it is likely the case could be heard during the fall semester.

MEA officials did not respond to requests for comment.

A Mount Pleasant marijuana dispensary has closed its doors and hundreds of similar businesses are following suit across Michigan, after a Wednesday state appeals court ruling.

In a 17-page opinion released Wednesday, a three-judge panel ruled Compassionate Apothecary of Mount Pleasant a public nuisance. The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act does not permit the sale of marijuana — either by licensed caregivers or licensed patients, according to court documents. Instead, it only creates an exception for its use by such permit holders.

The case stemmed from efforts by Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick to shut down the Michigan Street dispensary last year. In a December 2010 opinion, county Judge Paul H. Chamberlain ruled the dispensary to be legal and stated the MMMA does not specify how medical marijuana can be distributed.

The appeals court ruling against CA of Mount Pleasant is being used as a precedent for other cases in Michigan and overturns Chamberlain’s ruling. The opinion can still be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority.

Burdick issued a cease and desist letter Wednesday to CA of Mount Pleasant’s owners, Brandon McQueen and Matthew Taylor. Both complied and Burdick said the ruling not only impacts their operation, but other dispensaries in Isabella County.

“Any business operating along those lines would be considered illegal,” he said. “We are asking those businesses to cease operations.”

How the case will affect marijuana dispensaries statewide remains unclear and could vary by jurisdiction.

However, most of the 400 to 500 dispensaries have already shut down to seek the advice of attorneys, said Rick Thompson, spokesman for the Michigan Association of Compassion Centers. Some of them reopened upon that advice.

“This is going to affect patients across the state by eliminating safe access,” Thompson said. “People are going to go back to the underground market. I believe that safe access is exactly what the voters approved (in 2008).”

At CA of Mount Pleasant, patients and caregivers could rent lockers for marijuana storage and purchase cannabis from other CA members. McQueen and Taylor had been using this method as a basis for sales and took in 20 percent of the sale price for themselves, according to court records.

The company operated similar dispensaries in Lansing and Traverse City and there were about 345 CA members, according to the records.

McQueen and Taylor could not be reached for comment.

Thompson said he is now concerned former medical marijuana patients will resort to more dangerous, chemical prescription drugs for alleviating pain.

“This isn’t about business. This is about helping sick people,” he said.

Simply walking in between the two life-size bear statues in Rowe Hall triggers a loud, unexpected growling noise. It’s one example of efforts to enhance technology previously lacking at the museum, said its director, Jay Martin.

“We’ve been trying to develop new technology. Overall, it’s an ongoing process,” said Martin, an assistant professor of history. “Certain exhibits are starting to disappear elsewhere, and we’re changing here too.”

Old-fashioned glass display exhibits are still around at the museum and have been there for about 40 years, but Martin said he envisions more interactive additions in the future, such as the bear sounds.

In February, the main hallway of the museum was altered to include more historical exhibits, which delved into the fashion styles of past decades and the spooky legends on Central Michigan University’s campus that still exist today.

But to Hannah Jenkins, the hallway portion of Rowe Hall has more of a “museum feel” to it than anything.

“I’ve always been interested in history, starting when I worked at the Clarke Historical Library,” the Grant senior said. “For the first four years (at CMU), every time I walked through here, I didn’t even realize it was a museum — and I’m a museum studies minor.”

Harrison Township senior Gina Cipriano is relatively new to the Museum of Cultural and Natural History and works in it as a student employee along with Jenkins.

“So far, everything has been going very well,” Cipriano said. “From what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of potential here.”

Another addition is the children’s center, an exhibit designed to showcase college life for kids. In some instances, it might not be so different, Martin said.

Backpacks for both a college student and grade-school student are on display, with many notable supplies in both. The exhibit offers tips on how to get a well-balanced meal at the residential restaurants, while another portion of it features photos and equipment donated by the athletics department.

Not far from the children’s center is a separate display showing one well-known aspect of college life — beer.

Along with various brands of beer bottles and taps are two of the maroon and gold Bud Light cans that graced Mount Pleasant two years ago.

“There are rumors that some college students drink — I don’t know of any,” Martin joked.

The departure of CMU students remains a regular cause of slower operations, staffing cuts and reduced hours for several bars, restaurants and other establishments in the area.

Shift manager Rich Ryan said a drop in customers is quite noticeable, but business carries on at student-oriented restaurants such as Menna’s Joint, 1418 S. Mission St.

“Students still order — there are always people,” he said.

Between the spring and fall semesters at CMU, the Menna’s Joint workforce is cut by more than half, Ryan said.

The clientele at the Bird Bar & Grill, 223 S. Main St., consists of a steady mix of students and community members, said manager Melissa Burgtras. She said the establishment sees less of a hit to sales and attendance during the summer months because many customers remain.

“We maintain a lot of customers,” Burgtras said. “There are certain days when there are more students and certain days when there are more local business people.”

Thursday at the bar is most popular for students, while many locals are seen on Fridays, Burgtras said. She believes a lot of students remain in Mount Pleasant this season.

Brian Lombard, a manager for Chippewa Cab & Limo, 1608 N. Fancher St., said the service is well-diversified and includes airport, casino and medical transportation. The business still finds itself serving a fair amount of people in the summertime, mostly community members.

“With students gone, it hurts business all over town,” Lombard said.

Rubbles Bar, 112 W. Michigan St., hosts local musical talent on a weekly basis to attract customers.

The shows continue into the summertime, but make the shift to Friday and Saturday, rather than the Thursday and Friday performance schedule followed during the fall and spring semesters. Performing bands often hail from Mount Pleasant, but groups from outside of mid-Michigan have also performed at the bar.

Manager Melissa Gross said business is noticeably affected, but even those who are not CMU students still show up to support their favorite local artists.

“We have a lot of locals who come in to watch the bands,” she said. “The dynamics change a bit more.”

Live musical performances also continue at Kaya Coffee and Tea Co., 1029 S. University Ave. However, hours are reduced throughout the week, said manager Elly Cotton. Open Mic Night is not usually hosted between the spring and fall semesters.

“We see more community members, but we still see some students,” Cotton said.

Regardless of their products or services, many local business owners agreed students make up a large portion of Mount Pleasant’s customer base.

“Without a doubt, (CMU’s) Welcome Weekend is the busiest time of the year,” Ryan said.

Prices ranged from $4.15 to $4.17 per gallon in the area as of Monday, according to gasbuddy.com, a website that tracks the industry’s daily prices from city to city.

Mid-Michigan is dealing with higher gas prices than the southern portion of the state. In Detroit on Monday, prices were as low as $3.84 and in Grand Rapids, the lowest was $3.91.

Chippewa Cab & Limo, 1608 N. Fancher Ave., has been forced to adjust what it charges to riders, said manager Brian Lombard.

“We had to raise our rates,” he said. “It’s pretty costly to run a cab business.”

Fares now stand at $3.50 per mile in Mount Pleasant, but different cities served in mid-Michigan have different rates, Lombard said.

Chad Kandaris, owner of Ride Safe Taxi, 314 S. Brown St., said the service plans to increase its daytime flat rate from $5 to $6 within the next couple weeks. The nighttime flat will remain at $5 for one person and $3 for two or more.

The flat rate is the cost of a trip as a whole and not per mile.

“We still haven’t raised our prices yet,” Kandaris said. “You don’t really need to raise it when you’re getting a good quantity of people.”

With higher gas prices in effect, Chippewa Cab & Limo aims to capitalize on special rates offered to riders who wish to travel to specific businesses, Lombard said. The transportation service offers $1 discounts to riders whose destination is Rubbles or the Bird Bar & Grill in downtown Mount Pleasant, Los Aztecas Mexican Restaurant on East Bluegrass Road or Crankers Coney Island on East Pickard Street.

Lombard is not dismissing rumors that gas prices could shoot up to more than $5 per gallon this summer and said there is always the possibility it could happen.

“It’s definitely going to get higher,” he said.

Gary John Reen, 56 of Chippewa Township, was charged Saturday after turning himself over to police and telling them he shot his wife, Cheryl Kristine Reen. He remains jailed on $2 million bond.

Gary John Reen

Deputies found the body of the 51-year-old woman in a pole barn at a residence located at 7120 E. River Road, where Gary Reen told deputies he had shot her, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

Investigators determined Cheryl Reen was shot at least two times with a handgun.

Cheryl Reen, whose name is listed in a past CMU directory, worked as an administrative secretary for the School of Health Sciences as recently as 2005.

It was not clear whether she was working for the university at the time of her death. CMU human resources officials did not provide any information regarding her current employment status as of Sunday evening.

Reen is also charged with felony firearm possession. He has asked for a court-appointed attorney to represent him.

A date for Reen’s next court appearance will likely be set sometime this week, Mioduszewski said.

The alleged homicide stemmed from a domestic dispute at the home, about a mile and a half north of the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd.

“They were having marital problems at the time,” Mioduszewski said.

Sheriff’s deputies and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police arrived at the scene 6:57 p.m Friday after Reen turned himself in. Investigators from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab arrived later from Bridgeport to process the scene and collect any evidence.

The Reen’s 15-year-old son was also staying at the residence prior to the incident. The teenager, who was inside the home at the time of the alleged shooting, has since been turned over to other family members.

“He didn’t know what was going on,” Mioduszewski said. “He was playing video games at the time.”

Beyond marital problems, a clearer motive behind the alleged homicide has not yet been determined. Reen is saying little to investigators, the sheriff said.

The incident is the third reported murder in the Mount Pleasant area in the past year.

On July 10, 25-year-old Iva Joy Fuller’s body was found in a field off of Remus Road near Nottawa Road on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation. Her brother, Daniel Lawrence Fuller, has been indicted on federal murder charges.

Three days later, Kim “Kemp” Luchie, 25, was shot to death by Shepherd resident Justin Joel Luckhardt at The Cabin, 930 W. Broomfield St. Luckhardt later shot and killed himself after a high-speed police chase.

“Homicides in Isabella County are very rare,” Mioduszewski said.