On Friday and Saturday, two men visited Big Apple Bagel, 2024 S. Mission St., Jet’s Pizza, 2308 S. Mission St., La Senorita’s, 1516 S. Mission St. and Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 2332 S. Mission St., and two Subways. The suspects attempted the scam at sixth business but were unsuccessful.

Mount Pleasant Police Department Public Information Office Dave Sabuda said the men scammed businesses by money swindling.

“People come into businesses and buy small priced items with a large bill,” Sabuda said. “They keep asking for different dominations in change and confuse the issue. By the time they are done, stores could be out as much as $100.”

The suspects were also belligerent and intimidating to the store clerks, he said.

The suspects are both described as being black males in their early to mid-fifties. One of the suspects is approximately 6-foot tall, has a buzzed haircut.. The other is approximately 5-foot, 10-inches tall, has short, curly black hair and facial hair and was described as “rougher looking,” according to the MPPD press release.

At 3:45 p.m. Friday, one of the suspects came into Tropical Smoothie Cafe and wanted to buy a $0.53 item with a large bill.

“He kept asking (the employee) to break bigger bills. He kept saying he won big at the casino,” said shift leader Kaila Trombley.

On Saturday morning, the business found $60 missing from the register. Trombley said an employee from Jet’s Pizza came in and asked if they were also short. Looking over surveillance tapes, the Jet’s Pizza employee recognized one of the suspects.

Only 15 minutes after one of the suspects apparently scammed Tropical Smoothie Cafe, one of the men appeared at nearby Big Apple Bagel.

General Manager Jessica Cuddie said a man came into the store and asked for a $0.99 item.

“Right after the transaction, he asked for larger bills for smaller bills that he had,” she said.

The suspect walked away for a moment, then repeated the process.

Cuddie said a regular customer told the employee that he thought the customer was acting strange and that they should count the till, which was $100 short.

“I have heard of it, but haven’t seen anything like this before,” she said.

MPPD encourages businesses to contact Central Dispatch if any individuals attempt the scam. Anyone with information can call 779-5100 or the anonymous tip line at 779-5111.

Store employees should not run after customers if they leave, Sabuda said, but try to get a license plate number, physical description and a time of the incident.

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“I think Mr. Smith is a very impressive candidate,” said Trustee John Dinse at the meeting. “I think he has a lot of familiarity with the area. He has been a resident.”

Trustee Phil Mikus said Smith meets the criteria set by the Board.

Smith has worked for Isabella County in the past, according to the meeting.

In a 4-3 vote, Eric Cline, a former assistant city manager in Alpena, was named as an alternate candidate.

“If we have some difficulty in negotiations, then we have an immediate fall back,” said Supervisor John Barker.

Trustee Tim Lannen said Cline also met the Board’s criteria and has spent more time in office than Smith.

Of 33 applicants for the position, five were interviewed.

The Board will begin to conduct negotiations of wages and duties through a lawyer and does not have a hiring date set.

Barker said the manager’s basic duties will be working day-to-day person with the township staff to reach goals set by the Board and that Board may call a special meeting before the next regular meeting on Aug. 12 to further discuss negotiations.

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The Yellow Ribbon Program will guarantee to pay a tuition rate for veterans that is equal to the highest public institution in the state, said Brian Bell, associate director of financial operations for Off-Campus and Online Programs.

“Even with military discount rate, off-campus (tuition) rates are still somewhat higher,” Bell said. “The Yellow Ribbon Program says that the VA will meet schools halfway between our rate and what the VA has approved.”

Each of CMU’s 66 off-campus locations around the nation will give the first 100 soldiers to apply up to $450 per year.

“It’s like a scholarship,” Bell said. “We’re thinking it’s going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 300 students this year that this will affect.”

The $450 was designed to meet the VA limit so students wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket at all, Bell said, and students in non-traditional programs would get a $450 discount.

The Montgomery GI Bill covers $4,500 per year for soldiers and those who do not take advantage of the Yellow Ribbon Program will have to pay the rest of their college bills out of pocket.

Bell said students on campus will not be affected, because CMU’s tuition rate is much lower than the highest rate in Michigan, which is near $1,000.

“With current rates, most students in Michigan should have 100 percent coverage from the VA,” said Ernie Bedford, assistant director for Organizational Strategies for Off-Campus Programs. “Other states, such as Georgia, the tuition cap is much lower.”

CMU ROTC Public Affairs Officer Rodney Williams said the program will allow soldiers to attend an institution that has a national brand name.

“Before, students could only afford a tier 3 or tier 2 school. Now it allows students to go to a school like CMU,” he said. “I think it’s a good program.”

In addition to the Yellow Ribbon Program, the Post 9/11 GI Bill mandates that the VA will directly pay universities for veterans’ tuition starting August 1.

“It takes student out of loop, which is good for them and good for us, which benefits everyone really,” Bell said.

Other Michigan universities have pledged significantly more money than CMU, such as Western Michigan University, which contributed $3,000 per student per year.

“I respect other universities getting involved in the program,” Bedford said. “But the likelihood that any university except the University of Michigan will have to pay out of pocket is less than 1 percent. We tried to be realistic about amount that we set.”

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The complaint, filed May 13, states Lennox published a defamatory statement by editing Grebner’s online Wikipedia page in Oct. 2008 to say that he was a “homosexual.”

Lennox allegedly wrote “Mark Grebner (born 1952) is a homosexual American politician and political consultant born in the state of Michigan.”

Lennox said he had not been served.

“There is no lawsuit,” he said.

An Ingham County Circuit Court Clerk also said that Lennox had not been served.

Two Michigan State University students, junior Bradly Michael Dennis and sophomore Anthony Michael Giammerinaro were also named in the complaint for editing Grebner’s Wikipedia page.

The multiple edits accused Grebner of being convicted with child molestation, named Osama bin Laden as a supporter of Grebner’s 2004 campaign and changed Grenber’s Wikipedia photo to an oil painting of Benjamin Franklin. The editors were traced to the students using IP addresses.

Grebner would not comment at the request of his lawyer.

Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings said Lennox would not be affected as drain commissioner even if there were a lawsuit.

“Elected official, given what they are, are subjected to all kinds of lawsuits. Some are valid and some are frivolous,” he said.

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“I think Mr. Smith is a very impressive candidate,” said Trustee John Dinse at the meeting. “I think he has a lot of familiarity with the area. He has been a resident.”

Trustee Phil Mikus said Smith meets the criteria set by the Board.

Smith has worked for Isabella County in the past, according to the meeting.

In a 4-3 vote, Eric Cline, a former assistant city manager in Alpena, was named as an alternate candidate.

“If we have some difficulty in negotiations, then we have an immediate fall back,” said Supervisor John Barker.

Trustee Tim Lannen said Cline also met the Board’s criteria and has spent more time in office than Smith.

Of 33 applicants for the position, five were interviewed.

The Board will begin to conduct negotiations of wages and duties through a lawyer and does not have a hiring date set.

Barker said the manager’s basic duties will be working day-to-day person with the township staff to reach goals set by the Board and that Board may call a special meeting before the next regular meeting on Aug. 12 to further discuss negotiations.

Check cm-life.com for update.

Check back to cm-life.com for stories from the Board of Trustees meeting.

9:29 a.m. Vice-Chair Stephanie Comai announces Chairwoman Gail Torreano could not attend the meeting and welcomes Interim President Kathy Wilbur to her first board meeting as president.

9:30 Wilbur introduces Interim Provost Gary Shapiro and medical school Dean Cam Enarson.

9:39 Board grants emeritus rank to Police Chief Stan Dinius, Biological Station Director Dr. James C. Gillingham and General Counsel Eileen Jennings.

9:45 Trustee Hubbard moves to place salary adjustments, sabbatical leaves, awards received, appointments and reappointments of public school academies and appointments to the Clark Historical Library Board of Trustees to the consent agenda.

9:50 Trustee Kottamasu announces medical school fundraising goal of $25 million over 5 years.

9:52 Enarson updates board on medical school and announces good progress in the five categories of accreditation. He said he is pleased with receptivity, interest and commitment to medical school in the community.

9:59 Athletic Director Dave Heeke updates board on Events Center. He said goal in mind is to transform Rose Arena into a fully functioning, multipurpose events center to host concerts, athletic events, community events and graduations.

10:00 Events Center project includes improved seating, practice space, areas to host conferences and banquets, adding teaching spaces and expanding SAC, update lighting and sound systems, air conditioning, restrooms, family restrooms, permanent concessions, permanent ticketing area, media and event productions room and addition of a 4,000-square-foot lobby.

-Project has $21 million budget: construction $17.4 million and soft costs $3.6 million.

-Construction may begin as early as September and is scheduled to be completed October 2010.

-Goal is for Events Center to have same LEED certification as new education building.

10:24 Beaver Island Biological Station boat house at Whiskey Point to be renovated to allow sophisticated experiments and research for faculty and staff. Board approves renovations and cost of $850,000, funded through donations and grants.

10:29 Board approves $500,000 budget for 60,000-square-foot expansion to Health Professions building to meet LCME requirements for medical school.

10:32 Board approves renovations to Ronan Hall to begin in July.

10:56 Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services David Burdette announces operating budget planning options to include 3.6 percent reduction in state appropriations.

11:19 Burdette proposes three different tuition models to board of 4 percent, 5 percent and 6 percent increases, $337, $340 and $343 per credit hour, respectively.

11:36 Trustee Sarah Opperman said board is “narrowing in” on increase between 4 and 5 percent.

11:38 Trustee John Hurd makes motion to increase tuition by 4.8 percent. Seconded by Kottamasu. Motion includes increase in financial aid for need-based students.

11:49 Board unanimously approves undergraduate tuition increase of 4.8 percent.

-2009/10 tuition will be $339 per credit hour for undergraduate students without CMU Promise.

-Out-of-state students to pay $789 per credit hour.

12:05 Board approves all items on consent agenda.

12:06 Co-Chair Comai said presidential search committee is advertising position and has 40 to 50 nominees and seven completed applications.

-Committee to keep open nomination process until Oct. 1, expects interviews to take place in late fall and have president for next academic year.

12:10 Board of Trustees meeting adjourns.

Students not covered by the CMU Promise, which comprises of about 51.4 percent of Central Michigan University’s student body, will pay $339 per credit hour, $15 more per credit hour than the 2008-09 school year.

Students under the CMU Promise will not see a tuition adjustment.

CMU’s tuition increase is 0.44 percent lower than the average 2009-10 increase of eight of Michigan’s 15 public universities, which is 5.24 percent.

The Board also increased student financial aid by $1.8 million to $27.5 million. About $641,000, or 0.6 percent of the tuition increase, will be designated to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for need-based students.

“They wanted additional dollars put toward financial aid,” said Interim University President Kathy Wilbur.

She said the step by the Board, proposed by Trustee Sam Kottamasu, is a different approach than what most universities take. Wilbur said financial aid increases usually only mirror tuition increases.

“This Board has moved a little beyond that, putting additional dollars to make sure that if we increase tuition, that it was absolutely focused on need-based,” she said.

According to a presentation at the meeting, about 90 percent of first-time students receive some sort of financial aid.

The Board also factored in a 3.26 percent decline in state appropriations in this year’s operating budget, and are planning for 5 percent decreases over the next three years.

Trustee Sarah Opperman said CMU would not be able to afford a zero percent increase in tuition with the decline in state appropriations.

“We need to look at a three-to-five year horizon,” said Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services David Burdette.

Burdette proposed three different tuition models to the Board, involving 4, 5 and 6 percent increases included in possible operating budgets.

The 2009-10 operating budget is more than $396 million, including the tuition increase and a nearly $9 million increase in faculty and staff salary and benefit adjustments.

Vice chairwoman Stephanie Comai, who chaired the meeting, said the university’s utility rates will remain the same.

CMU and other universities will have to look at many different ways to finance university operations, she said, because Michigan has reached its peak of high school graduates.

“We’re looking at probably having lower enrollment, which then decreases revenues,” she said.

The Board is looking at ways to cut $10 million from the budget over the next five year, Comai said. Options include furlough days, unpaid vacation days, position reductions and layoffs.

“We need to make sure we are looking just as strenuously inside for budget cuts,” Opperman said.

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The Office of the Race Commissioner budget was reduced from $3.4 million to $1.4 million in the Governor’s Executive Order issued May 5, said Cheryl Janssen, ORC administrative officer, in a written statement.

“Some of the impact to our industry was ORC staff layoffs and reassignments, and a reduction in live race days,” she said. “Unfortunately, pari-mutuel horse racing in Michigan and around the country has been on a steady decline.”

The staff members who were laid off and reassigned consisted of both administrative and track staff.

“Our remaining track staff are all part-time/seasonal and work only in conjunction with live racing,” Janssen said.

Two race tracks in Michigan closed in recent years, leaving five tracks open.

Butch Berryhill, race secretary and general manager of Mount Pleasant Meadows, 500 N. Mission Road, said the state budget cuts eliminated a lot of the staff and cut down on race days.

“They took approximately half our races away,” he said.

In past years, Mount Pleasant Meadows hosted 37 days of racing from May to September, granted by the ORC. This year, the track has 18.

Berryhill said the cuts are hurting the management of Mount Pleasant Meadows.

“We have to keep almost as many staff for one day of racing we do two,” he said. “Live racing is what they cut, and that cuts down income. Where we made money running all 37 days, we’ll lose money with 18.”

The track will finish the season and apply for racing dates next year and see what happens, Berryhill said.

The track also needs staff members for simulcasting, broadcasting live races from tracks around the country.

Because of staffing cuts in the ORC, Mount Pleasant Meadows can only host races on Sundays, because it is the only day race stewards and personnel are available.

In addition to the budget cuts, Berryhill said the horse population is way down.

“One is economy. The other is states, mainly Indiana, really hurting us with casinos at their tracks,” he said.

While Mount Pleasant Meadows can offer $3,000 to $4,000 purses, tracks in Indiana can offer $15,000, he said.

“Without getting slot machines here, it really hurts us. It’s hard for us to compete,” he said.

Michigan’s constitution prohibits slot machines from being installed at racetracks. Other states are seeing an increase in horse racing, such as Indiana, because of the installation of slot machines.

But pari-mutuel horse racing at the tracks is seeing a significant decline, Berryhill said. While he is not seeing a significant decline in attendance, there is significant decrease in the number of dollars people are betting.

“It’s free to get in, so it’s fairly cheap entertainment, but they aren’t betting,” he said.

The track is unique in that it offers four types of racing: Quarter Horse, Paints, Arabians and Thoroughbreds. According to the track’s Web site, it is the only track to offer such a variety of racing on the East side of the Mississippi River.

Berryhill said he has seen a 50 percent decrease in the Quarter Horse population.

“I have trainers that have a significant number of horses. They are racing half horses here and half in Indiana,” he said.

The racetrack lost another trainer with more than 60 horses to Indiana completely.

“For a small track that is a significant,” he said. “We are averaging three Arabians, three Thoroughbreds and the rest are Quarter Horses and Paints on any race day.”

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Gary Steven Wright was arraigned Monday afternoon for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Wright could face up to two life sentences for the criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping charges alone and up to $57,000 in fines.

The assault occurred at approximately 12:43 a.m. Saturday, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

The 38-year-old victim, a Mount Pleasant resident, was at a local bar with friends when she noticed Wright, whom she did not know, looking at her several times.

She went outside to smoke as a courtesy to her friends, Mioduszewski said, and Wright followed her out and began chatting with her.

After a while, he walked over to a pick-up truck and asked her help him find his keys.

The victim obliged and after a few minutes, Wright asked her have a seat in his truck to talk to him.

“She got in, an the next thing she knows he was in the front seat and took off with her,” Mioduszewksi said. “He said, ‘You are going to go where I am going to go. If you try to put up a fight, I’ll kill you and bury you in my backyard.’”

Wright then drove back to his residence, he said, and removed the victim from his truck at knifepoint.

The suspect ordered the victim into his house, although she did not know where she was, and ordered her to take off her clothes.

She was raped and escaped by saying she needed to take medicine that was in her pants in another room, he said.

“He said ‘ok’ and the victim grabbed her pants and went out the door,” Mioduszewski said.

The victim ran to neighboring houses, and the third house down answered and let her in.

Deputies responded to the call, and from the description of the man and vehicle, went into his residence and arrested him.

The deputies also obtained search warrants for the house and his truck to collect evidence and found a collection of firearms.

“He is a convicted felon, it is illegal for him to have firearms,” Mioduszewski said.

According to Michigan Department of Corrections records, Wright was convicted of two second-degree home invasions in March 2003 for a November 2002 home invasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison and was released in May 2007.

Wright remains lodged in the Isabella County Jail with a $250,000 bond.

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Sara Beth Snyder, originally arraigned with assault to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, was given two further charges from the Isabella County Prosecutor’s Office after further review, said Mount Pleasant Police Department Information Officer Dave Sabuda.

Snyder also faces charges of assault with intent to murder and assault with intent to maim. If convicted, Snyder could face life in prison for the assault with intent to murder alone.

Between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, the Mount Pleasant Police Department investigated a stabbing on the 1600 block of E. Bellows Street, which led to Snyder’s arrest in the initial investigation.

“There had been an argument and physical argument between the suspect and the victim and the fight was broken up by witnesses. The suspect returned to an apartment and came back with a knife and assaulted the victim,” Sabuda said.

The 17-year-old victim was transported to Central Michigan Community Hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries — a slash on her face and a stab wound in the back. The wounds were inflicted with a 12-inch kitchen knife, Sabuda said.

Snyder remains lodged in Isabella County Jail with a $200,000 bond of cash or surety.

Sabuda said Snyder and the victim had known each other in the past.

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