The Soaring Eagle Water Park and Hotel continued construction with more than one-quarter of the work complete as of late August.

Construction for the resort, 5665 E. Pickard St., is set to finish by the summer of 2012 after it began in April.

“I would say it’s about 28 percent finished,” said Saginaw Chippewa Indian Public Relations Director Frank Cloutier. “Soon we will be starting siding and sheeting.”

Jason Fischl, superintendent of the construction project, said progress is being made quickly.

“The main structure is finished, including the north tower, south tower and the second floor,” Fischl said.

Horizon Construction Group of Wisconsin is building the hotel and has partnered with architecture firm Thalden Boyd Emery.

The framework is in place, but it has been too windy recently to install much glass, Fischl said. He said glass will be installed when the winds die down.

One unusual glass structure is a large skylight that will run over the water park portion of the hotel.

“The skylight is approximately 60 feet wide and 100 feet long,” said Lisa Darnell, property manager for Migizi Economic Development Company.

Darnell said plans have been on budget and in line with the schedule that was set.

“Everything is going smoothly,” she said. “There’s been no major design changes or problems.”

Construction of several different pools is also currently underway.

There will be a pool separate from the park area specifically for guests without a park pass, Fischl said.

The park will be 45,000 square feet and will include a wave rider, body slide, bowl slide, rock climbing wall, lazy river, children’s play area and a private adult pool.

Cloutier said because the hotel is not on tribal land, a liquor license specific to the square footage of the project is needed.

Gaining the license should not be a problem for the June opening, he said.

Battle Creek resident Joseph Casias, a medical marijuana patient, hugs East Lansing resident Jennifer Read after her speech on how marijuana has aided her battle with a rare form of Leukodystrophy as event organizer Mancelona resident Becca Hollandsworth cries and looks on at the medical marijuana rally the afternoon of Oct. 18, 2011 outside the Isabella County Building, 200 N. Main Street. "It was very inspiring," Casias said. Read discovered after nearly 15 years of unsuccessful treatments that medical marijuana was the most effective in relieving her symptoms. (Jeff Smith/Staff Photographer)

On Aug. 24 the state appeals court handed down a ruling that closed medical marijuana dispensaries across Michigan.

In a 17-page opinion, 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 was used as a precedent for other cases in Michigan and overturned Chamberlain’s ruling.

At CA of Mount Pleasant, patients and caregivers could rent lockers for marijuana storage and purchase cannabis from other CA members. CA owners Brandon McQueen and Matt 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.

Roommates talking in their dorm room. In August, 2011 Residence Life enacted new rules regarding overnight guests and Welcome Week. The rules were met with a resolution from SGA.

Residence Life implemented significant changes to the overnight guest policy which provoked a resolution from the Student Government Association.

The change in guest policy started with a ban on overnight guests, including other Central Michigan University students, during Welcome Week.

The new protocol required a form to be submitted by students who wanted to host guests once weekday overnight guests were allowed after Aug. 26. The policy requires students to submit a request form that must be signed by all roommates in the room, the resident assistant and the residence hall director 48 hours before the visit.

Under the old policy, non-student guests had to sign in at the front desk and register their vehicles with the CMU Police while other CMU students were allowed entry with a student ID.

This is the first time CMU has implemented either policy, and Joan Schmidt, associate director of Residence Life, said it stems from problems during the 2010-11 school year.

“Last year was just awful — we start so much earlier than other schools,” Schmidt said.

The ban includes those who go to CMU living in another hall or off campus.

She said the new Welcome Week policy was implemented to help students bond with new roommates, instead of old friends from home.

“This is the optimum time for students to get to know their roommates and to start a good academic year,” Schmidt said.

The purpose of the new weekday policy is to encourage students to study and focus on classes.

The weekday overnight guest policy was met with a SGA resolution in oppositon passed Nov. 21.

SGA Sen. Stephanie Jaczkowski introduced and received approval for a resolution opposing the policy.

The Clinton Township senior cited numerous reasons for SGA’s opposition, including that students are basically leasers of the university and should have the right to invite guests as they choose, that students should be allowed to decided their own guest policies in their roommate agreements and that student safety was not listed as one of the reasons for the policy change.

“Last year, a growing issue for students was having people stay in their room night after night,” said Tricia Henry, a Woldt resident assistant and Illinois junior. “The policy is supposed to make dorm rooms easier to study in.”

Sean Kolhoff, an SGA senator and Mount Pleasant junior, said he believes the policy will hurt students going through unique situations and who need the flexibility to stay on campus.

“It would have been impossible for me to make it to all my classes last year if I couldn’t sleep in my friend’s room,” Kolhoff said.

Jaczkowski said SGA’s ultimate goal is the repeal of the guest policy she considers unnecessarily restrictive.

“Now that the resolution has passed, we can start coordinating meetings or other forums with the student body in order to address the issues,” said Colleen McNeely, SGA vice president and Brighton senior.

Manistique junior Kathy Leonard runs alongside her friends as St. Clair Shores junior Dave Giles pushes a shopping cart as fast as he can between Moore Hall and the Music Building as Waterford junior Katie McBee and Ohio sophomore Karen Opper laugh, holding on while sliding across a slick snow-covered sidewalk. (Jake May/Staff Photographer)

Snow canceled classes at Central Michigan University twice in 2011.

On Feb. 2, all buildings, minus the residence halls, closed after approximately eight inches of snow fell on the Mount Pleasant area. The Charles V. Park Library and Student Activity Center opened at noon, hours after the storm tapered off. The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids issued a winter weather advisory the night before, prompting university officials to email students about the planned closure.

Facilities management had 20 people working through the storm, and had to call in five retirees. Tony Casali, manager of the Isabella County Road Commission, said crews cleared blacktop streets in the county and they would be snow covered again hours later.

“Every storm is different, but this is the worst storm since I joined CMU in 2003,” said Steve Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management. The university maintains four-and-a-half miles of roads, 29 miles of sidewalks and 92 acres of parking lots.

University President George Ross said campus events and programs are typically canceled with lower visibility and poor travel conditions.

“Weather is so unpredictable, but NWS is fairly good and accurate with predictions,” Ross said. “It’s surprising, things develop that you don’t foresee. Weather’s fairly complex.”

Despite the closure, a men’s basketball game against Ohio at the CMU Events Center was played as scheduled.

The threat of winter weather struck again just a few weeks later, prompting CMU officials to cancel classes and operations until noon on Feb. 21.

A winter storm warning was issued for Isabella County on Feb. 20, with forecasts for eight to 12 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 30 mph. In an email to students, CMU said it would update students at 10 a.m. on Feb. 21 with the status of classes and operations. The university sent out an alert in the morning saying classes would resume at noon.

Ke$ha stares into the audience in a break between songs during her concert in McGurik Arena, Feb. 25. The concert was one stop on her Get Sleazy Tour before traveling to Detroit, Mich. Perry Fish/Staff Photographer

In February Ke$ha performed the first major concert at the Central Michigan University Events Center that opened in December 2010, followed by LMFAO’s October show.

On Feb. 25 the dance-pop star, best known for her songs “Tik Tok” and “We R Who We R,” brought her “Get Sleazy Tour” to McGuirk Arena. Her show, which cost about $50,000, brought about 4,800 people to the arena for the first big-name concert.

Fans started lining up within the doors of the Events Center before 5 p.m. for the sold-out show. By 6:30 p.m., when doors opened, the crowd was lined up out the doors nearly to the Student Activity Center.

She barreled through an hour-long set and a 15-minute encore which featured “We R Who We R” and a cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right.”

Ke$ha repeatedly told the crowd that she “loved them” and that she “hoped they were here to party.”

LMFAO brought their electronic dance sound and Party Rock Crew entourage to the arena Oct. 26.

CMU Program Board, Hottest College Parties and Celebrity Events sponsored the event. Allen Park senior and Program Board President Paul Sullivan estimated the attendance at slightly less than 3,000. Attendees packed the bleachers and filled half of the floor space of the Events Center.

Sullivan said Program Board contributed $16,000 toward the cost of the event, while the undisclosed remaining costs were paid by Hottest College Parties and Celebrity Events.

LMFAO immediately made their stage presence known as crew members began tossing glowsticks and a blow-up zebra into the crowd. The antics didn’t stop after their entrance however, as the duo sprayed champagne on the audience and continuously changed outfits throughout the show.

The group performed alongside the Party Rock Crew, partially composed of members of Quest Crew, the dancing group that won the third season of MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.” Members of the Party Rock Crew livened the atmosphere, coordinated dances with SkyBlu and Redfoo, and lifted each other off the ground periodically.

Party Rock Crew member Furr, also known as Shuffle Bot, danced while wearing a cardboard box with a robot face drawn on it for the majority of the show.

Governor-elect Rick Snyder walks out onto the stage to deliver his victory speech Tuesday night at the Westin-Book Cadillac hotel in downtown Detroit. (Sean Proctor/Assistant Photo Editor)

Inaugurated Jan. 2, Gov. Rick Snyder implemented a series of budget cuts and fiscal policies, some of which had a direct impact on Central Michigan University and students.

On Nov. 21 Stephanie Rochelle Fish, a 34-year-old from Weidman, was found dead in her home located in the 900 block of North Rolland Road in Sherman Township. Stephanie’s husband, Jason Lantz Fish, also a 34-year-old from Weidman, was arrested by the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department on an open murder charge.

Jason Lantz Fish was arrested and charged with the open murder of his wife Stephanie Rochelle Fish the morning of Nov. 21, 2011.

Before her body was discovered in the crawl space of the couple’s home, Stephanie was reported missing.

The case began as a missing persons investigation Nov. 20, when an Amber Alert was issued for the couple’s four-year-old son Brody Fish. Mioduszewski said Brody and Jason were located in Genessee County on the evening of Nov. 21 by a deputy, who saw Jason’s green 2011 Ford Explorer at a rest area.

On Dec. 15 Fish was ordered to stand trial for the murder.

Cheryl Kristine Reen, a former Central Michigan University employee, was found dead April 1 and her husband, Gary John Reen, was charged with open murder.

Gary Reen, 56 of Chippewa Township, was charged April 2 after turning himself over to police and telling them he shot his wife. On Dec. 8 Gary Reen was sentenced in Isabella County Circuit Court to a maximum of 72 years in prison for the second-degree murder. Cheryl Reen worked as an administrative secretary for the School of Health Sciences as recently as 2005.

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.

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

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 after Reen turned himself in.

The Reen’s 15-year-old son was also staying at the residence prior to the incident.

Sacred Heart Academy commemorated the anniversary on the morning of Sept. 9 by hosting several speakers including Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant, and members of the Mount Pleasant police and fire departments.

Following the speakers, elementary students recited the Pledge of Allegiance, a poem about peace and sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” with acoustic accompaniment from a teacher.

Students, alumni and staff members recalled their memories the day ten years earlier. Vincent Cavataio, Student Government Association president, thought nothing was out of the ordinary that morning when he was called down to his school’s office to meet his mother.

Maybe he was going out to eat with family, the seventh-grader thought, after all, Sept. 11 is his mother’s birthday.

Cavataio has relatives who live in Manhattan, and walked into the school’s office to see his mother “in hysterics.” There they watched CNN as the second plane hit the Towers.

“And I will always remember that moment — the look on my mom’s face, the gasp, the not knowing what to say, then looking at me,” the Shelby Township senior said. “She just looked at me, and she didn’t know how to explain what was happening.”

In his speech, Cotter reminded everyone that 9/11 was an “attack not only on buildings, but on our freedom and our way of life.”

About 250 students, with candles in hand, gathered on the evening of Sept. 11 outside the Charles V. Park Library to observe the anniversary.

The ceremony, organized by the Volunteer Center, began with the lighting of one candle, which shared its flame until more than 75 candles were lit.

Workers from the Volunteer Center opened the program by sharing their inspirations to hold the ceremony.

Later during the ceremony, students were given a opportunity to speak about what 9/11 meant to them. Some students spoke about how it affected them, while others spoke about what inspired them to attend the remembrance event.

The remembrance ceremony closed with a moment of silence followed by blowing out all the candles.

More than 170 students attended the first SUSO forum of the school year, “10 Years after 9/11: What Have We Learned?” held on Sept. 15. One of the discussion topics at the forum was the U.S. foreign and domestic policy in response to the terrorist attacks.

Political Science Associate Professor David Jesuit facilitated the forum. He said 9/11 was a transformative event for many CMU students who were only eight to 12 years old at the time.

The panel included Political Science Fixed-Term Instructors Prakash Adhikari, Justin Hoyle and Thomas Stewart; as well as Rochester Hills junior Jacquelyn Keenan and Falmouth junior Timothy Kimbel.

Central Michigan Life published a special section in commemoration of the attacks’ 10th anniversary.

Florida Reverend Terry Jones speaks to Associate Professor of Journalism Timothy Boudreau's JRN 404: Law of Mass Communication class Wednesday afternoon in Pearce 127 on the campus of Central Michigan University. Rev. Jones expressed his reasoning behind the infamous Quran burning along with his goal to expose the elements of Islam as dangerous and radical. "It could not be proven that the writings were peaceful and it was burned," Rev. Jones said. "It doesn't bleed, breathe or reproduce, it's just a book." Victoria Zegler/Staff Photographer

While Rev. Terry Jones is best known for his controversial burning of a Quran, he also has served as an example of free speech to Central Michigan University students Nov 9.

Invited by Associate Professor of Journalism Tim Boudreau, Jones spoke to Boudreau’s JRN 102: Introduction to Journalism and JRN 404: Law of Mass Communication classes in auditoriums in Pearce and Anspach halls.

Boudreau said he brings in a controversial speaker every year to illustrate how offensive speech is protected by the First Amendment.

Jones, Reverend of Dove World Outreach Center, sparked mass protests after he pledged to burn about 200 Qurans on the 2010 anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as part of his “International Burn a Quran Day.” Jones made no apologies and told students to observe how freedom of speech exists only for mainstream opinions.

“Even if you do not like it, it needs to be tolerated,” he said. “It needs to be thought about without fear.”

Jones said there is currently a $2.4 million assassination contract on his life. After receiving hundreds of death threats, mass protest and objection from both Christian and Islamic groups, and even personal requests from President Barack Obama and General David Petraeus, Jones agreed to cancel the 2010 burning, giving his word they would never burn a Quran.

Jones broke his word on March 20 when he presided as the judge in a mock trial of the Quran at his church. The events were part of Jones’ “International Judge the Quran Day.” After a jury with no Muslim members found the book guilty, an assistant pastor burned the book in the sanctuary.

Jones said he had not planned to burn the Quran, but he changed his mind.

“I lied,” Jones said. “It was not on purpose, but I lied.”

The mock trial was streamed live and resulted in international outrage, including mob protests in Afghanistan in which about 30 people were killed and about 150 more injured. President Obama heavily criticized both the burning and the violent protestors.

Jones said he believes President Obama is a Muslim who was not born in the United States.

Rochester Hills junior Kelsey Houghtlin said she was glad Boudreau brought someone to campus with an interesting perspective.

Although Houghtlin, who attends His House Christian Fellowship, 211 W. Broomfield St., said she does not agree with Jones’ actions, she does believe he has the legal right to protest and burn the books.

“I think he has the freedom of speech to do it, but I don’t think he’s right,” she said. “It doesn’t demonstrate Christian beliefs.”

Jones has filed to run as an independent for president in the 2012 U.S. election. His campaign, Stand Up America Now, has a seven-point platform, including deporting all illegal aliens, reducing military spending and reducing corporate taxes.

Central Michigan head coach Dan Enos walks the sidelines of Commonwealth Stadium Saturday as the Chippewas take on the University of Kentucky. The Chippewas lost to the Wildcats 27-13. (Andrew Kuhn/Assistant Photo Editor)

Few CMU football fans remain late in the third quarter during CMU's game against Ohio on Thursday night at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. (Mike Mulholland/Photo Editor)

NCAA guidelines require Division I football average attendance to be at 15,000 at least once every two years — the Central Michigan University football team was dangerously close to being under this year.

CMU finished just barely over the threshold last year during a second-straight disappointing 3-9 season. It was the third worst attendance mark Kelly/Shorts Stadium has ever seen with an average of 15,291 fans at the five home games.

The final home game against Toledo brought in 12,741 fans. The game against Ohio the week before had even less people there. The student section and stadium appeared empty for numerous mid-week games this season.

The three mid-week home games and having another losing season contributed to football’s poor attendance. By the time the Chippewas played their second home game and first Saturday game they were already 1-3 and had lost to rival Western Michigan, making Mid-American Conference title hopes grim one game into conference play.

Dan Enos’ second season as head coach ended much like his first with a 3-9 record.

“We fell short of our goals and that’s going to hurt for a while,” said quarterback Ryan Radcliff.

Athletic Director Dave Heeke announced he has no plans on removing Enos of his duties after two tough seasons.

“I just fully support Dan and his vision for the program,” he said. “We’re in a process. You just can’t look at it as these mini slices in time. We’re in a process of trying to build a program. It will be easier to get people at games with Michigan State University, Navy and Western Michigan University coming to Mount Pleasant next season.”

He said he has no worries of making attendance next year. He anticipates a few games with huge attendances with a big schedule.

“I have every expectation that we’ll make that,” Heeke said. “I have no doubt we meet 15,000 next year.”

Heeke went on to say he expects four games next year to be near or at full capacity; the three games listed above as well as the Homecoming matchup.

Enos is expecting a better product on the field too.

“I really like the junior class and I think it’s a solid class of leaders and good players,” he said. “When you inject these young guys and bring in another recruiting class, I really like our football team.”