More pain at the pump coming in 2017 TIMES FILE PHOTO nMichigan’s drivers from $2.16 to $2.79 per gallon This bill was introduced to the The average driver in since mid-April, according to Gas- House on June 17, 2015 by Rep. America buys approxi- will have 13th highest Buddy.com. Motorists, however , Michael McCready. mately 11 gallons of gas tax in nation can expect to pay more in 2017. The state expects to generate gas per week, spend- In November 2015, Gov. Rick approximately $450 million a year ing about $1,400 on By Hannah Ball Snyder signed a law that will in - from new fuel tax and registration gas in 2016. This [email protected]; 810-433-6792 crease gas taxes by 7.3 cents per fees. Money from these taxes will amount is expected to Filling up at the gas station gallon, making Michigan drivers go to fixing Michigan roads. increase next year with this summer has been relatively pay 26.3 cents per gallon tax, The state’s current 19 cents per a higher gas tax. pain-free with gas prices ranging along with the 6-percent sales tax. See GAS TAX on 9 $1.00 Page 8 Fenton Village Players bring ‘Grease’ Midweek to Holly VOL. 23 NO. XXIX WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 2012 - 2013 - 2014 NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR Man struck Flying Star Rodeo wows biggest audience by train was fleeing from police nLikely using rail system to travel from Louisiana to Canada By Sharon Stone [email protected]; 810-433-6786 Argentine Township Po- lice Chief Dan Allen has released the name of the man who died after being struck by two passing trains in Argentine Township on June 25. Allen said the man has been identified as Charlie Wells, 40, of Lake Charles, Louisiana. According to Ar gentine Township police, W ells was walking along the tracks between Hogan and Lahring roads when he was struck by a train at 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, June 25. TRI-COUNTY TIMES | HANNAH BALL No one knew the man had A cowboy falls from his horse at the annual Gaines community rodeo on Saturday. Knights of Columbus Council 12186, the event organizer, been struck and no residents brought in Flying Star Rodeo for the weekend performances. Brian Wendt, Knights of Columbus Rodeo Committee chairman, said this live nearby . The accident was their biggest rodeo ever, with approximately 1,800 guests on Saturday. In this rodeo event, cowboys had to hold on as long as they See TRAIN on 7 could while a horse tried to buck them off. See story and more photos on Page 3 Area police chiefs share thoughts on shootings across nation By Vera Hogan in larger cities, the Tri-County Times asked local [email protected]; 810-433-6795 police chiefs to share their thoughts and comments Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Minneapolis, on recent events involving police and citizens. Minnesota; Dallas, Texas — tragic shootings “The recent violence against our police of - involving police and citizens, both on the wrong ficers demonstrates the real dangers that law TRI-COUNTY TIMES | TIM JAGIELO end of the gun. Turn on the TV news every night enforcement face each and every day,” Linden Local police are wearing mourning and it never seems to end. Police Chief Scott Sutter. bands on their badges to honor fallen While these tragic shootings are taking place See POLICE on 9 Dallas and Baton Rouge officers. Michigan football fans Thank you Michael Burns TEXT should be embarrassed by the for a job well done. I know how COMMENT ‘‘ caliber of some of the ‘‘ difficult it was at times, YOUR teams they play. First especially with folks OF THE WEEK HOT LINE game is with Hawaii, who really did not want which won two games to see any changes in All black people aren’t 810-771-TEXT last year against cup- the downtown area. criminals. All cops aren’t cake opponents. It’s But for we who want ‘‘bad. All white people an insult to true football fans.” to see Fenton move forward, you aren’t racist. All Muslims did an excellent job. Good luck in aren’t terrorists. We’re all your new position.” humans. Act like it.’’ 2 Wednesday, July 20, 2016 MIDWEEK TIMES www.tctimes.com GMO foods Are GMOs harmful? • Corn • Canola n a committee of experts to research scien- • Soy The National Academy tific evidence on GMOs, and released a • Cotton of Sciences weighs in on report saying that GMOs, or genetically • Sugar beets engineered crops, are not harmful to ani- • Zucchini modern-day technique mals, farmers or the environment. • Yellow summer squash By Hannah Ball According to the report, “long-term • Papaya [email protected]; 810-433-6792 data on livestock health before and af - • Aspartame The short answer is no. ter the introduction of GE (genetically • Dairy Even though many crops we eat today, including soy The long answer begins with the fact engineered) crops showed no adverse Source: that you most likely eat effects associated with beans, have been genetically modified, the National wholefoodsmarket.com, GMOs, or ge netically GE crops. The com - Academy of Sciences says that GMOs are not harmful. nongmoproject.org modified organisms, ev- Virtually any mittee also examined ery day. A GMO is any crop that we epidemiological data single credible example demonstrating sidebar) organism whose genetic use‘‘ today is very on incidence of cancers that GMOs could cause harm to humans More than 90 percent of the soy and material has been altered and other human-health or animals. corn crops planted today are grown using genetic engineer - different from what problems over timeand Yet, many Americans don’ t trust from GMO seeds, according to Michi- ing techniques, accord - we’d find in the found no substantiated GMO foods. gan State University horticulturalist ing to science.howstuf f- wild. evidence th at f oods A Pew Research Center poll found Rebecca Grumet, in a previous T imes works.com. Rebecca Grumet from GE crops were that 88 percent of scientists in the Amer- article. For years, controversy Michigan State University less safe than foods ican Association for the Advancement Scientists add or modify DNA in an has surrounded GMOs horticulturalist’’ from non-GE crops.” of Science believe that GMOs are safe organism for several reasons — it’ s and GMO products, de - According to geneti- for human consumption, even though been used to mass produce insulin, spite hundreds of studies showing that cliteralcyproject.com, a group of Italian only 37 percent of the public believe human growth hormones, antibodies, they are not harmful. scientists analyzed 1,783 studies about they are safe. vaccines, to discover the function of In May after a two-year study, the Na- the safety and environmental impacts Many people do not realize they new genes, among other reasons, ac - tional Academy of Sciences put together of GMO foods. They couldn’ t find a consume GMO foods every day . (see cording to boundless.com. “Virtually any crop that we use today is very different from what we’d find in the wild,” Grumet said. Even the animals we eat consume GMO foods. According to Forbes, food-produc - ing animals around the world consume 70-90 percent of genetically engineered crop biomass, which mainly includes corn and soybean. In theUnited States, more than nine billion food-producing Charity Car & Bike Show animals are produced every year , and Charity Car & Bike Show more than 95 percent of those animals con- sume feed with ge - n According to the National netically engineered 2530 OWEN ROAD • FENTON Academy of crops. Sciences, One study con - GMOs, or ducted by Geneticist genetically Alison V an Eenen - JULY 23 Have fun while supporting the modified naam and research as- organisms, are Fallen & Wounded Soldiers Fund not harmful sistant Amy E. Young 9AM - 3PM to animals or for the University of and K9 Defender Fund! humans. California-Davis De - partment of Animal Science tested the effects of GMO crops Trophies: on animals. They studied more than 1ST, 2ND, 3RD & BEST OF SHOW 100 billion animals before 1996 when (Car and Bike Categories) animal feed was 100 percent GMO-free, PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD and then again, when animal feed was 50/50 RAFFLE • PRIZES 90-percent GMO. They found that GMO RandyFood Wise & DrinksDonations: feed was safe and nutritionally equivalent to GMO-free feed. 5% of all service work AND Despite all these studies, many people $100 for every trade-in on show day. still don’t trust products with the label “GM food.” Psychologist Maria Kon - FOOD & DRINKS Highlights: nikova wrote that this happens because FREE Entry for spectators people associate unnaturalness with Grand Prize Excitement tour “bad” and organic as “good.” In an a rticle for The New Y orker, Konnikova cited Paul Slovic, another We will be accepting monetory donations for both charities and items psychologist, who studied how when it to go in the Buddy Bags for the K9 Defender Fund! comes to new , unknown technologies, Visit RandyWiseBuick.GMC.com/CarShow for more details. data always loses to emotion. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT COURTNEY AT [email protected] WWW.TCTIMES.COM WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 PAGE 3 FLYING STAR TRI-COUNTY TIMES | TIM JAGIELO (Above left) Bull rider Jamie Cotton is last Knights of Columbus to perform during the official event on Saturday. (Above middle) A contestant presents its twirls his lariat during the calf-roping competition. (Above right) A mini bull- largest rodeo ever riding competition brought young, seri- By Hannah Ball ous competitors to the arena.