Business & Economy

Demolition makes way for new Trader Joe’s

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Demolition began last week on the corner of Grand River Avenue and Northwind Drive, clearing the way for a new Trader Joe’s. https://twitter.com/meridiantwp/status/1502303793421111296

It will be approximately 13,500 square feet and includes 2.2 acres of property. The preliminary site plan provided to Meridian Township’s Zoning Board of Appeals requests additional parking spaces on site. The request was approved Dec. 8, 2021.

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Okemos High is a potential litigant in vape lawsuit

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Okemos High Schools is considering joining a nationwide litigation against JUUL and other vaping product manufacturers. Over 100 schools in Michigan have joined, claiming these products were marketed to children and therefore, caused damages to schools. 

Lawyers Piotr M. Matusiak, from Thrun Law Firm, and William Shinoff, from Frantz Law Group presented the existing litigation to the Okemos Board of Education on February 28. 

“It’s a litigation against vaping companies that says that they have fraudulently marketed their products to children and in turn has resulted in damages to schools, and so the litigation tries to obtain money for schools in terms of cost they have incurred related to vaping as well as costs for dealing with vaping issues in the future,” said Matusiak. Not only is this problem systemic, but the CDC also refers to it as an “epidemic.” According to the FDA’s 2021 data survey, 11.3% of high school students in the United States use e-cigarettes equating to 2 million youth across the country who are using these highly addictive products. That same survey found that many teenagers who use them have a strong dependence on nicotine.In Michigan, 20.8% of high school students use vaping products. It is even estimated that 213,000 kids who are currently 18 and younger in Michigan will die prematurely from smoking.

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Ukraine turmoil impacts Michigan economy

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While the Russia-Ukraine war is taking place across the Atlantic Ocean, the economical effects of it are being felt in the United States. 

Russia is one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and natural gas, particularly to

Europe, and the Russian invasion on Ukraine puts a major hold on many supply chains and imports. 

One of the courses that Pozo teaches is called “Hotspots in global affairs”, which was recently assigned  from a World Affairs Council lecture by Fiona Hill, a former intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia. Tommy Jelsomeno, a student at Western Michigan University studying global and international relations, said, “Especially with a lot of gas coming from both Russia and Ukraine, I think we’ll definitely see some domestic changes.”

Chart showing national average gas prices from one year ago and today. Information collected from GasBuddy Credit: Sarah Marilyn

“That possibility has pushed up the national average price of gasoline considerably in the last week, and the situation could worsen at any time, keeping gas prices elevated for the foreseeable future,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “In addition to the unstable situation with the Russian invasion, we’re also entering the time of year that seasonality pushes gasoline prices up by anywhere from 25 to 75 cents by Memorial Day. It’s simply looking like a perfect storm for motorists at the pump, with little to no relief anytime soon.”

According to GasBuddy the best days to fuel up are Friday and Monday.

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MT officials give tips on managing flooded roads

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Many roads such as parts of Okemos Road, Ottawa Drive, Hillcrest Avenue and Nakoma Drive were closed in Meridian Township last week due to flooding caused by a mix of snow and rain that hit the area. Because of the hazardous conditions, some drivers needed emergency services. “Over the weekend approximately five cars were towed out of areas as they tried to drive through ice and water over the road,” said Meridian Township Fire Chief Michael Hamel. “One vehicle drove approximately 200 feet into an icy roadway and got stuck.”

With more wild weather expected to cause flooding, law enforcement officials said drivers must take precautions. The best thing people can do while the roads are flooded is to obey the signage, said Captain Rick Grillo of the MT Police Department.