Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/author/hayneaus/)
The courts move to zoom, phone, and email communication amid the COVID-19 shutdown. It makes some wonder whether a trial via Zoom has the same impact as an in person trial. The courts have been moving slower during this time as well.
As Branch County prepares for its local elections, COVID-19 will undoubtedly be a factor, leaving many to guess how this year’s election season will be different? Branch County includes the cities of Coldwater, Bronson Quincy and Sherwood; whose residents, city officials and candidates are preparing for an unprecedented election season. Some individuals are nervous about mail-in voting while candidates are adapting their campaigns around the social distancing measures.
“All large public gatherings have been canceled”, said Zachary Stempien, a candidate running for prosecuting attorney, as gatherings of over 100 people have been prohibited. That however, hasn’t stopped Hillsdale College from proceeding with their graduation ceremony. “Typically, a lot of what you do, especially in a local election is go to parades, go to the fair go to restaurants go door to door,” he said. “You do all of those kind of personal interaction things as well as marketing.”
Courtesy of Zachary Stempien
Stempien said he believes it has really taken the personal touch away from the election process and that this year candidates with pre-established relationships in the community benefit the most. “In a local election it is going to benefit the person who is more established in the community, the person that has a bigger personal connection, it could be family or friends or whatnot, but they already have those pre-existing relationships to build off of,” said Stempien.
Manufacturing delays due to the COVID 19 Pandemic and shutdown that followed have posed challenges for customers and business owners trying to find above-ground pools this summer to escape the heat.
Two parents and a teacher give their take on how COVID 19 has impacted their daily lives with respect to their children’s education from home. A special education teacher from Hillsdale does not believe at home instruction has greatly benefited her students, as she doesn’t think in many cases the students are the ones actually doing the work.
It has been a busy year for protests at Michigan’s Capitol building — and it’s only June. Earlier this month, there were multiple protests supporting Black Lives Matters and seeking justice for George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who was killed by former police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin’s knee was seen pinning Floyd’s neck for eight minutes. Chavuin has been charged with second degree murder, and there have been charges brought against the other officers involved.
James Henson, who protested June 5 said, “My general outlook is more like my people had enough of being treated the way they have been treated with 400 years of slavery, then 30 years of not being heard by doing protest and stuff like that.”
Henson said he doesn’t feel black people have received the same freedom in this country as white people.
Austin HayneProtestors line up to march in Lansing. “When America was built, it wasn’t built for black people freedom, it was built for white people freedom,” he said.
The protestors gathered with signs that read “Black Lives Matter,” “remember George Floyd,” and “privilege is why you think something is not your problem.”
Austin HayneProtestors make their way through downtown Lansing.