Update – March 3, 12:50 a.m.:The suspect in the shooting on the campus of Central Michigan University has been taken into police custody without incident.
Thank you to the community for their help and cooperation throughout this situation.
At approximately 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 2, there was a shooting on the campus of Central Michigan University. The suspect, 19-year-old James Eric Davis Jr., fled northbound and was last seen in the area near Maple and Cherry streets. He is considered armed and dangerous. Residents are encouraged to stay inside their residences and lock the doors of their homes, outbuildings, garages and vehicles.
More than 100 officers from multiple police agencies continue to search for the suspect and will be conducting door-to-door checks in the vicinity of Maple and Cherry streets until dark. Law enforcement helicopters will continue to assist in the search through the evening.
Community members are reminded to remain vigilant of their surroundings. Please do not actively search for the suspect or engage anyone matching the description of the suspect. Instead, please call 911 or 773-1000 to report suspicious activity or someone matching the description of the suspect.
For continuous updates, please sign up for CodeRed alerts. Sign up information can be found at www.mt-pleasant.org. You may also download the CodeRed app on your mobile device.
UPDATE March 3, 12:10 p.m.: Click here to read a message from City Mayor Allison Lents.
UPDATE March 3, 7:47 a.m.: The suspect in yesterday’s incident on the campus of Central Michigan University was apprehended early this morning. We are incredibly grateful to the hundreds of dedicated law enforcement personnel who worked tirelessly throughout the day and night to find the suspect.
The Mt. Pleasant community is safe and no threat from this incident remains. We encourage all of our residents to resume their normal activities.
The Mt. Pleasant Police Department will continue to assist the Central Michigan University Police Department with the ongoing investigation.
Thank you for your cooperation and support throughout this matter!
UPDATE March 3, 12:50 a.m.:The suspect in the shooting on the campus of Central Michigan University has been taken into police custody without incident.
Thank you to the community for your help and cooperation throughout this situation.
UPDATE 6:10 p.m.: Click here for an update from Central Michigan University, confirming the identities of the victims of this morning’s shooting on the campus. The suspect is still at large.
UPDATE 12:25 p.m.: The person of interest is James Eric Davis, Jr. He is a black male, approximately 19 years of age, 5’10” and 135 lbs. He was last see wearing mustard yellow jeans and a blue hoodie. He may have removed the blue hoodie.
The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach the suspect. Call 911 immediately.
UPDATE 10:23 a.m.: The suspect is a 19-year-old black male who is approximately 5 foot 9 inches tall. He is wearing mustard yellow jeans and a blue hoodie. He may have taken off the blue hoodie. He is considered armed and dangerous. If you see the suspect, do not approach him. Call 911 immediately.
There has been a report of a shooting on the campus of Central Michigan University. The suspect is a black male and considered armed and dangerous.
The Mt. Pleasant Police Department is assisting Central Michigan University PD with the situation. The shooter has not yet been apprehended. A CodeRed alert has been sent to the impacted neighborhoods.
Please remain aware of your surroundings and call 911 to report suspicious activity.
All City buildings are currently locked down and not accessible to the general public.
More information will be shared as it is received.
At approximately 12:59 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2018, an officer on general patrol at the intersection of Broomfield and Mission Street observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation.
The suspect vehicle accelerated quickly eastbound on Broomfield. The officer attempted to catch up with the vehicle and activated the emergency lights. The vehicle approached the intersection of Broomfield and Isabella and disregarded the flashing red light. The vehicle again accelerated quickly reaching speeds of over 100 mph while traveling down Isabella road. The vehicle abruptly stopped at the intersection of Isabella and High. The driver, Gonzalo Alaniz, a 23-year-old Mt. Pleasant man, was taken into custody without incident.
The front seat passenger, a 19-year-old Mt. Pleasant man, was arrested for open container and cited for minor in possession of alcohol.
Alaniz is lodged at the Isabella County Jail on charges of fleeing and eluding; driving while license suspended; reckless driving.
Here are five things to watch at the Feb. 26, 2018 City Commission meeting:
Parks Resource Leadership Award: The City Commission will recognize Director of Parks and Public Spaces Chris Bundy as the 2017 recipient of the Park Resource Leadership Award. Presented by the Michigan Recreation and Park Association, recipients of this prestigious award demonstrate outstanding contributions in the area of maintenance practice, equipment management, resource development and environmental stewardship. Read more here.
Private Swimming Pool Ordinance Amendment: An amendment to the ordinance regarding private swimming pools will be introduced. Currently, private pools are not allowed to be emptied into the sanitary sewer system. To align with federal and state requirements, the proposed amendment would state that all discharge from private pools should be emptied into the sanitary sewer system. If that method is not possible, the amendment offers two additional options. It is recommended the City Commission set a public hearing on the topic for March 12, 2018.
Ceilometer Replacement at the Airport: The City Commission will consider a resolution authorizing a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for the replacement of the Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) ceilometer at the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport. The associated budget amendment will also be considered. Vital for the safety of pilots and passengers, the AWOS provides accurate and timely weather information to pilots who fly within range of the airport. One component of the AWOS instrumentation is the ceilometer, which is used to measure the height and thickness of cloud cover. MDOT will pay for 90 percent of the cost of the new ceilometer.
Special Assessment for Alley Reconstruction: Discussion on the status of residential alleys occurred during both the 2016 and 2017 budget work sessions. As a result of those discussions in 2016, a letter was sent to property owners whose properties abut alleys that might benefit from reconstruction. The letter outlined the process for petitioning to have the City Commission consider a special assessment to pay for the cost. DPW received a petition in January for the reconstruction of the alley between Fancher and Kinney, from Locust to Wisconsin. The City Commission will consider resolutions #1 and #2 to begin the proceedings for a special assessment, tentatively determine the necessity, and set a public hearing for March 12 on the need for the project.
Downtown Fire Protection Grant Program:The City Commission will consider a resolution to amend the Central Business District (CBD) Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) plan to add the Fire Protection Grant Program as an eligible project. The program is intended to provide funding to property owners in order to assist them with installing fire protection systems including suppression systems, sprinklers and fire alarms in existing commercial and residential buildings in the downtown historic district.
To see the full City Commission agenda and packet for Feb. 26, 2018, click here.
Mt. Pleasant City Commission meetings are held at City Hall on the second and fourth Monday of every month. Meetings begin at 7 p.m.
The City will begin a tree abatement project Monday, Feb. 26 near the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport to clear obstructions protruding into the approach slope – the path an airplane follows to land on a runway.
The project was deemed necessary by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order for the City to continue to safely accommodate the larger planes that utilize the airport. The majority of the abatement will occur west of the airport between US-127 and South Isabella Road.
According to Airport Manager Bill Brickner, the project is not only essential for the successful arrival and departure of airplanes, it is also needed for the airport to remain a driver of local economic development and business growth.
“The airport adds about $8 million of revenue to the community each year,” said Brickner. “If the trees remain, the runway will be shortened and several of our customers who fly larger planes will have to go elsewhere to land, purchase fuel and conduct business.”
Federal and state funding will pay for 95 percent of the total project costs, with the remaining five percent budgeted in the Airport Capital Improvement Plan.
Chris Bundy, director of parks and public spaces for the City of Mt. Pleasant, is the 2018 recipient of the Park Resource Leadership Award.
Presented by mParks – Michigan Recreation and Park Association – the award is among the highest of individual honors granted by the statewide organization and recognizes professionals who demonstrate outstanding contributions in the area of maintenance practice, equipment management and resource development.
Chris has served the City for nearly 30 years, beginning his career as the director of recreation, and later assuming the role of director of parks and public spaces.
Throughout his tenure, his leadership has resulted in extensive growth and improvement within the City parks system. Chris was instrumental in the original build of the Timber Town playscape at Island Park in 1994, as well as the rebuild of the playground in 2017, working with the volunteer committee to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and coordinate hundreds of volunteers.
In 2009, he led the design and construction of the Access to Adventure Trail, which is part of the GKB Riverwalk that connects five of the City’s parks along the Chippewa River.
In 2013, Chris spearheaded the Green Maintenance Bike Initiative, reducing the use of motorized carts and introducing bicycles with trailers for the daily maintenance tasks in City parks. This effort produced a significant cost savings, reduced noise and air pollution, and gained statewide recognition.
“The list of opportunities and facility improvements Chris has made is extensive, but more impressive is his ability to plan, maintain, and think to the future sustainability of projects that will impact future generations,” said City Recreation Coordinator Steve Hofer.
Chris has also dedicated much of his career to preserving the community’s natural resources, specifically the Chippewa River and the riverbank corridor. In 2016, Chris worked in coordination with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe to obtain Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funds to improve the corridor connected to City park lands. These efforts protected much of the riverbank during the flood in June of 2017.
“Chris strives to set a good example and be an out-of-the-box thinker,” said City Manager Nancy Ridley. “He is most certainly deserving of recognition for the tremendous support and exemplary leadership he provides for all things related to parks and recreation in our community.”
Chris was honored at the 2018 mParks conference earlier this month. He is also the 1994 winner of the mParks Recreation Leadership Award.
Award recipients are selected based on their development of innovative programs and services, community affiliations and volunteer experiences, contributions to the profession, and more.
mParks created the video below as a tribute to Chris!
Community members of all ages – from the very young to the young at heart – are invited to the Isabella County Commission on Aging on Feb. 24 for “Bingo Bash,” presented by Mt. Pleasant Parks & Recreation, Commission on Aging and McDonald’s. This free event will allow players as many rounds of Bingo as they desire, with winners advancing to the Bonus Bingo rounds!
Prizes and free refreshments will be available. Bingo Bash will take place from 2 to 4 p.m.
The Isabella County Commission on Aging is located at 2200 S. Lincoln Road in Mt. Pleasant. For more information, click here or call (989) 779-5331.
The City of Mt. Pleasant’s Historic District Commission (HDC) is currently seeking nominations for the 2018 Historic Preservation Improvement Awards.
The awards are presented each year to honor exterior improvements of residential and commercial properties in the City of Mt. Pleasant in four areas – Preservation, Restoration, New Construction or Downtown Historic District Choice. Nominated properties must be at least 25 years old, and the improvements must have been completed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2017.
The HDC will evaluate applications that best reflect the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Winners will be announced in May as part of National Historic Preservation month.
Applications can be found on the City’s website at www.mt-pleasant.org/jobs or at the Human Resources office, located on the second floor of City Hall. When applying for more than one position, applicants must complete an application for each position.
The application deadline for all positions is Thursday, March 1.
City of Mt.Pleasant 
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