By James Herold
This past week was a busy one. From an FBI raid at Trump’s Florida Mar-A-Lago Estate to Mastodon bones found in northern Kent county and the Tigers firing their GM, it’s been a wild week.
Here are the Top 5 stories that made local and national news this past week.
1. FBI raids former president Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Estate
The stunning FBI raid on the former president’s Florida home was related to documents that Trump allegedly took with him when he departed Washington in January 2021, including some records the National Archives has said were marked classified, sources told ABC News.
In January 2022, Trump turned over 15 boxes of records to the National Archives, but a small team of federal agents followed up with Trump’s lawyers in the spring to inquire about additional records he may have removed from the White House. When additional documents were not returned, the FBI executed a search warrant to retrieve them.
2. Mastodon bones uncovered by Kent County road crews
A Kent County Drain commission crew working a road construction project along 22 Mile Road north of Kent City discovered Mastodon bones.The bones were examined by experts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and University of Michigan, sources told WZZM 13.
The bones are expected to eventually be on display at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
3. Detroit Tigers General Manager Al Avila fired after seven years of no playoffs.
Before the 2022 season, Detroit Tigers General Manager Al Avila proclaimed the prolonged rebuild had ended and set his sights on snapping the franchise’s seven-year postseason drought. But through 111 games, the Tigers owned a 43-72 record, have the worst offense in major league baseball and are the worst team in the American League Central.
4. “Grease” star and Grammy winner, Olivia Newton-John passes away at age 73.
The sad news was announced on her official Facebook page in a statement reading: “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”
5. Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist visits Grand Rapids Community College to talk about the Michigan Reconnect Program.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II visited GR CC on Aug. 11 to praise the $55 million bipartisan Reconnect investment into students who return to school after an absence.
This program, which has been renewed for next year, is one of Gilchrist’s favorite educational initiatives for adult learners in the state. Read The Collegiate’s coverage of Gilchrist’s visit here.