Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 1

i Tl r- I Wmu TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010 THE POWER OF KNOWING SINCE 1855 WWW.LSJ.COM jSPORTS Izzo keeps focus on kids, stays mum on job etc. i rir in 4. i ft. 7 1: -rs rr V.J- i io e-J-) Itc, 1 lue f.t rq Lr AA 1.: cs to v. J.

3 r.cs around lLa st its PAGE C3 ft" DeWitt man pleads guilty in death of stepdaughter, faces up to 15 years ROD SANFORDLansing State Journal Just business as usual, PAGE 8B HCl Despite intense media and fan interest, at Tom Izzo keeps quiet on job decision t5 cS8 WHAT'S NEXT Jon Arbon, who pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter and i Kevtn Grasha kgrashaIsj.com ST. JOHNS Kasie Ar-bon has forgiven her husband, who admitted that he caused the death of her 3-year-old daughter. Outside a Clinton County courtroom Monday, shortly after Jon Arbon, 24, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and first-degree child abuse, the 31-year-old DeWitt woman said her husband never intended to harm Tricia, his stepdaughter. "I can forgive him because he didn't mean to hurt her," himself more than anything." Jon Arbon faces up to 15 years in prison at a July 26 sentence hearing. During Monday's plea hearing in Clinton County Circuit Court, Arbon, wearing a yellow jail uniform, told Judge Randy Tahvonen that on Jan.

23, Tricia "was getting loud" in the living room. "I overreacted, and I pushed her," Arbon said in a quiet voice. He was home alone with her at the time. Tricia's head struck the edge See ARBON I Page 2 A Mi ClMSMl first-degree child abuse, will be July 26 Courtesy photo In memory: Family members wore buttons in court Monday showing 3-year-old Tricia Hixson. Kasie Arbon said, adding: "He has to live with this for the rest of his life.

He will punish in Clinton County Circuit Court. He faces up to 15 years in prison. IT'S ALL HAPPENING AT THE ZOO Democrats take aim at: state justice Party's ad accuses Young, nominated by Michigan GOP, of 'Big Oil' priorities .1 4 UP FOR RE-ELECTION Two Michigan Supreme Court justices are up for re-election this year: Robert Young Jr. Vwt-T Vi X. 4Vt X- AX rz -J 3 .5 I Residence: Grosse Pointe Park Nominated in 2002 by: Michigan Republican In ifii Party Elizabeth Weaver GREG DeRUITERLansing State Journal Not one, but two birds in the hand: Sue Acton of Grosse Pointe attracted an Eastern rosella (left) and a cockatiel recently at the Wings Down Under exhibit at the Potter Park Zoo.

The reopened display now contains more than 600 birds. FtV-i uwaa I Age: 69 I Residence: Glen Arbor Nominated in 2002 by: Michigan Republican r- r-v Potter Park scene bursts with birds Kathy Barks Hoffman Associated Press Two years after Democrats bumped Michigan Supreme Court Justice Cliff Taylor from the court with TV ads accusing him of sleeping on the bench, the party is taking aim at booting another Republican from the court. The accusations of sleeping on the job, which Taylor denied, helped Democrat Diane Hathaway take his seat on the state's high court. And while the state Democratic Party won't nominate its candidates until late August, the party already is going after Justice Robert Young Jr. one of two justices nominated in past elections by Republicans who is likely to stand for re-election in November.

On Monday, state Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer unveiled a new Web ad that cites several rulings in which he said Young shows "his priorities lie with Big Oil, not with Michigan and its residents." Interspersed with photos of oil-coated birds and cleanup crews is a blurry image of Young or someone who looks like him nodding off on the bench. The ad, which lasts just over a minute, will be seen mostly by Democratic activists on the party's e-mail list, not the general public. But voters statewide likely will see similar is- 1 -i 1 I I cockatiels, the cost of which is covered under an existing contract. The expanded Wings exhibit is part of ongoing efforts at Potter Zoo's interactive exhibit just one of planned upgrades Christine Rook Online Extra 1 i Park to attract more visitors. About 167,000 people visited the zoo in 2009, up Party sues raised this fall in the party's anti-Young TV ads.

"Maybe we do 'Bob Young sleeps with the oil Kind of combine some themes," Brewer quipped during a Monday news conference. Young was not amused. Even before Brewer's news conference, his campaign released a statement defending his record on the court and accusing Brewer of spreading "misinformation and outright lies." The Democratic ad accurately notes that Young sided with the majority in See COURT I Page 2 A Popular spot: The Wings Down Under exhibit at the Potter Park Zoo. About 167,000 people visited the zoo in 2009. For more photos, goto www.lsj.com.

If you go clrookSlsj.com Potter Park Zoo is louder this season about 200 voices louder. The Wings From Down Under exhibit has reopened for the summer at the Lansing zoo with more than 600 birds in a vast, interactive display. It's a 50 percent boost in the number of eastern rosellas, parakeets and about 20 percent from 2008. Construction also has begun on the Eurasian Eagle Owl exhibit, a roughly enclosure of steel and mesh that is more than triple the size of the current exhibit. And ground is to be broken by fall on the park's long-awaited rhino site improvements.

"Ultimately, we hope to get a breeding pair," zoo veterinarian Tara Harrison said. See ZOO Page 2 A I Potter Park Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The zoo is at 1301 S. Pennsylvania Lansing I For parking and admission fees, see the zoo's website at www.potterparkzoo.org MORE AT YWVW1S1CCM SPEEDREADS A daily feed of top headlines HAPPENING TODAY I Stories for Sprouts Seedlings, 10-11 a.m.

Michigan 4-H Children's Garden, Outdoor Garden, off Bogue Street, south of Wilson Road, East Lansing. This program is designed especially for young children, ages 2-4, to experience the wonders of gardening through stories and hands-on projects. Featuring: "A Frog Thing" by Eric Drachman. Info: 355-5191, ext. 1327, www.4hgarden.msu.educalendar.

fi23 NATION WORLD Poll: Most Americans want tougher action on oil spill In a USA TODAYGallup Poll, taken Friday through Sunday, 71 percent of Americans surveyed say President Barack Obama hasn't been tough enough in dealing with BP on the oil spill. Just 1 in 5 say his actions have been "about right." Page 3A LOCAL STATE Rare sight at MSU The large and rare Amorphophallus titanum or "corpse flower" is in bloom in a greenhouse on MSU's campus. It began flowering Friday evening for the first time in the approximately 15 years it has grown at MSU, said Mike Grillo, a Ph.D. student in the plant biology department. Page IB Kennedy faced death threats WASHINGTON The FBI released documents Monday from Sen.

Edward Kennedy's file and most detail death threats and extortion attempts against the Massachusetts Democrat. Page 3A Full forecast 6C TODAY'S FORECAST Partly sunny to showers, high in the low 70s, low in the low 60s. Breaking news on IDS) Tl your cell phone Lottery 2A Communities Life 1C Business 4A Deaths 4B Comics 3C Opinion 5A Sports 8B Television 4C Local State IB Scoreboard 6B Puzzles 5C 2010 Lansing State Journal, Lansing, Michigan. A Gannett Newspaper. ii 40901 "051 Text LSJNEWS to 44636 (4INF0).

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