FORMER U.S. OLYMPICS GYMNASTICS COACH JOHN GEDDERT COMMITS SUICIDE AFTER 24 CHARGES WERE FOUND AGAINST HIM – Wajeeha Kamal: John Geddert, the former U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics coach was charged Thursday morning with 24 counts of sexual assault accusations. Hours later, he was found dead inside of his home due to suicide. Geddert was going to be charged on 20 counts of human trafficking, force labor, and multiple charges of first and second degree sexual assault. He was also facing charges for racketeering and lying to a police officer. These accounts are tied to the investigation that involves now convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. Geddert has been under investigation for three years following the Nassar scandal. Geddert was known to have insight on the crimes Nassar was committing and never came forward. Victims came forth and said he was well aware of the situations they were being put in. In a tweet by the Michigan State Police, at 3:24 p.m., Geddert’s body was found on I-96 in Clinton County at a rest area.

MSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES WILL NOT RELEASE THE 6,000 DOCUMENTS TO FINISH INVESTIGATION BY AG DANA NESSEL – Wajeeha Kamal: MSU Board of Trustees are under fire with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel after 6,000 documents have not been released regarding the Larry Nassar case. For the investigation to be completed, MSU Trustees need to waive permission for review. Nessel expressed in a letter to MSU Trustees “urging them to focus on what is truly important-providing answers to the people of Michigan and to the survivors of Nassar’s crimes to help them.” In a letter to Chairperson Dianne Byrum, Nessel said that the Trustees who have decided to take matters into their own hands need to let her investigation team handle it for the greater good of the whole. She also says that MSU Trustees would not know where to place the documents into the puzzle of the larger investigation. It’s been three years and the Trustees have yet to give permission over the documents. Nessel says that if the documents are not given over she will eventually have to close the investigation as a whole. That is not something she wants to do but she is giving them time until March 26, 2021. Chairperson Byrum said in a statement that the letter was received and talks of it will be discussed in the weeks to come.

MICHIGAN TUITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM EXPANDS QUALIFICATIONS FOR MORE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY – Janelle James: In lighter news, there may be 100,000 students who qualify for the Michigan’s Tuition Incentive Program who are not enrolled in a university. The program provides financial assistance to students who have finished high school and are currently college students eligible for Medicaid. Requirements for the program changed once COVID-19 hit the world. Changing the requirements helped students who may want to take some time off or take fewer classes without losing the aid they may have already. Now students have the opportunity to use TIP for six to 10 years. For now, legislators canceled out the option to fill out a separate application for TIP if the student did their FAFSA and was approved. High schools students are the majority that may qualify.

Script writer: Chandra Fleming

The State is produced by The State News and Impact 89FM.