GM Announces Major $4 Billion Investment; Local, Regional Headlines Follow

June 11, 2025 | 1320 WILS Newsroom

LANSING, MI — General Motors unveiled plans Monday evening to invest $4 billion across three U.S. manufacturing sites, including a significant facility in Michigan. The announcement, aimed at shifting future production strategies, was made during a press conference covered live by 1320 WILS' Owen Brooks.

The Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan will transition to produce gas-powered full-size SUVs and light-duty pickup trucks starting in 2027, a move that bucks the broader industry push toward electric vehicles. GM also revealed it will retool plants in Kentucky and Tennessee to begin domestic production of the Chevy Equinox and Blazer—both currently made in Mexico.

Meanwhile, political tensions are heating up in Lansing. The city’s firefighters union, IAFF Local 421, has withdrawn its endorsement of Mayor Andy Schor ahead of this year’s election. The dispute centers around retiree health care costs, which union leaders say spiked by several hundred dollars monthly due to an error in a 2013 collective bargaining agreement. That contract, originally signed under former Mayor Virg Bernero, is now at the center of a grievance filed by the union.

In Delta Township, Eaton County officials have identified the victim of a fatal hit-and-run incident. Authorities say 28-year-old Jacquees Cox of Lansing was struck and killed near the intersection of Waverly Road and Tecumseh River Drive over the weekend. The driver fled the scene, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Also in Eaton County, Animal Control is facing severe operational strain following the failure of a millage in May. Officials report the department is now down to just one officer handling all shelter operations, road responses, and administrative duties. Residents are urged not to drop off animals at the shelter or report non-aggressive stray dogs unless necessary.

In Jackson, water and sewage bills are on the rise. The city council voted 4-3 on Monday night to approve a quarterly increase of $15 for water and $18 for wastewater services. Officials argue the hikes are needed to maintain critical infrastructure.

Elsewhere in the state, a bomb threat at Corewell Health Beaumont in Troy prompted an alert from Oakland University urging evacuation. Authorities later determined the threat was not credible.

Finally, a tragic discovery at Isle Royale National Park: two campers were found dead last Sunday in the remote Lake Superior wilderness. National Park Rangers are continuing to investigate the cause of death.

Stay with 1320 WILS for continuing coverage of these developing stories.