Tl_ M_-L T1_ -- _1 i i r rnr.. L O C A L/STATE lThe Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 15, 2001- State unemployment rate reaches six year high - 5A LANSING (AP) - Michigan's unemploy- ment rate rose to a six-year high in October, but was below the national rate for the first time this year, state officials said Monday. The state's seasonally adjusted unemploy- ment rate was 5.3 percent in October, up from 5.1 percent in September and well above the state's October 2000 unemployment rate of 3.6 percent. The last time Michigan's rate climbed as high as 5.3 percent was August 1995. Still, economists said the nation overall saw much larger unemployment increases in Octo- ber than Michigan did. The national unemploy- ment rate soared from 4.9 percent in Septem- ber to 5.4 percent in October. Because unemployment data is collected around the 12th of each month, October was the first month economists could measure the impact of the Sept. 11 attacks. State economist Joe Billig said the attacks had a greater effect on states that depend on tourism and the airline industry. "Michigan has certainly seen some negative:' consequences, but maybe not to the extent that other areas have seen,"he said. Still, some transportation-related businesses are taking a hit. At the Fairfield Inn near Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, man- ager Adrien Baskett said her 133-room hotel sold out almost every night last year. Right now, around 90 rooms fill up each night, leav- ing the hotel nearly one-third empty. "It has noticeably gone down, more so than at my sister hotels around Detroit," she said. Baskett hasn't had to lay off any of her 20 staff members so far. Service jobs saw the most layoffs in Michi- gan in October. That included a large cuts in the number of temporary workers, state econo- mist Bruce Weaver said. "Temps are often the first workers to be laid off in a downturn such as this," Weaver said. Construction, transportation and utilities also reported some layoffs. There were small gains in government jobs, retail and wholesale trade. Manufacturing jobs held steady through October, Billig said. While the attacks caused some stoppages because of delayed shipments, that was offset by skyrocketing auto sales dri- ven by zero-interest financing deals. The long-term impact of zero-interest financing remains to be seen. Ford Motor Co. yesterday promised zero-interest deals through Jan. 14, while General Motors Corp. is extend- ing the same offer through Jan. 2. Daimler- Chrysler AG's Chrysler Group is offering zero-interest financing through Nov. 19. "Will that take sales from next year? We're waiting to see," Billig said. Average weekly earnings and hours for auto workers are lower than last year, in part because average weekly hours are down by 2.4 hours, to 42.7 hours. In October 2001, the aver- age weekly wage was $1,160, down from $1,210 in October 2000. 'Tuxedo Bandit' arrested for robberies in Bloomfield Twp. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP (AP) - Police yesterday arrested a man suspected of being the armed robber who dressed formally, drove a BMW and showed good manners during stickups in an affluent corner of subur- ban Detroit. The 25-year-old suspect was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and could be charged soon with armed robbery, police said. Pontiac police arrested him early yes- terday at an apartment complex after they spotted his trademark white BMW. "They ran the plate and it came back stolen," Bloomfield Township police Lt. Kirt Bowden told The Oak- land Press of Pontiac. "They investi- gated it further and found the gun. Sure enough, it was our guy." Police in Oakland County's Bloom- field Township and Bloomfield Hills were looking for the man who has staged two robberies in three days. He first struck Saturday, Bowden said. A couple were leaving a bar about 8:20 p.m. As they approached their car, they heard a white BMW pull up. "He's very polite He said 'Excuse me sir, give me all your money. - Lt. Kirt Bowden Bloomfield Township Police AP PHOTO Members of the 927th Security Forces squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base move supplies as they prepare for deployment Tuesday. Members of the squadrom were called to active duty Nov. 8. Local airforce base prepares as Its troops prepare to leave "He's very polite," Bowden said. "He said, 'Excuse me sir, give me all your money." The man looked and saw a black semiautomatic handgun in the robber's hand, so he complied. The gunman said he was not interested in the wallet or the credit cards, just the cash. Once he got the cash, he drove off. The couple told investigators the man was white and appeared to be about 5- foot-9 and weigh about 160 pounds. He wore a white tuxedo shirt and a black top, possibly a jacket, with a- black trench coat over that, "He's possibly a waiter or a maitre d'," Bowden said. The same man apparently struck again Monday afternoon about a mile down the road. Bloomfield Hills police Sgt. Rick Matott said a woman was walking to her car about 3:05 p.m. in an office complex parking lot. She heard a car pulling up behind her slowly, and then the man driving a white BMW asked her to throw her purse into his car. When the woman asked what he had said, the man replied: "Excuse me,. throw your purse in the car." He also pointed a handgun at the woman. She threw her purse in the car and he drove off. That victim also described the man as having a calm demeanor. "We believe it's the same person, Matott said. "He obviously was dressed for the area and he was very calm." SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. (AP) - As many Detroit-area residents were beginning their workday yesterday, 44 Air Force reservists with the 927th Air Refueling Wing embarked on an undisclosed mission. With about, 50 family members waving and shouting goodbyes - and several children waving American flags - the reservists headed away from Selfridge on a gray KC-135 refueling plane. Fifty-seven Security Forces members in the 927th Air Refueling Wing were called up last Thursday by the secretary of defense for up to two years, but only 44 of those members - 40 men and four women - were deployed yesterday morning. More than 53,000 reservists have been called to active duty nationwide since President Bush authorized a partial mobilization on Sept. 14. "They are anxious and ready to serve," said Lt. Jeff, a 927th squadron commander whose last name isn't being used for security reasons. In the days since being activated, the reservists have been checking equipment, having medical tests and shots, packing gear and making sure all personal mat- ters - like wills and life insurance - are in order, the lieutenant said. Members of the 927th Security Forces Squadron have been on active-duty missions before, but many said the battle against terrorism is like no other. "Morale is very high. They've been training for this, and they're ready to do their mission," Jeff said yester- day before departing. He said he's excited about the mission, but will miss his wife, son and three daughters. "My wife told me to keep my head low and take care of my troops," he said. "And I'm sure my daughters have tucked something away in my gear for me." Capt. Bruce Messer, with the public affairs office, said the families of deployed reservists will be well taken care of while their loved ones are away. He said there are many support programs for family members and help is "just a phone call away." The military has tried to improve morale among reservists and Guard members who are activated. Most branches of the military reserves and National Guard now have family readiness offices - not available dur- ing the Persian Gulf War - which help those serving and their families prepare fpr the possibility of being called up. Deer hunting season set to begin today as 700,000 take to the wood's The Associated Press He's been hunting for 66 years, but Roger Gervais has lost none of his zeal for bagging a prize buck. "I'm looking for big horns first," says the resident of Barbeau in rural Chippewa County. "Then after Thanksgiving, I'm not so fussy." Some 700,000 like-minded people were taking to the Michigan woods in the murky pre-dawn today for the opening day of firearm deer season, renewing a time-honored ritual. The season ends Nov. 30. By then, the state Department of Natural Resources expects about 328,000 deer to have been taken and $1.2 bil- lion spent on guns, licenses, food, beverages, gasoline, room rentals and an endless supply of accessories - from blaze-orange outer clothes, warm boots and long underwear, to human scent-concealers. Dave Grigg, of Ishpeming, had one final errand before heading to camp Tuesday: buying groceries for the nine hunters sharing his camp. To supplement the double batch of spaghetti and meatballs his wife provid- ed, Grigg bought steaks, bratwursts, ham, pancake mix and beverages. He'll be at camp for the entire two weeks of firearm season, except for a quick dash home for Thanksgiving dinner. I I Hey and ...1S simi You've got th the Business , Freshmen Sophomores... Y your b ply not c n ie business sawy, but things aren't challenging. 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