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Wednesday Morning State News Summary Wed, 25 Jul 2012 01:45:50 EDT (Mi-Hoekstra Complaint) Leading Republican U.S. Senate Candidate And Former Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra Is Filing A Complaint With The Federal Election Commission Against A Superpac That Has Launched Almost $300,000 In Tv Ads Against Him. Several Donors To Lansing-Based Prosperity For Michigan Have Connections To Hoekstra's Rival, Clark Durant, And Cornerstone Schools, Which He Founded. Hoekstra Spokesman Greg Vanwoerkom Says There Are Serious Questions Surrounding The Super Pac, Including A Blatant Attempt To Skirt The Law And Legal Counsel Is Currently Reviewing Their Documents And Ads To Determine The Next Course Of Action. According To The Group's Amended Fec Report Filed On Monday, The Group Raised $188,000 In The Second Quarter From April 1 To June 30. The Group's Original Report Said It Raised Nothing. Hoekstra's Campaign Contends This Is A Violation Of Election Law. (Mi-Casino Proposal Lawsuit) Plans Have Been Announced To File A Lawsuit That Seeks To Stop A Casino Expansion Proposal From Reaching The Statewide Election Ballot. Protect Mi Vote Says It Will Ask The Michigan Court Of Appeals To Issue An Order Directing The Secretary Of State To Reject The Ballot Petitions Submitted By Citizens For More Michigan Jobs And Not Allow The Proposed Constitutional Amendment To Go Before Voters In November. The Coaltion's Legal Counsel John Pirich Says The Language In The Amendment Was Very Poorly Drafted And Includes Not One Or Two, But Numerous Substantial Constitutional Violations. The Proposal Would Authorize New Privately Owned Casinos In Eight Locations In Michigan And Eliminate The Constitutional Requirement That All Gaming Expansions Be Approved By Both A Statewide And Local Vote. It Also Makes Amendments To The Voter-Initiated Michigan Gaming Control Act Including Changing The Definition Of Casino Gaming To Allow For Nearly Any Form Of Gambling To Occur At The Properties Designated In The Proposal. (Mi-Energy Emergency) A "State Of Energy Emergency" Has Been Declared By The Governor In Michigan Because Of Limited Availablity And Temporary Shortages Of Gas And Diesel Fuel In Areas Of The Upper Peninsula. The Declaration Temporarily Suspends Certain State And Federal Regulations. The Problem Has Been Caused By A Shutdown Of The West Shore Pipeline In Wisconsin, Which Is Located Between Milwaukee And Green Bay. The Line Supplies Gasoline And Diesel Fuel To Service Stations Throughout The Western And Central Sections Of The Upper Peninsula. Delivering Petroleum Products Within Michigan Has Been Affected Because Carriers Have To Seek Alternate Product Terminals In Milwaukee And Madison. That Has Made Driving Distances Longer And Has Created Difficulty In Meeting Demands In Line With State And Federal Hours-Of-Service Regulations. The Declaration Suspends State And Federal Regulations Relating To Hours-Of-Service For Motor Carriers And Drivers Transporting Gasoline, Diesel Fuel And Jet Fuel. (Mipoll-Obama Ahead) Michigan Voters Think The Economy Is In Rough Shape, But President Barack Obama Continues To Lead Mitt Romney In That State. The Latest Rasmussen Reports Survey Of 500 Likely Michigan Voters Shows Obama With 48 Percent Support To Romneys 42 Percent. Five Percent Of Respondents Favored Another Candidate, While 4 Percent Were Undecided. It's The Second Time Rasmussen Has Surveyed State Voters On The Presidential Race. In June, It Had The Democratic President With 50 Percent Support And His Republican Rival At 42 Percent. The Survey Had A Margin Of Error Of Plus Or Minus 4.5 Percentage Points. (Mi-Kids Count) Most Michigan Children Are Covered By Health Insurance, But The State Still Scores Poorly In Child Well Being, According To The 2012 Kids Count Rankings. Michigan Was Among The Ten Best States, Ranking Fourth, For Percent Of Children Without Health Insurance, With Only Four-Percent Of Children In The State Without Health Insurance. However, That Was The Only Bright Spot For The State In The New Report By The Annie E. Casey Foundation. It Ranked Michigan Among The Ten Worst States When It Comes To Percent Of Children (14-Percent) Living In High-Poverty Areas And For Children In Families Where No Parent Has A Full-Time, Year Round Job (37-Percent). The State Also Ranked Poorly In Fourth-Grader Reading Proficiency. Michigan Ranked 33rd Among States With 69-Percent Of Its Fourth-Graders Scoring Below Proficient On National Tests In 2011. In Overall Rankings, Michigan Ranks 32nd Among The 50 States And Posted Worst Overall Ranking Of All Great Lakes States. Kids Count In Michigan Director, Jane Zehnder-Merrell Says (Quote) "While We Improved In A Few Areas, Many Of The Indicators In This Report Reflect Troubling Trends And Show That Michigan Kids Are Not Being Given The Same Advantages When Compared With Other Children In The Region." (Mi-Pre-Existing Conditions) Nearly Two-Point-Four (M) Million Michigan Residents Under Age 65 Have Been Diagnosed With A Pre-Existing Medical Condition That Could Keep Them From Attaining Health Insurance Coverage, According To A Families Usa Report Released Yesterday (Tuesday). That Amounts To About 28-Percent Of State Residents Under Age 65. That Compares To Nearly 65 (M) Million People Or 25-Percent Nationwide In That Same Category. Families Usa, Which Is A Nonprofit Group That Advocates For Affordable Health Care, Released The Report To Demonstrate The Number Of Americans Who Could Benefit From The The Federal Affordable Care Act - Dubbed 'Obamacare' By Opponents. The U-S Supreme Court, Last Month, Upheld The Act Which Will Ban Insurance Companies From Denying Coverage Due To Pre-Existing Conditions. (Capitol-Vaginagate) A Nationally Known Singer Songwriter Is Being Criticized By State Republicans For Hanging A Banner The Reads "Vaginas Are Revolting" At The Home Of Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger Last Week. The Incident, Which According To Bolger's Office Happened Last Thursday, When Musician Laura Love Hung The Banner On The Front Porch Of Bolger's Home In Marshall. Michigan Republicans Yesterday (Tuesday) Released A Statement Condemning The Incident. It Never Names Love As The Perpetrator But Includes A Link To A Youtube Video, In Which Love Says She's At Bolger's House And Has Tied The Banner Onto The Front Porch. Love Was In Michiagn Last Month To Protest How Republicans Handled An Anti-Abortion Rights Debate In June. House Republicans Banned Representatives Barbara Byrum And Lisa Brown From Speaking On The House Floor For A Day After They Spoke Out During An Anti- Abortion Debate In A Manner Republicans Deemed Inappropriate. (Battle Creek-Woman Found Dead-Update) Police In Battle Creek Say A 26-Year-Old Woman Was Found Dead In Her Home Yesterday (Monday) And They Are Calling Her Death Suspicious. Authorities Say Jennifer Joostberns Was Found Dead By Her Father Because He Had Not Heard From Her, And Went To Her Home. He Discovered The Back Door Had Been Forced Open And Found Joostberns Dead In The Basement. Police Have Not Yet Determined A Cause Of Death And Have Not Referred To The Death As A Homicide. An Autopsy Is Scheduled. According To The 'Battle Creek Enquirer,' Joostberns Was Involved In An Argument With Her Boyfriend That Turned Violent Early Saturday. At The Time, A Warrant Was Being Sought Against The Man And He Had Not Been Found. Anyone With Information Is Asked To Call The Battle Creek Police Department Or Silent Observer. (Wbck, Battle Creek) (Wayne Co-Bashara Bound Over) The Husband Of A Murdered Grosse Pointe Park Woman Has Been Bound Over For Trial On A Solicitation Of Murder Charge. Robert Bashara Is Accused Of Hiring A Hit Man To Kill The Handyman Charged With Murdering His Wife. Joseph Gentz Has Admitted That He Killed 56-Year Old Jane Bashara In January And Told Officers Robert Bashara Offered Him To Pay Him For Murdering Her. Bashara's Arraignment In Wayne County Circuit Court Is Scheduled For July 31st. He's Being Held On A $15 Million Bond. (Metro Source) (Detroit-Lottery Winner Sentence-Update) A 25-Year Old Lincoln Park Woman Who Collected Food Stamps After Winning A Nearly Million-Dollar Lottery Prize Has Avoided Jail Time. Amanda Clayton, Who Pleaded No Contest To Welfare Fraud, Was Sentenced Tuesday To Six Months Probation. In Addition, Shes Required To Have A Job And Pay Court Costs. Clayton Already Repaid The State Approximately 55-Hundred Dollars For Food And Medical Benefits. Clayton Admitted She Kept Receiving State Benefits After She Won Over 700-Thousand Dollars On The Michigan Lottery Game Show Make Me Rich. Michigan Lawmakers Have Since Amended State Law And Lottery Officials Are Now Required To Share Information With The Department Of Human Services About Winners. (Help From:Metro Source/Wwj, Detroit) (Kent Co-Shooting Death Charges) A 21-Year Old West Michigan Man Has Been Charged In A Shooting In Grandville Sunday That Left Another Man Dead. Daniel Chinchak Faces Charges Of Second Degree Murder And Felony Firearms. He's Accused Of Shooting And Killing 22-Year Old Jason Arntz Who Was Dead When Authorities Got To The Wimbledon Apartments Early Sunday Morning. Chinchak Was Ordered Held In The Kent County Jail On A $750 Thousand Bond. He'll Have A Preliminary Examination On August 2nd. (John C. Smith, Wood, Grand Rapids) (Waterford-Tasered Teen) Waterford Police Tasered A Nude Teen Last Week Who Allegedly Became Agitated And Shattered The Windshield Of A Patrol Vehicle With His Fists. According To Police, After They Arrested Nicholas Haviaras (Hah'-Vee-Ah'-Russ) He Told Them He Had Taken Acid. Haviaras Was Charged With One Felony Count Of Malicious Destruction Of Police Property. He Was Given A 25-Thousand Dollar Cash Bond And Is Being Held At The Oakland County Jail. (Metro Source) (Saginaw-Police Shooting Investigation) Saginaw Officials Are Taking Action After Residents Expressed Their Anger About The Police Shooting Of A Homeless Black Man. City Manager Darnell Earley Announced That The City Will Conduct An Internal Affairs Investigation Into The Shooting, Which Killed Milton Hall On July 1st. Earley Says The City Will Have To Wait To Begin Its Probe Until A Current Michigan State Police Investigation Has Concluded. Earley Says Those Results Will Give The City A Starting Point In Which To Investigate The Actions Of The Officers Involved, And The Policies Of The Department. One Of The Questions He Wants Answered Involves Why The Majority Of Video Equipment Installed In City Police Cars Was Not Working On The Day Of The Shooting. The City's Director Of Public Safety, Phil Ludos, Will Be Heading Up The Investigation. (Wsgw, Saginaw) (Dearborn-Shooting Death Arrests) Police In Dearborn Say Four People Have Been Arrested And Charged With The Murder Of A 45-Year-Old Man. 26-Year-Old Charles Jackson, 28-Year-Old Zelda Taylor, 28-Year-Old Iashia Knox And 28-Year-Old Kristen Holmes, All Of Detroit. All Are Charged With Felony Murder, Punishable By Life In Prison Without The Possibility Of Parole, Armed Robbery And Conspiracy To Commit Armed Robbery, Both Punishable By Life Or Any Number Of Years In Prison. Hassan Jaber Was Killed Inside His Home On Dearborn's East Side On July 15th. Police Said Jaber Was Found With Some Obvious Trauma Although They Would Not Elaborate. All Four Defendants Will Remain In The Wayne County Jail, Having Been Denied Bond. They Are Due Back In Court On August 3rd. (Wwj, Detroit) (Auburn Hills-Chrsyler Investment) Chrysler Has Informed Employees At Its Mack Engine Plant In Detroit That It Is Considering A Plan To Invest Nearly $200 Million To Build Its 3.6-Liter Pentastar V-6 Engine. Reports State That The Investment Would Create About 250 New Jobs. Chrysler Produces The 3.7-Liter V6 Engine For The Jeep Liberty And Ram 1500 At The Mack Avenue Plant, But This Type Of Engine Will Be Discontinued And Replaced By The 3.6-Liter Pentastar V6. Chrysler Already Produces Pentastar V-6 Motors In Trenton, And In Saltillo, Mexico. The News Comes On The Heels Of Reports By Chrysler Two Weeks Ago That It Plans To Close The Mack Avenue Ii Plant In September, But The 200 Workers There Will Be Offered Jobs At Other Facilities. Some Of Those Workers Could Be Employed On The New Pentastar Line. (Help From: Wwj, Detroit) (Mi-Illegal Video Poker) Two Men Have Been Convicted For Their Roles In An Illegal Video Poker Operation In Flint-Area-Bars. 55-Year Old Michael Krempski Of Grand Blanc Admitted To Heading The Operation By Running Illegal Casinos Using Video-Poker Machines Throughout Genesee County. He Pleaded Guilty To Two Counts Of Violating The Gaming Control And Revenue Act And Paid A 200-Thousand-Dollar Fine, The Largest To Date For This Type Of Criminal Violation. Kremski Was Also Sentenced To Five Years Probation And Will Forfeit An Additional $80,000 To The Michigan State Police. His Employee, 54-Year Old Robert Murray Of Flint, Pleaded Guilty To One Count Of Violating The Same Law And Will Serve Three Years Probation And Pay A Ten-Thousand Dollar Fine. Kremski Sold The Video Poker Machines And Assisted The Bar Owners With Cash Flow By Providing Bags Of Money For Large Jackpots. Murray Would Travel From Bar To Bar, Collecting Cash From The Machines And Splitting The Proceeds 50-50 With The Bar Owners. Several Bar Owners Previously Pleaded Guilty For Their Roles In The Operation. (Um-Solar Car Wins) The University Of Michigan Solar Car Team Won Its Fourth Consecutive American Solar Challenge Over The Weekend. The U-M Car, Quantum, Crossed The Finish Line Sunday Afternoon In St Paul, Minnesota 10 Hours And 18 Minutes Ahead Of Second-Place Iowa State University, Breaking Its Own National Record For Margin Of Victory Set In 2008. The Eight-Day, Biennial 1,650-Mile Competition For Solar-Powered Vehicles Started July 14th In Rochester, New York. This Is The Seventh North American Title For The U-M Team, Which Won The Inaugural Event In 1990 With Its First Car, The Sunrunner. The U-M Solar Car Team Has Finished Third In The World Solar Challenge Five Times, Most Recently In 2011. (Tue Lottery) There Were No Winners In Tuesday Night's Mega Millions Drawing. That Means Friday's Jackpot Will Be Worth $52 (M) Million Dollars. The Mega Millions Numbers Drawn Tuesday Night Were: 05 09 38 46 And 51. The Mega Ball Was 5. The Megaplier Was: 4x The Winning Numbers For The Midday 3 Lottery Were: 2-2-3. The Winning Numbers For The Midday 4 Lottery Were: 4-1-1-9. The Winning Numbers For The Evening 3 Lottery Were: 2-1-2. The Winning Numbers For The Evening 4 Lottery Were: 6-8-1-7. The Winning Numbers For The Fantasy 5 Lottery Were: 10- 11- 18- 30- 31. The Winning Numbers For The Keno Lottery Were: 05- 06 -09 -15- 17 -18- 23-29- 30- 38- 41- 46- 47- 52-56 -59- 66 -67- 70 -73 78-And 80. Tonight's (Wed) Classic Lotto 47 Jackpot Is Worth Three Point-One- (M) Million Dollars. |
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