MICHIGAN VIRUS OUTBREAK
COVID-19 infections in Michigan double in 2 weeks
LANSING, Michigan (AP) Michigan reports an average of 431 new daily COVID-19 infections over three days, up 47% from the same period a week earlier. Cases have increased in all but one state in the past two weeks, which health officials nationwide have attributed to the rapidly spreading delta variant. Michigan’s seven-day average of 332 is double what it was two weeks ago. Its two-week case rate, however, is better than all but four of the states. Only 256 adults have been hospitalized with confirmed infections, a fraction of the peak of more than 4,000 in April.
The drunken conduct of a forensic doctor
State legislator receives 15 days in prison for driving while intoxicated
GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Michigan (AP) A state lawmaker in the Grand Rapids area has been sentenced to 15 days in prison for impaired driving. Republican Representative Bryan Posthumus expressed remorse and said he had not been drinking since driving his vehicle in April in Ada Township. He says he will reimburse his state salary for the 15 days in jail. Posthumus says he has let down his family and his constituents. Judge Jeff OHara noted that Posthumus had a similar case in 2013. The Posthumus family is well known in government and politics: his father, Dick, was a state senator and lieutenant governor, and his sister is the Kent County Clerk.
VIRUS EPIDEMIC BONUS
Member of Congress: Federal virus aid was not intended for elected officials
CORUNNA, Michigan (AP) A Michigan congressman criticizes the COVID-19 bonuses awarded to commissioners and other elected officials in Shiawassee County. US Representative Dan Kildee said the US bailout dollars were intended to help frontline workers and families affected by the pandemic. Kildee was reacting to news that Republican county commissioners last week approved more than $ 500,000 in risk premiums for dozens of county employees. What is unusual is that the commissioners rewarded themselves and other elected officials. The chairman of the county council and the sheriff each received $ 25,000, as did the county administrator. The county attorney and clerk each received $ 12,500. Legal action was filed Thursday in an attempt to overturn some of the bonuses.
MICHIGAN PIPELINE-ANCHOR
Enbridge: Anchor in the Straits of Mackinac will be recovered
ST. IGNACE, Mich. (AP) Enbridge Energy says an anchor will be salvaged from the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac after coming loose from a cable while servicing an oil pipeline. The incident involved an Enbridge contractor. Enbridge says there was no risk to Line 5. The pipeline crosses the bottom of the strait connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Enbridge wants to build a tunnel in the water to house the pipeline. It has a state license but needs approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Critics want the pipeline closed, saying the lakes are in danger.
VIRUS EPIDEMIC CARE HOUSES
Justice Department to Not Investigate Michigan Nursing Home Deaths
LANSING, Michigan (AP) The Justice Department will not open a civil rights investigation related to COVID-19 deaths in Michigan nursing homes. The notification to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday came nearly 11 months after the department’s civil rights division requested data from Democratic governors in four states, including Michigan, and said it was considering investigating under ‘a federal law that protects the rights of individuals. in public nursing homes. Most retirement homes are private. Republicans criticized Whitmer for allowing recovering COVID-19 patients to return to nursing homes, but she said this was in line with federal guidelines.
VIRUS EPIDEMIC BONUS
Michigan County officials used virus money for bonuses
CORUNNA, Michigan (AP) Elected officials in one county in Michigan have given themselves bonuses with federal relief money linked to the coronavirus pandemic. The money, described as a risk premium, included $ 25,000 for Jeremy Root, chairman of the Shiawassee County Commissioners Council. Shiawassee is a predominantly rural county between Lansing and Flint, with a population of 68,000. The commissioners, all Republicans, voted last week to award money to dozens of county employees. It ranges from $ 25,000 for administrators to $ 2,000 for cleaning staff. All workers received at least $ 1,000. Commissioner Marlene Webster says she was unaware that she voted to reward herself and that she was planning to return the money. Meanwhile, a resident filed a complaint to try to cancel some of the bonuses.
FLINT-POLICE HELICOPTER
Flint’s police could patrol from the sky with a helicopter
FLINT, Mich. (AP) Flint takes steps to hire a helicopter for the police department. Officers told city council a helicopter could help them find reckless drivers, crime suspects and missing children. A plan to lease a helicopter for $ 304,000 for three months could get final approval as early as next week. Violent crime in Flint increased slightly from the same time period in 2020, but homicides increased 40% as of July 18. Police Chief Terence Green said three months should be enough time to judge the effectiveness of a helicopter.
CASINO MASKS-THEFT
Man wearing ‘Hollywood-esque’ masks jailed for casino thefts
DETROIT (AP) A Detroit-area man who wore realistic masks as he stole $ 125,000 from kiosks in casinos has been sentenced to four years in federal prison. Prosecutors say Harper Woods’ John Colletti pulled off an elaborate ploy while wearing Hollywood disguises. Colletti admits that he obtained personal information from people who had accounts with Global Payments Gaming Systems. He had fake IDs made overseas, then withdrew money from casino kiosks while wearing prosthetic masks. Colletti was convicted in federal court in Detroit, three months after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft.
FATAL FALL-ÎLE MACKINAC
Police: man jumps to death from Arch Rock on Mackinac Island
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) Police say an investigation reveals that a man who was found dead at the foot of a popular tourist destination on Mackinac Island intentionally jumped off the top and left a note stating his intention to kill himself. Mackinac Island Police Chief Doug Topolski said Thursday a passer-by found the man’s body around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday at Arch Rock Base. Arch Rock is a unique natural limestone arch that rises 146 feet above the shore of Lake Huron in northern Michigan. It is strictly forbidden to climb there and observation platforms are available on the site. The name of the man, a resident of the Upper Peninsula in his 40s, was not immediately released.
The Associated Press
