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HOMICIDE SUSPECT-ARRESTED

Bismarck police arrest woman wanted in Michigan homicide

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Police in Bismarck have arrested a woman wanted for a homicide in a Detroit suburb. Ashinay Horton-Starks, 23, is wanted for allegedly killing a woman in Warren, Michigan in June. Authorities there had offered a reward for her arrest, the Bismark Tribune reported. The Bismarck Police Department made the arrest, but details of how they found her were not immediately available. It was not clear whether Horton-Starks had legal representation and she has not had a bail hearing.

BANISHED WORDS

‘Wait, what?’ quip tops school’s annual banished words list

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) — The judges of a Michigan university’s cheeky annual “Banished Word List” have a message for texting and tweeting Americans: Your “wait, what?” joke is lame. The phrase topped Lake Superior State University in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula lighthearted list of 10 “winners” chosen from among more than 1,250 submissions of overused, misused and generally groan-inducing words or phrases. “Wait, what?” irritated nominators who felt the phrase intended to show astonishment or disbelief is overused. The second slot went to another misused and overused phrase: “No worries.” Nominators said it’s dismissive.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICHIGAN

Michigan State U to begin spring semester virtually

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University’s president says the school will hold classes virtually for at least the first three weeks of its spring semester. President Samuel Stanley Jr. cited a surge in cases, “presumably due to the omicron variant.” In a letter posted Friday on the university’s website, Stanley said administrators “now feel the best decision for our campus is to start classes primarily remotely on Jan. 10 and for at least the first three weeks of the semester.He says “starting the semester remotely and de-densifying campus in the coming weeks can be a solution to slowing the spread of the virus.”

GAMBLING LOSSES

Michigan will allow tax deduction for gambling losses

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan will start allowing people to claim a state income tax deduction for gambling losses they claim on their federal tax return. The law, enacted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last week, is effective for the 2021 tax year and beyond. It is expected to reduce state tax revenue by $12 million to $17 million a year. Federal law allows gambling losses to be deducted by those who are able to itemize their deductions.

DOCUMENTARY-GRAND RAPIDS

Documentary to focus on civil rights in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A film company in western Michigan is producing a documentary that will focus on the struggle for civil rights in Grand Rapids. WXMI-TV reports Wednesday that the documentary is based on the book “A City Within a City: The Black Freedom Struggle in Grand Rapids, Michigan” and is in the final stages of production. It is scheduled for release in August by Grand Stand Pictures. The book studies issues around school integration and bureaucratic reforms. Grand Stand Pictures says the book articulates the Black experience in the city, but the documentary allows more people to understand and learn the ways in which it impacts their present lives. The company has interviewed residents and held community meetings.

UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD

Michigan paid $8.5B in fraudulent pandemic jobless claims

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan likely paid about $8.5 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits over a 19-month period during the coronavirus pandemic, far more than previously estimated, according to a report released by the state. The figure reported Wednesday comes more than a year after the agency expected fraud losses in the “hundreds of millions” of dollars. Auditors have since reported the agency improperly paid $3.9 billion to claimants who were later deemed ineligible. New Unemployment Insurance Agency Director Julia Dale says she is outraged and frustrated, but progress is being made. The fraud rate is way down compared to early in the pandemic.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Central Michigan U requiring COVID booster shots by Jan. 17

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — Students and staff on campus at Central Michigan University must get a COVID-19 booster shot by Jan. 17. The school announced the mandate Wednesday. It says university community members are required to get the booster shot by then to be considered “fully vaccinated.” Students, staff and faculty who do not receive a booster vaccine will have to get tested weekly for the virus. The Michigan university is one of several in the state that is mandating a booster shot ahead of the upcoming semester. The University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University have all issued COVID booster requirements leading into January.

DEER CULL-MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP

Meridian Township cull aims to reduce deer-vehicle crashes

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — About 200 deer are expected to be culled as part of a deer management program in a Lansing-area community. The Lansing State Journal reports that the cull in Meridian Township was expected to start Saturday and run to Feb. 28. It will take place in select township parks, land preserves and on private property where consent is given by the property owners. Police officers will use firearms for the deer cull during evening and overnight hours when parks are closed. Parks will remain open from dawn to dusk. Township Police Chief Ken Plaga says the program is an effort to protect people from injury and property damage in vehicle crashes that involve deer.

PORT IMPROVEMENTS-MARQUETTE

Marquette awarded $1.6 million grant for port improvements

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Some port facilities in Marquette are in line for upgrades with a $1.6 million U.S. Maritime Administration Port Infrastructure Development Program grant. The Mining Journal in Marquette reports Wednesday that officials said the work will involve improving port infrastructure, dredging encroaching sediment to protect port infrastructure and depositing dredge materials on shore to enhance coastal restoration and protect road infrastructure. Marquette City Manager Karen Kovacs says the project is a collaborative effort between the city, Cleveland-Cliffs, Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad and the Superior Watershed Partnership. The total cost of the project is expected to be around $2.63 million.