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MICHIGAN GOVERNOR-KIDNAPPING PLOT

Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot jury ends 4th day of deliberations

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan jury has ended its fourth day of deliberations without having reached verdicts in the trial of four men accused of scheming to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The jury said Thursday that it wants to look at evidence related to an explosive when it resumes work Friday. Jurors specifically want to look at pennies that, according to the government, were used during the demonstration of an explosive in September 2020. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said the jurors can look at that exhibit and any others. Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with a kidnapping conspiracy. Three of them also face additional charges, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.

AP-US-ABORTION-MICHIGAN

Michigan governor sues to secure abortion rights, vacate ban

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sued to protect abortion rights, asking a court to recognize a right to abortion under the state constitution. The Democratic governor also is seeking to overturn a 176-year-old ban in Michigan that may take effect if the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling is vacated. The lawsuit, filed Thursday against prosecutors in 13 counties with an abortion clinic, comes as the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority considers allowing states to ban abortion much earlier in pregnancy and potentially overturning the right. The governor, who is up for reelection this year, requested that the Michigan Supreme Court quickly take the case. A favorable decision could enable abortions to continue in Michigan after the federal high court rules.

HEALTH CARE-INSURANCE APPROVALS

Whitmer signs bill to speed pre-approvals of health care

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan insurers that require health providers to get pre-approval to cover treatment will have to promptly respond to doctors’ requests or those requests will be automatically granted under legislation signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Supporters said the law enacted Thursday will speed delays in care and provide more transparency around the process known as prior authorization. Starting in June 2023, a non-urgent request will be deemed as granted unless an insurance company acts to grant or deny it, or requires additional information within nine days. The time limit will drop to seven days beginning in June 2024.

MICHIGAN LAWMAKER-DRUNKEN DRIVING

Michigan lawmaker couldn’t stand on 1 leg after traffic stop

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Video shows a Michigan lawmaker charged with drunken driving in February couldn’t balance on one leg after being pulled over in suburban Detroit. The video and police report were released Thursday by the Livonia Police Department. The report says Democratic state Rep. Mary Cavanagh tested at 0.176% blood alcohol content in the back of the police car and then 0.2% at the Livonia jail, more than two times the legal limit of 0.08%. Cavanagh’s attorney says the Redford lawmaker recognizes her responsibility to her constituents and will eventually explain the details of what happened. It was Cavanagh’s second time charged with operating while intoxicated by Livonia police. The first was in 2015, though she pleaded guilty to an impaired driving charge.

DIVISION 1 ALL-STATE BOYS

Detroit’s Chansey Willis Jr. wins Michigan AP D1 hoops POY

Chansey Willis Jr. helped Detroit King win its second straight Public School League championship, showing his ability to be a pass-first point guard and take over a game with his scoring. Those skills led to him earning the Michigan Associated Press Division 1 Player of the Year honors in voting from a panel of sportswriters throughout the state.

MICHIGAN WWII MEMORIAL

‘We fought for liberty:’ Michigan WWII vets welcome memorial

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — Officials in Michigan have broken ground on one of the few state-specific World War II memorials in the country. The first phase of the memorial includes the laying of more than 1,200 donated Walk of Honor paver bricks and the installation of both a statue called “Joe,” which depicts a soldier in a foxhole reading a letter from home, and flagpoles representing all military branches. The groundbreaking took place Thursday in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak. Future phases are to feature a Wall of Stars honoring the 15,000-plus Michigan lives lost during World War II; additional statues, including one dedicated to Rosie the Riveter; an amphitheater and a colonnade of pillars. The memorial is recognized by the Legislature as the state’s tribute to the war.

ODD-STOLEN SASQUATCH

Michigan police investigate theft of sasquatch lawn ornament

PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Police are investigating the theft of a 7-foot-tall metal sasquatch lawn ornament from a home in southern Michigan. State Police say the item crafted from sheet metal was stolen from a home in St. Joseph County’s Park Township on or after March 22. They say a white panel van with dark driver- and passenger-side windows was observed parked in the area that day. The ornament has a rusty brown color with various sharp edges to resemble the fur of the mythical, ape-like bigfoot. Police say it appears the sasquatch was cut away from a steel post with a pair of bolt cutters or a similar instrument.

PACKARD PLANT-DETROIT

Judge orders owner to demolish Packard plant in Detroit

DETROIT (AP) — A judge has ordered the demolition of the deteriorating Packard auto plant in Detroit, finding that it had become a public nuisance. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Brian Sullivan wrote in a March 31 order that the plant’s Peruvian owner, Fernando Palazuelo, and his company, Arte Express Detroit, must remove all rubbish and debris from the sprawling site that covers several city blocks and demolish all buildings and structures on the property. Palazuelo bought the Packard property in 2013 for $405,000 at a Wayne County tax foreclosure auction. He said then that his plans were to restore and reopen the 40-acre complex as a mixed-use commercial, residential and cultural development.

COURT COSTS

Law that raises millions in local courts is challenged

DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court is being urged to strike down a law that forces people convicted of crimes to pay millions of dollars for the everyday costs of running local courts. The justices heard arguments Wednesday. The challenge comes at a key time: The law expires in October, and any decision from the Supreme Court will affect how the Legislature responds. Critics say it’s unconstitutional for a judge to oversee a criminal case and also have the power to order someone to pay to keep the lights on and the building clean. From 2018 through 2020, courts collected $108 million statewide, and 75% of that was collected in District Courts. Those courts handle traffic tickets, drunken driving cases and other misdemeanors.

DIVISION 2 ALL-STATE BOYS

Williamston’s Mason Docks wins Michigan AP D2 basketball POY

Mason Docks of Williamston leads the Michigan Associated Press All-State team in Division 2 as the Player of the Year. The senior guard averaged 16.2 points while helping the Hornets to a 27-0 record and their first state title since 1940. Docks will continue his career at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Williamston’s Tom Lewis was voted Coach of the Year by a panel of sportswriters from around the state.