MICHIGAN LAWMAKERS-GROOMING ATTACK

Michigan lawmaker’s forceful speech rebuts ‘grooming’ attack

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan lawmaker, mother and LGBTQ rights supporter who was accused by a Republican colleague of wanting to “groom” schoolchildren says her impassioned response resonated because people are sick of such attacks. Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s remarks went viral after Republican Sen. Lana Theis attacked her in a fundraising email. McMorrow had criticized Theis for giving an invocation in which she claimed children are under attack by “forces” that want to indoctrinate them with ideas not supported by their parents. The salvos are among the latest to draw attention as conservatives push to make education a political wedge issue.

BIDEN-INFRASTRUCTURE-NUCLEAR

Gov. Whitmer wants federal aid to keep nuclear plant open

Michigan’s Democratic governor wants a nuclear power plant on Lake Michigan to stay open and she’s asking the federal government to pay for it. But the owner of the Palisades Power Plant says it’s too late and that the plant will shut down in May as scheduled. The Biden administration launched a $6 billion effort to rescue nuclear power plants at risk of closing on Tuesday, citing the need to continue nuclear energy as a carbon-free source of power that helps to combat climate change. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Wednesday to urge the department to keep the plant open.

FOUR DEAD-MOBILE HOME FIRE

Lapeer County home fire that killed 4 set by victim: police

DRYDEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Police say a 39-year-old woman set the mid-Michigan mobile home fire last month that killed her, her grandmother and two teenage children. The March 21 fire in Lapeer County’s Dryden Township, about 56 miles north of Detroit, killed Candice Turton, 87-year-old Zola Rodgers, 15-year-old Kylie Young and 17-year-old Nathan Young. Dryden Township Police Chief Shawn Peters said Wednesday that the case is now considered an arson/homicide/suicide. He says Candice Turton is the lone suspect in this case given evidence obtained to this point. The fire was reported about 5 a.m. Police said when they arrived the home was fully engulfed in flames.

AP-US-AFGHAN-REFUGEES-DETROIT

Network forms to assist Afghan refugees settle in Detroit

DETROIT (AP) — A group of Detroit corporate and community leaders has come together to provide support services to refugees from Afghanistan and other nations as they resettle in the city. The launch of the Detroit Refugee Network was announced Wednesday by Samaritas, a statewide health and human services organization that operates one of Michigan’s largest refugee resettlement programs. The network’s formation comes at a key time, as refugee resettlement agencies and nonprofits nationwide gear up to help Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. They were already hard at work trying to help tens of thousands of asylum-seeking Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover.

BIRD FEEDERS-FLU

DNR: Removing feeders not urgent but could reduce bird flu

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan wildlife expert says removing outdoor feeders could help reduce the spread of a bird flu. Avian influenza has been confirmed in at least five counties: Kalamazoo, Livingston, Macomb, Menominee and Washtenaw, according to the Department of Natural Resources. It can infect a variety of birds, including chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, geese and wild birds. Megan Moriarty, state wildlife veterinarian, says removing outdoor bird feeders “isn’t yet a critical step” in preventing bird flu but it might make sense. The risk to people for avian flu is considered to be low. The flu was discovered in domestic parrots in Washtenaw County, the latest detection reported this week by the DNR.

STATE SENATOR-BATTERY

Senator who pleaded to touching nurse won’t seek 2nd term

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan lawmaker who pleaded guilty to a charge of inappropriately touching a nurse practitioner will not seek reelection. State Senator John Bizon says he made the decision not to seek a second term to spend more time with his family. Last month, the 70-year-old Battle Creek Republican was sentenced to a year probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of battery. The charge stems from an incident in August in which a nurse practitioner says Bizon touched her inappropriately at an urgent care facility where Bizon had gone for treatment for COVID-19 symptoms.

RED WINGS-ZAMBONI DRIVER

Red Wings Zamboni driver, a fan favorite, sues over firing

DETROIT (AP) — A popular Zamboni driver for the Detroit Red Wings says he was dismissed for urinating in a drain. Al Sobotka filed a discrimination lawsuit this week against Olympia Entertainment, two months after he was fired. Sobotka worked for the Red Wings for 51 years. His lawyer says the 68-year-old Sobotka has a health condition that causes him to frequently urinate. Sobotka couldn’t get to a restroom so he urinated in a drain that carries ice runoff from the Zamboni machines at Little Caesars Arena. Someone saw him and apparently reported it in February. Sobotka says he was “heartbroken” over his firing. There was no immediate comment from Olympia Entertainment.

POLICE SHOOTING-MICHIGAN

Expert: Cop pressed gun to Patrick Lyoya’s head then fired

DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya after a traffic stop pressed the gun against the Black man’s head when firing the fatal shot. That’s the opinion of an expert who performed an independent autopsy on Patrick Lyoya. The results were announced Tuesday. Dr. Werner Spitz says he confirmed what was seen last week on video: Lyoya was shot in the back of the head in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 4. Attorney Ben Crump says the white officer failed to ease up after a foot chase and physical struggle following a traffic stop. Results of the official autopsy haven’t been publicly released. State police are investigating the shooting.

SCHOOL SHOOTING-MICHIGAN

Judge: Bond stays for Oxford High shooting suspect’s parents

A judge has denied a motion to reduce bonds for the jailed parents of a Michigan teenager who is charged in a shooting at Oxford High School that left four of his fellow students dead. Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews said Tuesday that James and Jennifer Crumbley’s actions before their Dec. 4 arrests in a commercial building in Detroit were “not consistent with cooperating with law enforcement.” The Crumbleys had disappeared the day before — after they were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Their attorneys had requested that their bonds be lowered from $500,000 each to $100,000 each. They indicated they would appeal and would seek a change of venue. Ethan Crumbley is charged with murder and other crimes in the Nov. 30 shooting.

ELECTION 2022-MICHIGAN

10 Republicans file petitions to run for Michigan governor

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Ten Republicans have filed petitions to run for governor by the deadline, a record number in recent history, creating a huge field for a primary electorate that will decide who challenges Democrat Gretchen Whitmer. Candidates include ex-Detroit Police Chief James Craig, self-funding wealthy suburban businessmen Perry Johnson and Kevin Rinke, chiropractor Garrett Soldano and conservative former TV host Tudor Dixon. The lineup for the August primary may shrink if election officials find problems with signatures that were submitted. They can be flagged by rivals who must file challenges by April 26. As of now, however, the field dwarfs past ones.