ELECTION 2022-MICHIGAN GOVERNOR

Craig files as write-in for Michigan GOP governor primary

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former Detroit police Chief James Craig has filed to run as a write-in candidate for Michigan governor after being tossed from the Aug. 2 Republican primary ballot. Craig filed as a write-in Tuesday at the Bureau of Elections in Lansing weeks after phony signatures turned in by paid circulators left him short of the minimum to make the ballot. Craig and his campaign also filed a complaint Monday in Kent County Circuit Court against a company and circulators hired to gather the signatures. Craig is one of five Republican candidates who failed to file enough valid nominating signatures.

AP-US-HEAT-WAVE

Dangerous heat wave descends on parts of Midwest and South

CHICAGO (AP) — A dangerous heat wave has washed over much of the Midwest and South, with temperatures hitting triple digits in Chicago and combining with the humidity to make it feel even hotter there and in other sweltering cities. Cities throughout the affected area warned residents on Tuesday to stay hydrated, remain indoors when possible and be aware of the health risks of high temperatures. Strong storms brought heavy rain and damaging wind to parts of the affected region on Monday, and more than 400,000 customers remained without power as of Tuesday afternoon. By midafternoon, the temperature at Chicago Midway National Airport reached 100 degrees for the first time since July of 2012, the area’s National Weather Service office reported.

MEIJER-EXCESSIVE CHARGE

Meijer shopper charged $1,500 for a $68 purchase

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A western Michigan shopper likes her new planter but not enough to pay the price 23 times. Casey DeBruyn is trying to untangle her finances after her debit card was repeatedly charged for a $68 purchase at a Meijer store in the Grand Rapids area. The hit to her bank account: $1,500. Meijer, the Michigan-based big-box retailer, has acknowledged that some customers recently have been overcharged for certain purchases. The company says the problem rests with Chase Bank, which processes debit and credit card payments. Chase says it's “working to address any duplicate transactions.” Meanwhile, DeBruyn says reversing the charges has been a slow process. She's still out $1,300.

TODDLERS DEAD-POND

Police: 2 toddlers die after being pulled from Michigan pond

HAYES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Two toddlers have died after being pulled from a pond in northern Michigan. State police say troopers found them about 5 p.m. Monday face-down in the water in Otsego County’s Hayes Township, northeast of Traverse City. Despite life-saving efforts, they later were pronounced dead. The children — a 2-year-old boy from Elmira and a 2-year-old girl from Gaylord — had been missing about 40 minutes from a location across the street from the pond. Police said foul play is not suspected at this time.

SEVERE WEATHER

Milwaukee search finds body of boy swept away after storm

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Searchers have found the body of a 10-year-old boy who was swept away in a Milwaukee drainage ditch following severe thunderstorms that brought heavy rain and damaging winds to a wide swath of the Midwest and parts of the South. WITI-TV reports that the boy's body was found Tuesday during a search of the city’s drainage tunnels, though the bodies of two men who were swept away while trying to rescue him Monday evening have not been found. The water was deep and fast-flowing following the severe storms, which also caused damage and power outages in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The storms packed a punch early Tuesday as they rolled into West Virginia, where numerous roads were closed by downed trees and power lines.

WOMAN TORTURED-BOYFRIEND CHARGED

Detroit man charged in torture, sexual assault of girlfriend

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit man has been arrested after his 22-year-old girlfriend was strangled with an extension cord, sexually assaulted and burned with a metal spatula. The Wayne County prosecutor's office says Monday that the 23-year-old man was arraigned Sunday on torture, criminal sexual conduct, home invasion, felonious assault and other charges. He is accused of assaulting the woman on June 2 in a home on Detroit’s eastside after she refused to give him the passcode to her cellphone. Gasoline also was poured on the woman’s body. The prosecutor's office says she was beaten with a belt and threatened with a drill. The woman eventually was able to escape and run to the home of a neighbor who called 911.

ELECTION 2022-MICHIGAN GOVERNOR

Judge rules against Michigan Republican seeking governor bid

DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge in Michigan has refused Republican Perry Johnson’s request to include his name on the GOP ballot for governor or to halt the printing of primary ballots. The decision Monday further reduces Johnson's chances at challenging Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Johnson was among five governor candidates who were deemed ineligible for the Aug. 2 ballot after the state elections bureau determined they didn't submit enough valid signatures to qualify. The bureau determined candidates submitted fake signatures collected by paid petition circulators. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith rejected Johnson's bid for a temporary restraining order or an injunction, saying Johnson hasn’t shown he was unconstitutionally excluded.

News from © The Associated Press, 2022