AP-US-MED-BABY-FORMULA-FACTORY

Abbott restarts baby formula plant linked to contamination

WASHINGTON (AP) — Abbott says it's restarted production at the Michigan factory that's tied to the ongoing baby formula shortage. The plant has been closed since February due to contamination, and that's led to nationwide supply problems for formulas needed to feed infants. The reopening isn't expected to have an immediate affect on availability. Abbott says it'll prioritize production of its specialty formulas for infants with severe food allergies and digestive problems. The company says it'll take about three weeks before new formula from the plant begins showing up on store shelves. The plant’s reopening is one of several actions expected to improve supplies, including federal deliveries of imported formula from overseas.

GIRL FATALLY HIT-ARREST

Man charged after 2 girls hit, 1 fatally, on Detroit beach

DETROIT (AP) — A prosecutor says a man has been charged with murder for allegedly driving onto a Detroit beach on Memorial Day and striking two girls, fatally injuring one of them. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Friday 23-year-old Alexander Armond Smith of Detroit faces several charges, including open murder and reckless driving causing serious impairment. He allegedly drove Monday evening onto a beach along Detroit’s Belle Isle on the Detroit River and struck two Dearborn girls before driving away. Worthy says 12-year-old Ghadir Saleh later died of her injuries, while a 16-year-old girl was injured. Michigan State Police said Thursday she remained in critical condition.

WISCONSIN SHOOTING-JUDGE

Source: Whitmer, McConnell, Evers on Wisconsin gunman's list

A gunman suspected of fatally shooting a retired county judge at a Wisconsin home had a list that included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. That's according to Whitmer’s office and a law enforcement source. The Wisconsin Department of Justice said Saturday that 56-year-old Douglas K. Uhde, who has not been charged, is suspected of killing retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer at Roemer’s house in New Lisbon on Friday. Uhde was found in the basement of the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He's hospitalized in critical condition. Uhde has an extensive criminal record dating back two decades, including a case when he was sentenced by Roemer to prison.

ELECTION 2022-MICHIGAN GOVERNOR

2 Republicans exhaust appeals, won't be on Michigan ballot

DETROIT (AP) — Two candidates for Michigan governor have lost their final appeals and will remain off the ballot in the Republican primary. The state Supreme Court was the last stop for Perry Johnson and Michael Markey. They were doomed by forged signatures on their petitions, apparently created by paid circulators without knowledge of the candidates. After state officials scratched those signatures, the candidates didn’t have enough valid ones to reach the threshold of 15,000. Detroit’s former police chief, James Craig, is in the same category. But the Supreme Court told him to take his appeal first to the Michigan appeals court. Craig, too, is likely to remain off the ballot.

AP-US-FCA-EMISSIONS-SCAM

FCA US pleads guilty to cheating in diesel emission tests

DETROIT (AP) — FCA US has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a scheme to deceive regulators about diesel emission systems on 101,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 trucks. FCA agreed to pay a $96.1 million fine and give up an additional $203.5 million. Engineers were accused of using software tricks and taking other steps to meet U.S. emission standards while marketing the vehicles as “clean EcoDiesel.” The vehicles were diesel Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 trucks from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 model years. FCA US was formerly known as Chrysler Group and now is part of Stellantis.

AP-US-BOY-SCOUTS-CAMP-SELLOFF

Scouts sell off camps under strain from sex abuse suits

KILLINGWORTH, Conn. (AP) — As the financially struggling Boy Scouts sell off a growing number of campgrounds — conservationists, government officials and others are scrambling to find ways to preserve them as open space. The land sales are filling the gap of declining enrollment and helping fund a proposed national bankruptcy settlement designed to pay thousands of victims of child sexual abuse. It’s unclear how much land belongs to the Boy Scouts, partly because it's owned by local scout councils. But evidence in the Scouts' bankruptcy trial indicate there are about 2,000 properties that could be worth as much as $10 billion. Local land trusts have begun working with state and federal officials to find money to buy the land, some of which is also being sought by developers.

SENIOR HOUSING-DEATH

Senior living center loses appeal over woman's death

OXFORD, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court has reinstated a lawsuit against a senior living center where an 89-year-old woman was locked out in cold weather and died a few weeks later. The court says Independence Village in Oxford had a duty to provide reasonable care. The case will return to Oakland County court. Virginia Kermath was wearing only a nightgown when she apparently walked out a side door without her keys in December 2013. Hypothermia and frostbite contributed to her eventual death. Lower courts said the harm to Kermath wasn’t foreseeable by Independence Village. But the Supreme Court disagreed. But the Supreme Court says a buzzer or cameras would have been a minimal burden to help people who get locked out.

CORPSE-FOUND-BOYFRIEND-CHARGED

Michigan man faces trial in girlfriend's killing, mutilation

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A suburban Detroit man accused of fatally strangling his girlfriend and living with her mutilated corpse for more than seven months has been ordered to stand trial in the killing. The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens reports 38-year-old Matthew Lewinski was bound over to Macomb County Circuit Court on Thursday on charges of first-degree murder, mutilation of a corpse and concealment of a corpse. Lewinski is charged in the death of Courtney “Jerri” Winters. Lewinski was taken to a hospital on July 26, 2021, after he was found wandering in his underwear near his Clinton Township home. Winters' body was found the next day in Lewinski's basement. Lewinski’s defense attorney, Elisha Oakes, says Friday she had no comment on her client being ordered to trial.

AP-US-ELECTION-2022-MICHIGAN-GOVERNOR

Ex-Detroit top cop loses bid to get on ballot for governor

DETROIT (AP) — A judge has declined to put a former Detroit police chief on the Republican ballot for Michigan governor. James Craig is the third candidate to lose a court challenge after state election staff said campaign petitions were marred by fraudulent signatures. It’s a remarkable setback for Craig, who has high name recognition in southeastern Michigan. A judge says she must abide by a Michigan appeals court decision released Wednesday that kept two other Republicans off the Aug. 2 ballot. They didn't meet the 15,000-signature threshold because of fraudulent signatures on petitions. The appeals court says state election staff didn't have to go line by line.

AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-GOVERNMENT-AID

Local governments turn away $73M of federal pandemic aid

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Local governments across the U.S. have turned down a potential total of $73 million in federal pandemic relief funds. An Associated Press analysis found that 1,468 smaller cities, towns, villages and counties effectively said “no” to their share of the American Rescue Plan. Some local officials told the AP they had no need for the money. Others said they didn't want the hassle of dealing with the federal government. Some expressed political opposition to the relief package enacted last year by the Democratic-led Congress and President Joe Biden. The rejected money amounts to a small percentage of the $350 billion of government aid.

News from © The Associated Press, 2022