FATHER SLAIN-ARREST

Son arrested in Kalamazoo in the death of his father, 82

PORTAGE, Mich. (AP) — Police say a man wanted in the killing of his 82-year-old father whose body was found last week in his Kalamazoo-area home is now in custody. The Portage Department of Public Safety says 56-year-old Scott Sterffy was arrested Saturday in Kalamazoo and is expected to be arraigned Monday. Steffry was wanted on an open murder charge and a charge of disinterment or mutilation of a dead body in the death of his father, Dr. Thomas Aye, a retired oral surgeon who practiced for about 30 years in the Kalamazoo area. He was found dead in his Portage home on July 25 by one of his daughters.

SOLDIER'S REMAINS IDENTIFIED

Remains of Michigan soldier who died in Korean War head home

LESLIE, Mich. (AP) — The remains of a mid-Michigan soldier killed in combat during the Korean War will be returned to his hometown for burial after military scientists identified them seven decades after his death. The remains of U.S. Army Sgt. William Cavender of Leslie, Michigan, were among more than 55 boxes of remains of U.S. servicemembers North Korea turned over to the U.S. in 2018. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency says Cavender's remains were identified in May 2020 through mitochondrial DNA analysis. He was 20 when he was reported missing in action in November 1950, after his unit was attacked by enemy forces in North Korea.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICHIGAN

University of Michigan, Michigan State mandating vaccines

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan and Michigan State University will require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the fall semester. Both university presidents said Friday the action is being taken due to the spread of the more infectious delta variant. The state reports 2,250 additional coronavirus cases over three days. The seven-day average, 573, is up from 219 two weeks ago. Michigan’s case rate is lower than in all but a few states. Vaccine mandates are gaining momentum in Michigan. Earlier this week, more large hospital systems announced that they would require all employees and affiliated physicians to get vaccinated.

COMMON CARP DEATHS-LAKE

State investigating common carp deaths in Michigan lake

LAKE ORION, Mich. (AP) — State officials are investigating the deaths of hundreds of adult common carp at an Oakland County lake. Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources says between 250 and 500 of the fish have been found dead since mid-July in Lake Orion, northwest of Detroit. DNR fisheries division staff collected samples July 23 for analysis at the Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory at Michigan State University. Some initial findings are expected next week. A complete set of results should be available in early September. DNR fisheries division research program manager Gary Whelan says single-species mortality events typically are caused by a specific fish pathogen that is often a virus.

ARETHA FRANKLIN-DETROIT EXHIBIT

Aretha's handprints to be unveiled outside Detroit museum

DETROIT (AP) — The “Queen of Soul’s” handprints are to be unveiled outside the Detroit Historical Society Museum in advance of the release of a new film on Aretha Franklin’s life and career. Sunday’s unveiling on Legends Plaza will coincide with the opening of a new, temporary museum exhibit on the legendary singer, songwriter and icon. The historical society says Franklin cast her handprints in concrete for installation on the plaza in 2017 at the Detroit Music Hall's celebration of the dedication of Aretha Franklin Way in the city. They are being placed on permanent display in conjunction with the upcoming release of “Respect,” a new film on Franklin's life and career.

JAIL-JUDGE

Michigan Supreme Court judge gives pep talk to jail inmates

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Inmates at a Flint-area jail got a pep talk from an unlikely visitor: a Michigan Supreme Court justice. Richard Bernstein recently shook the hands of 24 people enrolled in an education program at the Genesee County jail. It's intended to help them succeed when they’re released. Bernstein was upbeat, telling inmates, “I am counting on you.” Bernstein comes from a wealthy Detroit-area family that has been successful in law. But he explained how he must overcome challenges each day as a blind person. Bernstein has run two dozen marathons and spent weeks hospitalized while recovering from injuries when a bicyclist struck him in 2012.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-JOBLESS AID

Michigan: 350K who got unemployment aid won't have to repay

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — About 350,000 Michigan residents who received federal unemployment aid will not have to repay benefits even though the state told them that some reasons for eligibility it approved at the start of the pandemic were not OK. The Unemployment Insurance Agency said Friday it will give waivers to the group, many who may no longer be collecting benefits. They are among nearly 600,000 claimants whom were asked last month to requalify for the federal assistance, which is $300 a week on top of maximum state benefits of $362.

MICHIGAN STORMS

Michigan counties seek access to funds after tornado damage

ARMADA, Mich. (AP) — Two Michigan counties are asking the state to help make funds available for residents and businesses affected by recent tornados that damaged buildings, knocked down trees and caused power outages. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel on Friday declared a state of emergency in response to damage in the Armada area, north of Detroit. A state of emergency declaration is a step needed to seek cost reimbursement through the emergency management process. Earlier, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter asked the state to support a request for a “state of disaster” declaration in White Lake Township. Tornados were spawned by storms that swept Saturday evening through parts of southeastern Michigan.

GORDIE HOWE BRIDGE

White House, Canada state support for new Detroit River span

DETROIT (AP) — The White House and Canada have issued a joint statement of support for a commuter bridge that when completed will span the Detroit River, connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. The statement issued Thursday calls the Gordie Howe International Bridge “a top infrastructure priority” for both governments and that each is committed to continuing support “to ensure the project’s state-of-the-art ports of entry are fully funded.” It comes as U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican senators try to work out a compromise over a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package. The $4.4 billion, six-lane, cable-stayed bridge is expected to open in late 2024. It’s named for Gordie Howe, a native of Canada and hockey legend who starred for the Detroit Red Wings.

LAKE ACCESS

Michigan making exceptions to weather-related swim ban

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — Michigan is carving out some exceptions to a new policy that would bar people from swimming at state beaches when waves are more than 8 feet high. Surfers, kite boarders and water boarders would be exempt. They say rough conditions can be ideal, and they'll prepare for the risk. The Department of Natural Resources wants to reduce the risk of drowning in the Great Lakes. The DNR Commission is expected to hear more on Aug. 12. Rip currents and high waves have sometimes led to tragedies on Great Lakes beaches. There have been at least 47 drownings this year in states bordering the lakes, including 22 in Lake Michigan.

News from © The Associated Press, 2021