Michigan News

13 charged in plot to kidnap US governor and start civil war By AFP Washington - Thirteen men, including members of two right-wing militias, have been arrested for plotting to kidnap the Democratic governor of the US state of Michigan and "instigate a civil war", officials said Thursday.

Evacuations ordered after two dams in Michigan collapse By Karen Graham Midland - On Tuesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared an emergency for Midland county after two dams breached and on expectations of extreme flooding.

Protesters oppose Republican moves to hobble next Michigan governor By AFP Chicago - More than 100 protesters took to Michigan's state capitol on Wednesday to oppose efforts by the US state's Republican-led legislature to limit the powers of its incoming Democratic governor.

Michigan governor rejects shutdown of Enbridge Line 5 pipeline By Karen Graham Lansing - Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has rejected three recommendations from a state advisory board tied to the operation of Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, including one that proposed a temporary shutdown where it crosses the Straits of Mackinac.

Mike Posner talks new poetry book and 'I Took a Pill in Ibiza' Special By Markos Papadatos Grammy-nominated artist Mike Posner chatted with Digital Journal about his new poetry book "Tear Drops and Balloons" and his smash hit "I Took a Pill in Ibiza."

Michigan offers prize for solution to getting rid of Asian carp By Karen Graham With the threat of the Asian carp entering Lake Michigan, the Michigan state legislature has allocated one million dollars for a prize for anyone who comes up with new ideas, or better yet, a sure-fire plan to get rid of the invasive and voracious fish.

Michigan declares its part of Lake Erie an 'impaired waterway' By Karen Graham Traverse City - The state of Michigan is declaring its portion of Lake Erie an "impaired waterway" because of damage to fish and other wildlife caused by toxic algae blooms.

What you may not know about California's lead-tainted water By Megan Hamilton Los Angeles - Like Flint, Michigan, California is facing its own problems with lead-tainted water. Nowhere is this clearer than the tiny town of Vernon, situated five miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Here, the Exide battery plant spewed lead for decades.

Michigan governor wants to talk with Flint residents about water By Nathan Salant Flint - Officials in Flint, Mich., have promised to speak with every resident of the 99,000-population city to ensure they have clean water to drink and have not been exposed to lead contamination from the Flint River.

Flint, Michigan: Lead-tainted water unsafe to drink, doctors say By Megan Hamilton Flint - Scary news out of Flint, Michigan shows that when the city switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River for its drinking water, blood tests revealed that the tap water residents are now drinking is causing elevated lead levels in the city's children.

Op-Ed: Taxpayers hit with legal fees in states that fought gay marriage By Megan Hamilton It's been two months since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage and declared it a constitutionally protected civil right, and now, attorneys general and governors who battled against it are receiving a pricey thank-you note for their loss.

Toxic plant that can cause blindness found in Michigan By Karen Graham Battle Creek - Michigan's Calhoun County Public Health Department has issued a warning to people who want to take nature walks, especially near Battle Creek. A highly toxic plant, called the giant hogweed, was found in Pennfield Township and was removed.

Op-Ed: The terrifying case of Dr. Farid Fata; when good doctors turn bad By Megan Hamilton He was once one of Michigan's most well-respected doctors, with a practice that spanned seven cities and 16,000 patients. Then, authorities say he began telling his healthy patients they were sick, and telling his dying patients they were healthy.

Op-Ed: Michigan food safety bills targets Aramark Correctional Services By Karen Graham Michigan's prison food contractor, Aramark Correctional Services, is the focus of a pair of bipartisan bills that would require food safety inspections of prison kitchens. The bills were prompted by reports of maggots in the food served to prisoners.

Longest-running wolf study is running out of wolves By Karen Graham A predator-prey study started 57 years ago will have to end, or possibly shift direction next year because the wolves being studied are nearly extinct. The population of predators on Isle Royale is down to three lone wolves.

Bacon-obsessed woman convicted in McDonald's shooting By Megan Hamilton Grand Rapids - After just one hour of deliberating, a jury in Michigan concluded that a woman who fired a shot into a McDonald's after employees twice forgot to put bacon on her hamburger was guilty of firing at the building intentionally.

Brutal weather forces homeless people off the street in east By Nathan Salant Huntsville - Got homeless? The eastern U.S. has stumbled upon one way to solve the problem, short of actually spending enough money, that is; winter.

Op-Ed: Twenty-five years later, 'Roger & Me' still pulls no punches By Jeff Cottrill A quarter of a century ago this week, Michael Moore's “Roger & Me” unleashed itself upon the general movie-going public in North America and showed us all what a documentary could be: hilarious, angry, muckraking, irresistibly entertaining.

Michigan school going to court over asbestos claims By Nicole Weddington Dearborn - Michigan ‘s Dearborn Heights School District No. 7 is headed to court after a federal lawsuit was filed claiming that the district covered up potential employee and student exposure to asbestos dust.

Metro Detroit real estate prices surge as many residents move to suburbs Commissioned By Matt Harding Detroit - The city of Detroit, Michigan, and its nearby and even far-flung suburbs share a unique real estate relationship. For many years, there has been a tremendous give-and-take relationship between the city and suburbs.

Drive-thru mourning now offered at Michigan funeral home By Greta McClain Saginaw - Drive-thru windows have become a part of everyday life for many of us, but some Michigan residents find the drive-thru visitation window at a local funeral home disrespectful.

Congressmen who voted for NDAA detention face voters on Aug. 5th By Ralph Lopez A round of primary elections is scheduled to take place on August 5th in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, and Washington.

Review: Matt Austin soars on new music video for 'Redneck Date Night' Special By Markos Papadatos Leland - Country singer Matt Austin is back with his newest music video for his single "Redneck Date Night" and displays his romantic side.

Michigan man caught tossing drug-packed football into jail By Anne Sewell Jackson - This Michigan man wouldn't have much luck playing actual sports. He threw a football, stuffed with cellphones and drugs, into a state prison yard, which unfortunately fell short of its goal.

Teacher suspended for accusations of racism By Ryan Hite Monroe - Two weeks before he retires, a middle school teacher is struck with a large dose of political correctness when he teaches a history lesson on racism in the United States and shows a video with blackface on it.

Mother pays off student's balances after son is refused lunch By Jessie McMullen Dowagiac - A Michigan mother decided to give a Mother's Day present of her own by paying off every student's outstanding balance after her son was refused lunch.

Father of sextuplets has heart attack, dies By Sylvannia Soulet Holland - Ben Van Houten, the devoted father to Michigan's first surviving set of sextuplets, succumbed to a fatal heart attack while playing with his kids last week.

Expert witness at same-sex marriage trial: 'gays going to hell' By Brett Wilkins Detroit - An expert witness hired by the state of Michigan to defend the state's same-sex marriage ban testified Thursday in a court case challenging the ban that unrepentant gay people are going to "hell."

10-year-old boy saves 80-year-old woman by lucky hunch By Scott Tuttle Howell - Saturday evening, 10-year-old Danny DiPietro of Howell, Michigan became a local hero when he spotted something peculiar in an open garage on the way home from a hockey game.

Employee fired after helping to extinguish fire By Al Boe Gaylord - An employee of a retailer in Michigan lost his job after helping to extinguish a fire at the store. His former boss said that the decision was based on the company's "safety procedures."

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