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FILTERS-LEAD IN WATER

EPA confirms filters reduce lead in Michigan city’s water

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A study by the Environmental Protection Agency says the filters distributed in Benton Harbor, Michigan during the city’s recent lead water crisis worked properly. State officials say the study was conducted “out of an abundance of caution” and to give residents assurance. It came after residents and activists criticized the state’s response and called for more aggressive action. Many residents relied on bottled water for basic tasks like drinking and cooking in the meantime. Officials say lead service lines will be rapidly replaced and residents will continue to receive free bottled water.

TAX CUTS

Michigan Legislature OKs tax cuts; Gov. Whitmer opposes

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Republican-led Legislature have given final approval to a veto-destined bill that would cut Michigan’s income tax, expand tax exemptions for older people and largely restore a per-child tax credit that was eliminated a decade ago. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, says the package of tax cuts is unsustainable, fiscally irresponsible and would lead to spending cuts. She has proposed more targeted tax breaks for retirees and lower-income workers as Michigan runs a multibillion-dollar surplus. Senate Republicans, who sent the legislation to Whitmer on a 22-15 vote Thursday, say tax cuts should be broad because everyone is facing high inflation.

MISSING WOMAN-SEARCH

Remains believed to be missing woman found in Battle Creek

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) — The remains of a mid-Michigan woman who went missing nearly two years ago are believed to have been located. Skeletal remains “likely to be Amber Griffin’s body” were found in a wooded area. That’s what Battle Creek Police Detective Sgt. Joel Case said during a news conference Thursday. Police say they will need testing to confirm the remains are Griffin’s. The 27-year-old Bedford Township woman was last seen in June 2020. Her then-boyfriend, Derek Depree Horton, is charged with her murder. Horton accepted a tentative plea agreement to lead police to the location of Griffin’s remains. The agreement calls for Horton to plead guilty to second-degree murder.

HURON RIVER-CONTAMINATION

Buried fuel tank found near chemical spill on Michigan river

FLAT ROCK, Mich. (AP) — A massive, possibly century-old underground fuel oil tank has been found near a southeastern Michigan river’s tributary that had a chemical-type sheen on its surface. WXYZ-TV reports Thursday that the tank was located by a company that owns the property southwest of Detroit in Flat Rock. Flat Rock Metal said in a release that the company and the state had no record of the buried storage tank, which has an estimated capacity of 10,000 gallons. The company also said it has been on the property since the 1980s. An angler contacted authorities on Feb. 21 after noticing what looked and smelled like fuel in the river.

AP-US-LAKE-SUPERIOR-SHIPWRECK

Shipwreck discovered in Lake Superior, 131 years later

DEER PARK, Mich. (AP) — A ship that sank in 1891 has been discovered in Lake Superior off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society says the Atlanta is well-preserved in the coldest of the Great Lakes. The shipwreck group posted photos and video with the name of the ship clearly visible at a depth of more than 600 feet, roughly 35 miles off Deer Park, Michigan. Sonar technology had a critical role in locating the Atlanta. The ship was being towed by another vessel when the line snapped during a storm. Crew members got into a lifeboat, though only two survived when that boat overturned.

DAM REPAIRS-SEDIMENT

Michigan sues dam owner over sediment in Kalamazoo River

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The state of Michigan has sued the owner and operator of a hydroelectric dam, alleging that its mismanaged drawdown of a lake to do repairs created sediment that has choked a 30-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River, impeded recreational use and threatened public safety. The lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks compensation for damages along with an order to restore the ecosystems of the river and Morrow Lake and clean up sediment deposits that in some places are 12 feet deep. The defendants are Eagle Creek Renewable Energy and its subsidiary STS Hydropower, owner and operator of the dam in Kalamazoo County.

GAY RIGHTS-MICHIGAN

Michigan Supreme Court hears major gay rights case

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court is being urged to overturn key decisions and extend the state’s anti-discrimination law to gays and lesbians. People who claim discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation have not been protected by Michigan’s civil rights law because the word “sex” in the law has been interpreted only as a reference to gender. But Attorney General Dana Nessel says it’s time for the Supreme Court to recognize that Michigan’s anti-bias law means much more. In 2019, Rouch World, a park and event center in Sturgis, declined to host a same-sex wedding, saying it conflicted with the owner’s religious beliefs. But lawyers for Rouch World say it’s up to the Legislature, not courts, to expressly state that Michigan law bars discrimination based on sexual orientation.

CONDO KILLINGS-TROY

Police: Girl, man dead, woman wounded in Troy condo shooting

TROY, Mich. (AP) — Police say a man suspected of killing his 6-year-old daughter and wounding his wife later fatally shot himself as officers approached his car at a suburban Detroit condominium complex. Troy police say a 39-year-old woman called 911 from her neighbor’s condo Tuesday morning and said her husband had shot her at their home and fled the scene. The Daily Tribune of Royal Oak reports officers entered the couple’s home and found the girl, believed to be the couple’s daughter, shot to death in a bedroom. Police say a 52-year-old man who was the suspected shooter later fatally shot himself as officers approached his car outside the condo’s clubhouse.

AP-US-DR.-SEUSS-INCLUSION

New Dr. Seuss-inspired books to feature diverse creators

Sketches by Dr. Seuss that have never been published will see the light of day in a series of books being written and illustrated by a diverse group of up-and-coming authors and artists. The company that owns the intellectual property rights to Dr. Seuss’ works said Wednesday the books will include original stories inspired by previously unpublished illustrations selected from the author’s archives at the University of California San Diego. The announcement comes one year after the business announced it would stop publishing six titles by Dr. Seuss because they included racist images. The real name of the author from Springfield, Massachusetts, was Theodor Geisel.

AP-FORD-ELECTRIC-AND-COMBUSTION

Ford’s fork in the road: EV, internal combustion are split

Ford will split its electric vehicle and internal combustion operations into two individual businesses to accelerate its adaptation of new technology. The Detroit automaker said Wednesday that its transformation into an EV company is accelerating. Ford plans a major restructuring with two distinct but strategically interdependent auto businesses – Ford Blue focusing on traditional combustion engines and Ford Model e, which will develop electric vehicles. Jim Farley, the chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co., will lead the electric division. Farley said that with so many start-ups entering the EV market, the company’s legacy division was not allowing it to be nimble enough with developing technology.