Latest Michigan news, sports, business and entertainment at 9:20 p.m. EDT

ABORTION-MICHIGAN

If Roe is overturned, Michigan has abortion ban on the books

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Supreme Court’s decision to let a Texas ban on most abortions remain in force — for now — is prompting warnings and cheers from advocates who note Michigan still has a 90-year-old ban on the books if Roe v. Wade is overturned. It’s unclear whether the 1931 law automatically would take effect if the landmark case is reversed. Democrats’ attempts to repeal the 1931 law have been blocked in the Republican-controlled Legislature. An option on both sides could be to organize a ballot initiative, though it’s too early to say because of uncertainty over what the justices will do.

LOTTERY TICKET EXPIRES

Oh, no: Lottery ticket worth $201,000 expires a year later

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — It was a valuable piece of paper. But now it’s worthless. The Michigan Lottery says no one stepped forward with a winning ticket worth $201,144 in a Fantasy 5 game from 2020. The deadline was 4:45 p.m. Thursday. Winning Fantasy 5 lottery tickets are good for a year. The money will instead go to the state school aid fund. The ticket was sold at Superior Market, east of Ann Arbor.

FATHER-SON-SHOT

Western Michigan man fatally shoots toddler son, self

LOWELL TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a western Michigan man fatally shot his 3-year-old son before taking his own life. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office says deputies conducting a welfare check Wednesday at a Lowell Township home found the bodies of 32-year-old Derek Thebo and his son, Dylan Thebo. The Kent County Medical Examiner’s Office said both were shot to death. Dylan’s death was ruled a homicide and his father’s death was deemed a suicide. WOOD-TV reports court records show the 3-year-old’s mother briefly had a personal protection order against Derek Thebo earlier this year.

AP-US-AUTOS-PLANT-SHUTDOWNS

GM, Ford halt some production as chip shortage worsens

DETROIT (AP) — The global shortage of computer chips is getting worse, forcing automakers to temporarily close factories including those that build popular pickup trucks. General Motors announced Thursday that it would pause production at eight of its 15 North American assembly plants during the next two weeks, including two that make the company’s top-selling Chevrolet Silverado pickup. Ford will stop making pickups at its Kansas City Assembly Plant for the next two weeks. Shifts will be cut at two more truck plants in Dearborn, Michigan, and Louisville, Kentucky. Industry analysts say the delta variant of the novel coronavirus has hit employees at chip factories in southeast Asia hard, forcing some plants to close.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICHIGAN

More Michigan counties order masks inside schools

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Ingham County has ordered that masks be worn inside all schools and other educational settings, becoming the 16th county to mandate face coverings amid Michigan’s fourth surge of COVID-19 cases. Many K-12 districts in the Lansing area had already required masks at the start of the academic year. But health officer Linda Vail says it’s crucial to cover gaps at day care centers, child care centers, preschools, youth programs and private schools. As expected, Washtenaw County — home to Ann Arbor — issued a similar order. Counties with mandates include many with the largest populations but also some rural ones.

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY-STRIKE

Faculty on strike during opening day at Oakland University

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (AP) — The first day of classes at Oakland University in suburban Detroit has started with a strike by professors. The faculty union represents more than 800 people at Oakland. Members stood along streets with signs that said, “For A Better OU.” The union says faculty deserve better pay. The university says it regrets the strike. It urged students to report to classrooms and wait 15 minutes to see if an instructor would appear. The university had 15,000 undergraduate students and 3,400 graduate students a year ago.

RESEARCH PROBE

Research group to pay $1.1M to settle probe of ties to China

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A biomedical research center in Grand Rapids has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a federal investigation. It began when authorities in 2020 discovered research samples in the luggage of a Chinese scientist arriving at the Detroit airport. The government accused the Van Andel Institute of failing to disclose a foreign component of federally sponsored research. The scientist who was stopped at the airport was a former Van Andel Institute employee who worked at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China. The institute acknowledged that staff members are required to meet federal compliance rules. Jana Hall, chief operations officer, says compliance since 2019 has been “greatly enhanced.”

BUS DRIVER BONUS

Michigan district offering $2,500 bonus to new bus drivers

NORTON SHORES, Mich. (AP) — A school district in western Michigan is offering a large bonus to new bus drivers. It’s one of the most lucrative sweeteners among districts desperate to get people behind the wheel. Mona Shores in Muskegon County says new drivers would get an extra $2,500 after 90 days. The district also is offering a $500 finder’s fee to employees who recommend a successful new hire. Lansing is offering unlimited public bus passes or monthly $25 gas cards to families. In Ann Arbor, a contractor says starting hourly pay for drivers is more than $22 with bonuses ranging from $500 to $1,000.

AGENT-WHITMER PLOT

FBI agent waives key hearing in alleged assault on his wife

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — An FBI agent charged with assaulting his wife has waived his right to a key hearing and moved the case to a trial court in Kalamazoo. Meanwhile, Richard Trask is not expected to testify as one of the lead agents who investigated an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. A trial for five men is scheduled in federal court in October. Trask was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder after a July incident at his home in the Kalamazoo area. Investigators say he beat his wife. Trask this week waived his right to a hearing to determine whether there’s enough evidence to send the case to trial.

TRUMP HOTEL VEGAS-BOMB HOAX

Michigan man held in bomb hoax at Trump hotel in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — An arrest report says a 44-year-old Michigan man accused of creating a bomb hoax at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas told investigators he wanted to send a message that former Republican President Donald Trump had messed up his life. Dandre Lundy remained jailed Wednesday following his arrest Tuesday at a budget motel not far from the Trump building near the Strip. Police said a suitcase and duffel bag that Lundy allegedly left did not contain anything hazardous. Lundy told police he put a Bible, a rock, a $1 bill and handwritten “scriptures” in the suitcase. A deputy public defender who represented Lundy on Wednesday did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Lundy’s behalf.