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

POLICE SHOOTING

Suspect killed, 2 cops shot in Burton outside Flint

BURTON, Mich. (AP) — Two police officers have been shot in Genesee County during a “violent confrontation” with a gunman who was killed after a chase on foot. A sheriff’s deputy was in critical condition while a Burton officer was in fair condition. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. in Burton, a few miles east of Flint. Sheriff Chris Swanson says it began when police responded to a call about a man with a gun. The officers were shot after the suspect struggled while trying to climb a fence. The officers returned gunfire, killing the man.

GYM-DOCTOR-SEXUAL-ASSAULT-COACH

Ex-gymnastics coach wins appeal on Nassar-related conviction

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan appeals court has overturned the conviction of a former Michigan State University gymnastics coach who was sentenced to jail for lying to investigators about her knowledge of sexual abuse complaints against Larry Nassar in the 1990s. The appeals court judges didn’t determine that Kathie Klages had told the truth to investigators, but rather that her interviews were not crucial in a state investigation of how the university responded to allegations about Nassar. Klages has maintained her innocence throughout. Klages’ attorney, Mary Chartier, says they are “thrilled” that she “has finally been vindicated.”

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICHIGAN

Michigan officials expect omicron variant to sweep state

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says people who haven’t been vaccinated for COVID-19 are taking up too many beds at Michigan’s strained hospitals as the state prepares for the rapid spread of omicron variant. Whitmer said Tuesday at a news conference in Grand Rapids that the omicron variant is already the dominant strain in the U.S. and is expected to spread rapidly through Michigan. Much remains unknown about the variant, including whether it causes more or less severe illness than previous strains. Health officials say early studies suggest that the vaccinated will need a booster shot for the best chance at preventing omicron infection, but that even without the extra dose, vaccination still should offer strong protection against severe illness and death.

HAITI-US HOSTAGES

Father of kidnapped missionaries is grateful they’re free

HART, Mich. (AP) — The father of four Christian missionaries from Michigan who escaped from kidnappers in Haiti is expressing gratitude and says they’re in good shape. Two more family members were also kidnapped but were released a few weeks ago. They’re associated with Hart Dunkard Brethren Church in Hart, about 190 miles northwest of Detroit. A church elder, Ron Marks, read a statement from Ray Noecker, whose wife, Cheryl, and five of their children were kidnapped in October. They were in Haiti on behalf of Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries. Seventeen people were abducted on Oct. 16, shortly after visiting an orphanage. Five were eventually released, leaving the 12 who escaped.

STATE EMPLOYEE-EMBEZZLEMENT

Michigan employee who embezzled $855,690 sentenced to jail

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A former Michigan state employee who pleaded guilty to multiple felonies for embezzling $855,690 from the state was sentenced to jail time Tuesday in an Ingham County court. Joseph Pettit was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay back the full amount embezzled. The former Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy employee pleaded guilty to diverting funds to himself while he worked from the department from 1996 to 2020. In a news release, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel applauded the state’s ability to bring accountability.

FEDERAL FARMER PAYMENTS

Federal watchdog: Trump’s USDA overpaid corn farmers by $3B

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal watchdog says the Trump administration overpaid corn farmers by about $3 billion in federal aid in 2019 and that farmers in the South were paid more for the same crops than elsewhere in the country. The Government Accountability Office said in a report released Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s methodology for computing damage for 2019 was flawed. The USDA chief economist says the analysis was based on a widely accepted trade model and methodologies, and that USDA economists offered options to policymakers who chose which methods to use to decide how to pay farmers.

POLICE PURSUIT-FATAL CRASH

Michigan police pursuit ends with crash, death of woman, 58

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP) — Police say a man fleeing from officers in a stolen pickup truck crashed into a 58-year-old woman’s car in suburban Detroit, fatally injuring her. Macomb County police say an undercover officer from the Macomb Auto Theft Squad spotted the stolen truck Monday afternoon in Mount Clemens. Macomb County Sheriff’s Sgt. David Crabtree says the suspect drove off at a high rate of speed. The chase came to an end when the suspect crashed the truck into a woman’s car and both vehicles rolled over. The 58-year-old woman motorist was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The 41-year-old suspect was arrested after running from the scene.

XGR-BUSINESS INCENTIVES

Michigan governor signs $1.5 billion in business incentives

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation to bolster Michigan’s appeal to businesses. The legislation creates the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund, which will be funded from state revenue, with $1 billion to be used for assistance to companies. Funds totaling $409 million will also be allocated to support restaurants, gyms and other areas of business highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation, which includes four bills, passed the GOP-led Legislature with bipartisan support. Whitmer applauded the legislation, which she called a “collaboration between legislative leadership, my administration, and community and business leaders” in a news release Monday.

SCHOOL THREAT-TEACHER

Teacher charged with making false threat against school

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (AP) — A suburban Detroit teacher has been charged with making a false threat against her school. It’s the latest in a string of alleged threats in the region, mostly by students, since four teenagers were killed in November in a different district. Investigators say 59-year-old Johnna Rhone wrote at least three notes with threatening language last week at Jefferson Middle School in St. Clair Shores. One of the notes read: “Start break early. He’s gonna do it. Just don’t be in the hall after lunch. Boom! Get it?” Rhone’s attorney denied the allegations. Rhone is a creative arts teacher at the school. Bond was set at $75,000.

AP-KELLOGG’S-STRIKE

Strike at Kellogg comes to a close; workers to return Monday

NEW YORK (AP) — A strike at Kellogg that has gone on since early October has ended after workers voted to ratify a new labor contract at the company’s four U.S. cereal plants. The contract covers approximately 1,400 workers represented by the union at plants in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Kellogg said Tuesday that the new contract provides immediate, across the board wage increases and enhanced benefits for all. It also provides an accelerated, defined path to top-tier wages, a major sticking point for workers. The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union said the contract is a win for workers.