WOMAN IDENTIFIED

Woman identified 27 years after remains found in Michigan

WRIGHT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — The body of a woman found in a western Michigan ditch has been identified 27 years later. The Ottawa County sheriff’s office says DNA and genealogical tests helped solve the mystery. The remains were Shelly Rae Kephart, also known as Shelly Rae Christian. Christian was 29 years old in 1993 when she went missing from Hennepin County, Minnesota. Rabbit hunters discovered the remains in 1994, about 12 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Christian was the victim of a homicide. Anyone with information is urged to call (877) 887-4536.

AP-US-GREAT-LAKES-INFRASTRUCTURE

Long-sought Great Lakes projects get funding under new law

The Biden administration’s new infrastructure package will pump more funding into two high-profile Great Lakes projects. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will devote $479 million to construction of a new shipping lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The money will be enough to finish the long-sought lock, which will boost passage of cargo vessels between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. An additional $226 million will help complete preconstruction and design work at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois. Technologies are being installed there to prevent invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan.

AP-US-UNIVERSITY-OF-MICHIGAN-DOCTOR-ASSAULT-EXPLAINER

EXPLAINER: How will U. of Michigan assault settlement work?

DETROIT (AP) — A $490 million deal to settle claims of sexual assault against a University of Michigan doctor will be handled in a similar way to the $500 million agreement worked out in 2018 by Michigan State University and the victims of Larry Nassar. The University of Michigan won’t have a role in how the money is divided. Lawyers say a retired judge, maybe two, will be presented with individual claims and determine a figure. Simple math pegs an average payment of more than $400,000 for each of the 1,050 people, who are mostly men. But some payments could be higher or lower, depending on the impact of Robert Anderson’s abuse.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NURSING HOMES

Michigan nursing homes ordered to offer on-site booster shot

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s health director is ordering nursing homes to offer on-site booster shots to residents who aren’t up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine. The facilities must comply within 30 days. About 75% of eligible nursing home residents have received a booster dose. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer previously set a goal of getting 95% of eligible residents a booster by the end of January. Elizabeth Hertel, director of the state health department, said Thursday that vaccinations are even more important because the rapidly spreading omicron variant can more readily evade people’s immunity from vaccines and past infections. The order doesn’t require nursing home residents to be vaccinated.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-RESTAURANT

Restaurant wins challenge to law used during dining ban

GAYLORD, Mich. (AP) — A restaurant in northern Michigan has won a challenge to a law that was used to stop indoor dining during the pandemic in 2020. Otsego County Judge Colin Hunter says a portion of the law gives too much power to the state health department and is unconstitutional. Hunter’s decision is limited to Otsego County. But if appealed to a higher court by the attorney general’s office, the case could set a precedent across Michigan. A Gaylord restaurant, the Iron Pig Smokehouse, was fined $5,000 for allowing indoor dining in late 2020, despite a state prohibition. The health department says it was trying to reduce the spread of COVID-19 around Michigan.

MICHIGAN-CLIMATE CHANGE

Michigan governor releases plan draft for carbon neutrality

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A draft of a state plan says Michigan will build clean energy infrastructure and invest in green programs over the next 30 years with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 to confront climate change. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer committed Michigan to the 2050 goal in 2020 and formed the Council on Climate Solutions in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy — or EGLE — to create and oversee implementation of the MI Healthy Climate Plan. The department’s director, Liesl Eichler Clark, said in a letter accompanying the draft that the council took input from hundreds of residents, local government officials, academic experts and others when coming up with the plan, which was posted online Wednesday.

GENESEE COUNTY JAIL-SCANNED MAIL

Genesee County Jail switching to scanned letters for inmates

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Mid-Michigan’s Genesee County Jail is ending traditional mail deliveries for inmates and switching to scanned images of letters to prevent drug-soaked papers from reaching inmates. The county’s Board of Commissioners approved an amended contract Wednesday with Global Tel*Link that will provide offsite mail scanning for inmates. The Flint Journal reports that Sheriff Chris Swanson says work is now underway to install the kiosks inmates will use to read their scanned letters. He says Suboxone, which is used to treat opioid addiction, and methamphetamine are two drugs that can be turned into liquid form and transferred to paper, creating the potential for contraband entering the jail.

WINTER WEATHER-INDIANA

Lake-effect snowfall closes schools in northwest Indiana

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (AP) — College campuses and schools in northwestern are closed after a winter storm dumped several inches of lake-effect snow on parts of the region. Closings Thursday included Ivy Tech Community College campuses in in Michigan City and LaPorte, Purdue University Northwest’s Westville campus and the Michigan City Area Schools. The National Weather Service reported traffic officials measured 9.5 inches of snow near Westville and 7.5 inches near Michigan City. The Indiana Department of Transportation has warned motorists of “hazardous travel conditions” and to “expect low visibility and rapidly changing conditions in those areas.”

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-DOCTOR-ASSAULT-GLANCE

U. of Michigan settlement latest in school sex abuse payouts

A financial payout for more than 1,000 people — mostly men — who say they were sexually assaulted by former University of Michigan sports doctor Robert Anderson is the latest multimillion-dollar settlement involving schools faced with sexual misconduct scandals. The $490 million settlement announced Wednesday by the Ann Arbor school is just $10 million shy of the $500 million Michigan State University agreed in 2018 to pay to sexual assault victims of its own sport doctor, Larry Nassar.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADA

Ontario to lift lockdown on dining rooms and gyms

TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s largest province is ending a lockdown of restaurant dining rooms, gyms and cinemas at the end of the month. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says they will be allowed to reopen Jan. 31 with 50% capacity. The province locked down again on Jan. 5, unlike U.S. cities and states. Like the U.S., Ontario saw record new infections. Ford says hospitalizations are starting to slow and officials expect cases of the ultra-contagious omicron variant to peak this month.