VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICHIGAN

Berrien orders masks in school; docs issue vaccination plea

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Berrien County in southwestern Michigan has ordered masking inside all schools, pointing to a rapid increase in COVID-19 transmission over the past month. Once Washtenaw County follows suit, nine of 83 counties — including many of those with the largest populations — will require face coverings in schools. The office of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has refrained from reinstating a statewide mandate that was in place last academic year, says mask policies cover 57% of kids in traditional public schools. Berrien’s order applies to all educational settings, including colleges and child care centers.

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.

UTILITY-TREES

DTE Energy says it will spend more money on tree trimming

DETROIT (AP) — DTE Energy says it will spend millions more to trim trees. The utility has been under fire for summer power outages in southeastern Michigan. The utility said it would spend $70 million through 2023 on top of $190 million set aside for tree trimming each year. Tree trimming reduces the risk of branches falling on power lines during storms. Customers with outages that have lasted for days are fed up with DTE. Attorney General Dana Nessel has encouraged people to go online and inform her staff about extended power losses. DTE says the extreme summer weather has been “unprecedented and challenging” for electricity customers, with about 25% losing power in the last storm.

AUTO LOANS-LAWSUIT

Massachusetts reaches $27M settlement with auto lender

BOSTON (AP) — A national subprime auto lender has agreed to pay more than $27 million to settle allegations that it took advantage of thousands of Massachusetts borrowers. The state attorney general’s office said Wednesday that the settlement with Credit Acceptance Corp. will provide debt relief and credit repair to consumers. More than 3,000 borrowers across the state are expected to be eligible for settlement funds. The settlement also requires the company to make changes to its loan handling practices. A voicemail seeking comment was left with the Southfield, Michigan-based company.

AP-US-BLACK-WOMEN-GUN-OWNERSHIP

Black women seeing guns as protection from rising crime

TAYLOR, Mich. (AP) — Experts in the firearms industry as well as gun-rights advocates say more and more Black women are considering gun ownership for personal protection. Fear of crime, especially as shootings and murders have risen in cities big and small, is one driver of the trend. But a new motivator is the display of public anger in the last 15 months beginning with confrontations in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis under the knee of a police officer. Worries about anger over COVID-related restrictions and about outrage over the outcome of the presidential 2020 election, driven by lies, are contributors, too.

PUBLIC ALERT SYSTEM

Legislature seeks to limit Whitmer's use of alert system

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Republicans who control the Michigan Legislature want to limit Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s ability to send statewide emergency alerts to wireless devices and broadcast stations except for “immediate” threats. The Democratic governor's administration used a public alert system last year to notify residents of stay-at-home orders to curb COVID-19, frustrating GOP lawmakers. Under legislation approved Wednesday, the system couldn't be activated to announce new laws or executive orders unless it is necessary to “respond to an immediate or nearly immediate loss of life or property.” The governor will veto the bill.

STATE EMPLOYEE EMBEZZLEMENT

Michigan employee pleads guilty to embezzling over $855K

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A former state employee pleaded guilty in a Michigan court Tuesday to embezzling over $855,000 from the state. While at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Joseph Pettit took bonds that were supposed to be returned to vendors once the ownership of gas or oil wells changed and diverted the funds into bank accounts for vendors he made up. The Michigan Attorney General’s office says Pettit is expected to serve prison time and be ordered to pay the amount he embezzled.

SCHOOL-ROCKY START

Bad batteries, illness, no power: School year starts rocky

BALDWIN, Mich. (AP) — The school year is off to a rocky start in a western Michigan district due to power outages, faulty batteries and students with flu-like symptoms. The Baldwin district is 70 miles north of Grand Rapids in Lake County. Baldwin called off classes for Wednesday and Thursday and told students to return Sept. 7. Schools were already closed Friday ahead of the holiday weekend. Superintendent J. Mark Parsons says the state doesn't count an official school day if attendance is below 75%. Online learning is not an immediate option. The batteries used in internet hot spots were recalled. New ones have been ordered. Most Baldwin students don't have internet access at home.

STELLANTIS-F1 HOLDINGS

Auto maker Stellantis will fill gap by buying a finance arm

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Stellantis, the car company that includes Chrysler and Fiat, is getting into the auto-finance business. Stellantis said Wednesday it agreed to pay $285 million for the parent of First Investors Financial Services Group. That company is based in Houston, and buying it will give Stellantis the ability to offer in-house loans and leases to customers and provide inventory financing for its dealers. Stellantis says it's the only major car maker operating in the U.S. without its own auto-finance company. Stellantis was formed this year by a merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICHIGAN

Judge blocks Western Michigan's vaccine mandate for athletes

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A judge has blocked Western Michigan University from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine requirement against four female soccer players who sued, ruling they are likely to prevail on claims it violates their religious rights. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Grand Rapids issued the temporary restraining order Tuesday, the school’s deadline for athletes to get an initial shot or be unable to compete. In a separate case, he denied a request to block Michigan State University's broader vaccine mandate for students and employees. An employee who had COVID-19 last year said she should not have to be vaccinated.

© 2021 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved., source Canadian Press DataFile