TOKYO (AP) — An U.S. Navy helicopter crashed on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan on Friday, causing non-fatal injuries to sailors, the Navy said. The Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement that the MH-60 Seahawk crashed shortly after takeoff Friday morning while the carrier was off the Philippine coast. All affected sailors were in stable condition and their injuries were non-life threatening, the Navy said. It didn’t say how many sailors were hurt. It said some of them would be examined and treated after they reach the shore, though officials did not specify the […]

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) — Nearly half of about 300 Michigan fire departments said they have reserves of firefighting foam that has the potential to contaminate groundwater. Michigan Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer told reporters Thursday in Southfield, Michigan, that approximately 32,000 gallons of the foam has been identified across the state from a survey of nearly 700 fire departments. About 400 departments have not yet completed the survey. The foam contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Known as PFAS, the chemicals also have been used in waterproofing, carpeting and other products. Sehlmeyer says the state is trying to find ways to dispose […]

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (AP) — Officials say a deer in Dickinson County carried the first known case of chronic wasting disease in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The state Department of Natural Resources says the 4-year-old doe was shot on a farm in Waucedah Township. Laboratories confirmed the animal was infected with the fatal nervous system illness found in deer, moose and elk. It was among hundreds of deer the DNR has tested in Upper Peninsula counties bordering Wisconsin. Chronic wasting disease has been found in free-ranging deer in six Lower Peninsula counties, including Clinton, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kent and Montcalm. Sixty-three […]

DETROIT–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct 19, 2018–Today, Davenport University announced the location for its new Detroit campus in Detroit, Michigan. The campus, centrally located at 3031 W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit, is designed to meet the needs of students and employers in the metro-Detroit community. The new campus joins Davenport’s state-wide education network of 5 campuses with the goal of educating students on the skills employers need. Davenport will prepare its students for successful careers that will shape the future world economy, including fast-growing careers in business, healthcare, technology and urban education. “With the new Detroit campus, Davenport is bringing the full force […]

SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw says Pope Francis has appointed the bishop emeritus of Grand Rapids as its apostolic administrator following the death of Bishop Joseph Cistone on Tuesday. It said Wednesday the appointment of the Most Rev. Walter Hurley was effective immediately. As administrator, Hurley serves as the caretaker for the diocese, addressing its spiritual needs and maintaining its operations until Francis appoints a new bishop. Hurley served as the bishop in Grand Rapids for nearly eight years until his retirement in 2013. The diocese also announced Cistone’s funeral Mass will be held at 11 […]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s unemployment rate fell by a tenth of a percentage point to 4.0 percent in September. Figures released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget show Michigan’s jobless rate was three-tenths of a percentage point higher than the national rate of 3.7 percent last month and seven-tenths of a percentage point lower than the state’s September 2017 rate of 4.7 percent. The agency says total employment in Michigan rose slightly by 1,000 during the month while the number of unemployed fell by 8,000. Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives Director Jason […]

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Former USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny has been arrested after a Texas grand jury indicted him, alleging he tampered with evidence in the sexual assault investigation of now-imprisoned gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. In a statement issued late Wednesday night, the Walker County district attorney’s office in Huntsville, Texas, said Penny was arrested by a fugitive task force Wednesday in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and awaits extradition to Texas. The indictment alleges Penny ordered the removal of documents from the Karolyi Ranch relating to Nassar’s activities at the ranch, near Huntsville. The indictment also alleges the removal was aimed […]

(Mlive) –  Grand Rapids police are opening their doors in response to a planned protest organized by a Kent County commissioner after an unarmed 12-year-old girl was handcuffed at gunpoint last week. The police department is joining Commissioner Robert Womack to host a community forum at 5-6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, inside the department at 1 Monroe Center Ave. NW. Chief David Rahinsky and Womack met Wednesday morning to discuss recent incidents involving police officers and youth, and to talk about ways to strengthen community-police relations and address concerns about disparate outcomes. “We’ll have opportunity for public comment, not just people yelling […]

ISTANBUL (AP) — A man who previously traveled with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s entourage to the United States entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul just before writer Jamal Khashoggi vanished there, according to images published Thursday by a pro-government Turkish newspaper. The Sabah newspaper’s report showed the man also later outside the Saudi consul general’s home, checking out of a Turkish hotel as a large suitcase stood by his side, and leaving Turkey on Oct. 2. The report came as Turkish crime-scene investigators finished an overnight search of both the consul general’s residence and a second search of […]

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan lawmakers can send tax dollars to private schools in certain circumstances, the state appeals court said Tuesday in a major test of a 1970 amendment to the Michigan Constitution that says no public money can flow. In a 2-1 opinion, the court said private schools can receive tax dollars to help them comply with health, safety and welfare rules without violating the constitution. The court created a three-part test to ensure any reimbursement is incidental to teaching and doesn’t involve entanglement with religion. An example: criminal background checks of staff. “The criminal background checks are mandated […]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation to immediately prohibit marijuana-infused alcoholic drinks in Michigan. The law enacted Tuesday bars the use, possession or sale of marijuana-infused beer, wine, liquor and mixed drinks. Supporters say the bill is a pre-emptive move in case Michigan voters next month legalize marijuana for recreational use. They say marijuana-infused alcohol could exacerbate intoxicated driving. Opponents say the legislation is a solution to a nonexistent problem because there is no commercial market for marijuana-infused beverages. They say even if the ballot initiatives passes, liquor establishments could not sell marijuana beverages because of […]

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — Shake your — mailbox? Indeed, that’s the message in many areas of Michigan where mailboxes are attached to posts at the end of a driveway. As another winter approaches, road commissions are reminding residents to check the stability of their mailbox. A weak mailbox post is no match for snow coming off a plow at 35 mph. The Ottawa County Road Commission in western Michigan says it’s “no picnic” to dig out a fallen mailbox and try to reinstall it in frozen ground. Alex Doty of the road commission says mailboxes can be a serious […]

HAZELTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Plans are in the works for a roughly $250 million solar farm in mid-Michigan. The Flint Journal reports that Ranger Power’s project being detailed Wednesday would be built on 1,200 acres (486 hectares) of land in Shiawassee County’s Hazelton and Venice townships. Representatives of Ranger Power say they have lease agreements or purchase options for the land, which is mostly farmland and vacant property. Officials say construction at the site about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Detroit could begin by the end of 2019 and the solar farm could be operational by 2020.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — In Florida, a grim task is unwinding slowly: Finding out many people were killed in Hurricane Michael. The storm that ravaged Florida’s Panhandle left incredible destruction stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the state border, but so far getting a firm grasp on how many died is proving somewhat elusive. The state has officially acknowledged just two deaths so far — and one death was in northeast Florida, far from the ground-zero fury of the Category 4 storm. Meanwhile, search and rescue teams have crawled and walked through thousands of buildings and ruins for days […]

ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say an 11-year-old girl was struck and critically injured by a tree that was being cut down outside a home in western Michigan. The Ottawa County sheriff’s office says the girl arrived at the home with her family on Monday evening in Allendale Township and ran into the front yard to greet a family friend who was using a chainsaw to cut down trees. One of the trees fell as she approached, striking her in the head. The girl was taken to a hospital in Grand Rapids, where she was listed in critical condition. […]

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says ships can’t drop anchor in the Straits of Mackinac unless they have permission. The area between Michigan’s two peninsulas has an oil pipeline, known as Line 5, as well as electrical cables. The Coast Guard says the goal is to prevent damage to the lines from anchors. There is an exception to the no-anchor zone in case of emergency. The policy starts Oct. 31 and covers ships that are at least 131 feet long. The rule was published Oct. 1 in the Federal Register. The Legislature is working on a […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Freed American pastor Andrew Brunson has asked God to provide the president “supernatural wisdom to accomplish all the plans you have for this country and for him.” Brunson had an oval office meeting with President Donald Trump Saturday that turned in to a prayer session. Trump welcomed Brunson to the White House to celebrate his release from nearly two years of confinement in Turkey, which had sparked a diplomatic row with a key ally and outcry from U.S. evangelical groups.

-Information is available for those wanting to plan for voting in the General Election, Nov. 6, 2018. Helpful websites include: -Michigan.gov/vote – to see your specific ballot -Michiganfamily.org – they are pointing voters to their website rather than handing out printed material as they have done in the past -Mlive.com – includes information on some of the bigger issues facing voters around the state -Libraries – many have printed information available, such as Nonpartisan Voter Guide by League of Women Voters of Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Some campgrounds in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula have been closed early this season due to heavy rainfall. The Holland Sentinel reports Saturday that campgrounds at Baraga State Park in Baraga County and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon County were shut down Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources . Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park Supervisor Michael Knack said the park “has received nearly 18 days of continuous rain and the campsites are completely saturated.” Knack added that campsites have “standing water and ruts from vehicles and campers that have been getting stuck.” The Presque […]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Federal grants have been awarded to organizations representing growers of a variety of Michigan specialty crops. The funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture supports efforts such as marketing, sustainability, boosting production, and preventing disease and pest infestation. Director Gordon Wenk of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says the grants are particularly helpful because they can be used in so many different ways. Individual grants could total as much as $100,000. Among those receiving the highest amount were Bay View Wine Trail Inc., the Michigan Apple Committee, the Michigan Farm Bureau and Pickle […]

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — AAA Michigan says average gas prices statewide are down 12 cents in the past week to about $2.88 per gallon following a harrowing week for financial markets . The Dearborn-based auto club says early Monday the average price for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is about 38 cents more than at the same point last year. AAA says prices could drop 5-10 cents in the next 10 days, but could rise as the market braces for U.S. sanctions targeting Iran’s oil and gas sector . Michigan’s highest average was $3.04 per gallon in the Marquette area. The […]

PARIS (AP) —The French Interior Ministry says the death toll from flash floods in southwest France has nearly doubled to 13. Ministry spokesman Frederic de Lanouvelle says Monday that one other person is missing and five others are seriously hurt after flash floods tore through towns, turning streams into raging torrents. He said nine of the 13 dead were clustered in one town, Trebes, in the Aude region. The official said the death toll could still rise further. Some people had to be helicoptered to safety from the roofs of their homes as overnight storms dumped several months of rain […]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Unlike in South Florida, homes in the state’s Panhandle did not have tighter building codes.  It was once argued that the trees would help save Florida’s Panhandle from the fury of a hurricane, as the acres of forests in the region would provide a natural barrier to savage winds that accompany the deadly storms. Since 2001, structures statewide must be built to withstand winds of 111 mph (178 kph) and up; the Miami area is considered a “high velocity hurricane zone” with much higher standards, requiring many structures to withstand hurricane winds in excess of 170 […]

Mandatory evacuations are under way in Panama City Beach and across other low-lying parts of the Florida Panhandle as Hurricane Michael approaches. The evacuation orders went into effect Tuesday morning for some 120,000 people near the beach and other areas of Bay County. During an emergency meeting of the Bay County Commission on Monday night, Sheriff Tommy Ford said people will “not be dragged out of their homes,” but reminded those who stay that first responders may not be able to reach them once the storm hits. Ford says “people need to start leaving now,” adding that the roads are […]