St. Johns: 2 Michigan counties will test informal divorces
ST. JOHNS, Mich. (AP) — Divorces with no lawyers will be the subject of a three-year test in a pair of mid-Michigan counties.
The Michigan Supreme Court says the goal is to see how an informal docket works in certain domestic relations cases in Gratiot and Clinton counties.
In an order released Tuesday, the court says parties will meet with a judge in a conference-style setting. A judge will look at what’s been recommended for child custody, parenting time and child support.
The parties will be allowed to question each other, although a judge may reject certain questions. The new procedures likely will start by Sept. 1.
Lansing: Hunters killed 9 percent fewer deer in 2009
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The state says hunters in Michigan killed about 9 percent fewer deer in 2009 than they did in the previous season.
The state Department of Natural Resources and Environment announced Tuesday that results of the agency’s mail survey found that an estimated 444,047 deer were harvested last year, down from 489,922 in 2008.
Hunters killed 5 percent fewer antlerless deer and 14 percent fewer antlered bucks in 2009 than in the previous season.
The state says hunters bought about the same number of deer hunting licenses last year as they did in 2008. An estimated 686,392 people went out to hunt in 2009, down about 1 percent from the previous season.
Detroit: Apartments for homeless vets to open in Detroit
DETROIT (AP) — A four-story, 150-unit apartment building is opening in Detroit to provide long-term housing and care for homeless veterans.
The $23 million Piquette Square is slated to open Thursday afternoon in Detroit’s New Center Area. It is financed through tax credits, bond funding, chronic homeless funds and grants.
Mayor Dave Bing, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and City Council President Charles Pugh are expected to attend Thursday’s grand opening.
Southwest Housing Solutions developed, owns and manages the project which it says is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. The nonprofit estimates that more than 4,000 homeless veterans are in the Detroit area.
Onsite job training and counseling also will be offered at Piquette Square.
Hastings: Dentist charged in laughing gas case
HASTINGS, Mich. (AP) — Police say a Hastings dentist allowed non-patients to use nitrous oxide and used the gas himself, on and off the job.
Forty-five-year-old Christopher Tomczyk faces two felony counts of falsifying or altering medical records and misdemeanor charges of prohibited use of chemical agents and distributing nitrous oxide.
Police tell The Grand Rapids Press Tomczyk used nitrous oxide, an anesthetic known as laughing gas, at his dental office in Hastings, about 115 miles west of Detroit.
They say he falsified or altered charts used to track the use of the gas that gives patients a sense of euphoria and lightheadedness.
Jackson: 13-day exploration of the Grand River kicking off
JACKSON, Mich. (AP) — A 13-day exploration of the Grand River from its source near Jackson to its mouth at Lake Michigan begins this week.
Grand River Expedition 2010 starts Wednesday and runs through July 26. It’s designed to increase knowledge, awareness and appreciation of the Grand River and how it connects Michigan communities.
Organizers say some canoeists, kayakers and others will make the more than 220-mile full trip, while some will paddle for a day or two.
A watershed analysis and teaching team will conduct studies. The team includes scientists and students from Michigan State and Grand Valley State universities, local conservation districts and the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
New York: Report: Toyota crash data suggests driver error
NEW YORK (AP) — The Department of Transportation has analyzed dozens of black boxes in Toyota vehicles involved in accidents blamed on unintended acceleration, finding the throttles were open and the brakes were not engaged, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
That suggests that drivers of the speeding cars were stepping on the accelerator rather than hitting the brakes. The vehicles investigated came from a sample in which the drivers said they were braking but failed to stop the car before crashing, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the findings.
Transportation Department officials declined to confirm the report and did not comment. Toyota spokesman Mike Michels said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not shared its findings with the Japanese automaker but said their own findings from investigations of unintended acceleration are consistent with the report.
The black boxes, called event data recorders, are devices that track a number of details about a vehicle around the time of an accident, including which pedals were applied and how fast the car was traveling.
Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles worldwide since last fall due to faulty accelerators, floor mats that may trap gas pedals, and brake problems in Priuses, among other problems.
