State Roundup

East Lansing Report details lawmaker blood-alcohol level EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Test results say state Rep. Bob Genetski's blood-alcohol level was at a point considered intoxicated under Michigan law about an hour and a half after his drunken driving arrest. MLive.com reports Genetski's blood-alcohol level was at Michigan's legal limit of 0.08 percent following the early Jan. 19 traffic stop in East Lansing. The news organization obtained the results of the court-ordered test following a Freedom of Information Act request. Genetski's attorney, Mike Nichols, on Wednesday told The Associated Press he was restrained from commenting about the results of the test because they would be evidence. The Saugatuck Republican was arrested after he refused to take a Breathalyzer test. He was ticketed and his drunken driving case is pending. Kalamazoo Warm weather gives Mich. morel hunters early start KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) -- The unseasonably warm weather in Michigan is giving mushroom hunters an early jump on morel season. At least one morel sighting has been made in March, about two months before the usual peak season in the state, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported Tuesday. If mushroom hunters use the calendar to determine morel season this year they could miss out on the chance to find the delicacy. Pete Stobie, educational director at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, said a warm rain combined with high temperatures could prompt morels to come up. If the current warm weather is interrupted by snow or more typical early spring weather the mushrooms could come up again in April or May, he said. Morel hunting is a family tradition, where do-it-yourself pickers scour woods for the mushroom, which has a short growing season. The mushroom is celebrated at annual spring gatherings in Michigan that include the Mesick Mushroom Festival and the National Morel Mushroom Festival in Boyne City. Mushrooms, like plants, seem to respond to soil moisture and heat, said Nate Fuller, conservation and stewardship director at Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. "All the other plants that are usually up when morels are here are up," Fuller said. "The one that triggers my attention is wild leeks, because they often go on the plate with the morels." Fuller said this weekend he saw leeks that were 3-4 inches tall, about half their full-grown size. Harbor Springs Tribe considers recognizing same-sex marriages HARBOR SPRINGS, Mich. (AP) -- The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians' tribal council is considering a constitutional amendment that would recognize same-sex marriages. The Petoskey News-Review and WPBN-TV report the American Indian tribe would be the first in Michigan and among a few nationwide to legalize gay marriages if the amendment is adopted. Most of the about 4,000 people in the tribe live in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. If the measure is approved, at least one of partner would have to be a member of the tribe. The idea was initially encouraged by two tribal citizens in a letter to the tribal council urging consideration of an amendment. The proposal currently is in a public comment period. The current tribal constitution defines marriage as between "one man and one woman." Jackson Board shoots down proposed guns-at-work policy JACKSON, Mich. (AP) -- A proposed work rule that would have allowed Jackson County government employees to carry concealed pistols on the job has been shot down. The Jackson Citizen Patriot reports county commissioners on Tuesday rejected the new rule, which was approved last week by a committee. Commissioner Michael Way says department heads and elected officials indicated that they didn't support the proposed policy. The issue was raised during a review of the county's policy on workplace violence. The change would have allowed licensed county employees to bring concealed pistols to work. Supporters of the proposed change had argued that county employees should have the same rights as the general public to carry a concealed weapon. Allen Park Allen Park to seek state review of its finances ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- The Detroit suburb of Allen Park plans to ask the state for a preliminary review of its finances, a step that could lead to the appointment of an emergency financial manager. The Detroit News reports City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to request the review. Mayor William Matakas and Mayor Pro Tem Bob Keenan voted against the measure. Matakas says he was elected to govern and the request is "premature." The decision comes as the city struggles to erase a $1.6 million deficit. Falling property values and a failed movie studio development project are blamed in its problems. Last year, state Treasurer Andy Dillon rejected a request by a resident to begin a financial review. The emergency manager law does not give individual residents standing to request a review. Published: Wed, Mar 21, 2012