State Roundup

Kalamazoo
Man charged with abuse in fire that killed 3 children
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — A man has been charged with child abuse in a February apartment fire in Kalamazoo that killed three young children who were left home alone.
The Kalamazoo Gazette reports Fred Glespie was arraigned Tuesday. A judge ordered that he get a court-appointed lawyer.
The 19-year-old is charged with second-degree child abuse in the Feb. 18 fire at Interfaith Homes that killed Jonetta Woods’s 3-year-old twins and the children’s 1-year-old sister. Authorities say the children were left to be cared for by another young child.
Glespie is Woods’ ex-boyfriend. Woods isn’t charged in the fire, but she was in family court Tuesday for a hearing about where the surviving child will live.
A family court jury in May found Woods and Glespie were neglectful on the day of the fire.
Saginaw
4th suspect is captured in fatal shooting at prom
SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — Police say a fourth suspect has been arrested in a May parking lot shooting during a pre-prom party in Saginaw that left a 17-year-old girl dead and three women wounded.
The Saginaw News reports 18-year-old Karon D. Thomas was captured Tuesday during a Michigan Department of Corrections sweep. He’s charged with conspiring to commit first-degree murder, and had been wanted by authorities for about a month.
Thomas is expected in court soon. Three others are charged in the case. Police have said there were multiple shooters.
Saginaw High School sophomore Tonquinisha McKinley was fatally shot May 23 outside the Florence Event Hall in Saginaw, 8 miles from another hall in Thomas Township where the school was holding its prom. Police said injuries to the other women weren’t life-threatening.

Detroit
Wayne County steps up drunken driving patrols
DETROIT (AP) — Wayne County sheriff’s deputies are joining other police agencies across Michigan by increasing patrols for drunken drivers over the July 4 holiday period.
The stepped up patrols are in effect and will run into Sunday. They are funded by a federal grant through the state Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Michigan law enforcement officers made more than 3,700 traffic stops and arrested 126 suspected drunken drivers last year during the Fourth of July period crackdown. It included 23 arrests under the state’s high blood-alcohol content law.
Officers in 26 counties took part in the crackdown. A similar effort in 2011 involved officers in 35 counties and resulted in 218 drunken driving arrests.

Lansing
Snyder approves wetland permit, alcohol changes
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation designed to fix problems with Michigan’s wetland policies.
Michigan is one of only two states to manage wetlands such as swamps, marshes and bogs. Supporters of the bill signed Tuesday say it will make the permitting process simpler and easier for developers and landowners, while environmentalists say it further loosens state rules rather than just addressing issues raised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Wetlands are critical because they recharge ground water and support diverse ecological populations.
Snyder says he’s committed to keeping the state wetlands program.
He also signed bills letting small wine makers buy a permit to hold tastings and sell wine at farmers markets. Another new law lets merchants fill and sell growlers of beer for off-premises consumption.

Wellston
New effort along Manistee River aims to help fish
WELLSTON, Mich. (AP) — Consumers Energy says a $500,000 project to help fish stay cooler on the Manistee River this summer could benefit species including brown trout and  salmon.
The unit of Jackson-based CMS Energy Corp. says it installed an upwelling system last year in the reservoir behind Tippy Dam to benefit downstream fish that thrive in cold water.
The system allows dam operators to essentially lift deeper, colder water into the plant’s intake area to provide cooler flows downstream.
Operators plan to activate the system during especially warm spells this summer. During initial testing in 2012, the system lowered downstream water temperatures two degrees.