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By The Associated Press

BANQUET HALL SHOOTING-DETROIT

Man charged in fatal shooting at Detroit banquet hall

DETROIT (AP) — A 30-year-old man has been charged in a drive-by shooting at an unlicensed Detroit banquet hall that left another man dead and five people wounded. The Wayne County prosecutor’s office says Friday that Samuel Tipton was expected to be arraigned Saturday on one count of first-degree murder, five counts of assault with intent to murder and gun charges. Thirty-year-old Lorenzo Gains was shot about 2 a.m. Tuesday and later pronounced dead outside the Chalmers Banquet Hall. Three women _ ages 26 to 43 _ and two men, 43 and 46, were taken to hospitals with wounds that were not considered life-threatening.

MICHIGAN FLOODING

‘When will this end?’: Detroit area hit again with flooding

DETROIT (AP) — Steady rain soaked the Detroit area, flooding highways and raising the anxiety of residents. Thousands had their basements wrecked by sewage during a tremendous storm three weeks ago. For some, the water is back. A downtown ramp to the Lodge Freeway was below water and closed, while sections of Interstate 94 in Detroit were also flooded for hours. The rain eased but evening, but forecasters say it could return after midnight. In the Detroit area, some highways that are below ground level are vulnerable in any long rain event and depend on pumps to remove water. The rain fell a day after President Joe Biden declared a disaster due to flood damage from late June.

WORKPLACE DEATH-MICHIGAN

Worker dies after falling from catwalk at steel company

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — A 50-year-old employee has died after falling from an elevated catwalk at a Detroit-area steel company. Dearborn police say the man was pronounced dead at the former AK Steel facility following the fall which occurred about 3:15 a.m. Friday. Police add that foul play is not suspected, and Michigan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified and will be conducting a thorough investigation. A company spokeswoman says the worker was conducting a maintenance activity at the time he fell. The employee was a resident of Dearborn, just west of Detroit.

STATE BAR-CHALLENGE

Lawyer loses challenge to mandatory membership in group

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A federal appeals court has rejected a challenge to a policy that requires lawyers join the State Bar of Michigan. Lucille Taylor says the group’s use of her dues for advocacy activities violates her right to free speech, among other objections. But the appeals court says the U.S. Supreme Court has long held that mandatory membership as a condition of practicing law doesn’t violate constitutional protections. Taylor was chief counsel under Gov. John Engler and a top Republican lawyer in the Legislature. The appeals court affirmed a decision by federal Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids.

MARIJUANA SHOP DAMAGED-CRASH

Sheriff’s office: Crash pushes pot dispensary off foundation

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A marijuana shop in western Michigan has been pushed off its foundation after a Lexus sedan slammed into it. The Ottawa County sheriff’s office says a 26-year-old motorist failed to negotiate an intersection about 2:30 a.m. Friday in Holland Township, left the roadway and struck the building. Deputies said the Pure West Compassion Club Marijuana Dispensary suffered significant damage. No one was inside the building at the time of the crash and the motorist was not injured. Holland Township is southwest of Grand Rapids.

SITTING DEATH

Man charged with fatally sitting on girl to get evaluation

SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — A man charged with killing a 3-year-old girl by sitting on her will undergo a psychiatric evaluation before his case proceeds. Saginaw County District Judge M. Randall Jurrens signed an order Thursday sending 55-year-old John Graves to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ypsilanti, where staff will assess his competency to stand trial and whether he’s criminally responsibility for the alleged act. Graves is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Sept. 20 death of 3-year-old Paris N. Sharpe. Prosecutors say Graves was visiting an apartment in Bridgeport when he became intoxicated and sat on the girl while she slept on a couch.

ARIZONA FLOODING

Arizona governor declares emergency after Flagstaff floods

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Large swaths of Arizona have been inundated by flooding this week. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued an emergency declaration Friday in Coconino County because of extensive flooding in Flagstaff. He says he will make up to $200,000 available for the response. The northern Arizona city experienced flooding for a third day Friday. Debris in city streets forced some to close. At the Grand Canyon, officials identified a 29-year-old Michigan woman who found in frigid water after a flash flood rushed through her rafting group’s camp Thursday. The National Weather Service issued another barrage of weather statements on Friday, warning of more potential flooding across the state. 

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICHIGAN

The Michigan Senate moves to repeal Gov. emergency powers

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Republican state senators have approved the repeal of the Michigan law that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used to order emergency lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic, when Michigan was among the states hardest hit by COVID-19. The state Senate’s 20-15 vote Thursday along partisan lines came two days after the Board of State Canvassers certified Unlock Michigan’s petition drive to repeal the 1945 law Whitmer used to maintain a state of emergency and lockdown past 28 days without the Legislature’s input. Because it resulted from a petition drive, Whitmer wouldn’t be allowed to veto the repeal if the Republican-led House also approves it, as it’s expected to do.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

U-Michigan creates office to handle sexual misconduct, bias

DETROIT (AP) — The University of Michigan is creating a new office dedicated to investigating sexual misconduct claims, which will provide support to victims and offer education to the campus community. The office will have a broad portfolio, including to address civil rights issues and other discrimination. Separately, supervisors will be prohibited from starting a romantic relationship with subordinates. The university has been rocked by sexual misconduct scandals involving a senior official and a longtime doctor. The new, much larger office will replace the Office for Institutional Equity. President Mark Schlissel says the goal is to have a campus where students and staff feel safe and can thrive.

AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BORDER-SHOTS

Canadian government rejects virus shots in US border tunnel

DETROIT (AP) — A mayor in Ontario, Canada, says the Canadian government has rejected a creative plan to have people line up inside a U.S. border tunnel to tap into a surplus of COVID-19 vaccine held by Michigan. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens proposed bringing Ontario residents to the U.S.-Canada line in the Detroit River tunnel so they can get shots. Dilkens calls it a sensible approach. Motor vehicle travel between the counties is mostly prohibited. Dilkens says the Canada Border Services Agency vetoed his idea for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and Public Health Agency of Canada wasn’t excited, either. The mayor says the Canadian government “will not let this happen.”

The Associated Press

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