State Roundup

Paw Paw Jury convicts man in shotgun slayings of 2 women PAW PAW, Mich. (AP) -- A southwestern Michigan man was convicted Tuesday in the shotgun slayings of his girlfriend and his cousin's wife, despite his story to police that one of the women shot the other in a jealous rage. Junior Lee Beebe, 34, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Tonya Howarth, 36, and second-degree murder in the slaying of Amy Henslee, 30, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette. A Van Buren County Circuit Court jury delivered the verdict after about five hours of deliberations that began Friday. "Where there's God, there's a way, and he came through today," Henslee's husband, James, said outside the courthouse in Paw Pay after the conviction. "It's the verdict I've been waiting for." The women's bodies were found Jan. 27 in a shallow grave near Beebe's trailer in Van Buren County, about 60 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. Both women were shot twice. Beebe told authorities that Howarth, his girlfriend, stormed into his trailer Jan. 24 and saw him sitting on a bed with Amy Henslee, with whom he was having an affair. Beebe said Howarth fatally shot Henslee, and that Howarth was shot as he fought with her after the gun jammed, a Michigan State Police investigator testified during the trial. Prosecutors allege that Beebe killed both women. Beebe did not testify during the trial. "I'm very disappointed in the verdict. It doesn't hold up to logic," Beebe's attorney David Hunt told The Associated Press. "I'm sure Mr. Beebe will be appealing." Flint 2 arraigned in fatal shooting of retired deputy FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- A 17-year-old and 18-year-old face murder charges in the shooting death of a retired Genesee County sheriff's deputy during a burglary at his Flint home. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton says in a release that Ryan Deville of Mount Morris Township and Aaron Robinson of Flint were arraigned Tuesday in 68th District Court. Lonnie Thomas was shot several times in the head Friday when the 76-year-old surprised intruders who had removed an air conditioner from a window. Money, guns and a truck were taken. Thomas' body was found Saturday. The defendants were arrested after one of them was caught in the truck. Deville and Robinson also are charged with safe-breaking, armed robbery and carjacking. The Associated Press could not determine Tuesday afternoon if they had attorneys. Ann Arbor U. of Mich. getting up to $3.5M in nuclear grants ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- The Energy Department says it's awarded the University of Michigan up to about $3.5 million in research grants aimed at enhancing technology and training for the U.S. nuclear energy industry. The announcement was made Tuesday. It's part of up to $39 million in grants to support up to 51 projects at U.S. colleges and universities. The projects at the Ann Arbor school aim to examine fuel recycling, develop simulation tools and lay the groundwork for new nuclear energy technologies. Lansing State lets some families know aid is running out LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan has begun notifying some families receiving welfare benefits that their federal assistance is running out. The move could affect nearly 14,000 families who had secured an extension on the 5-year federal limit to receive benefits, the Detroit Free Press reported (http://bit.ly/pBEkRE ). Letters began going out Tuesday that include contact information for caseworkers who will try to help families find other assistance programs. They also encourage recipients to call United Way's referral service for help getting additional assistance, if needed. "I'm concerned" about the families, said Michigan Department of Human Services Director Maura Corrigan, "but we're here to help them make that transition -- to fulfill the intent of the law and to get them to self-sufficiency." The notices come at the same time the state is revamping how it hands out assistance, Corrigan said. It's also planning to put into effect a four-year limit in most cases for families receiving welfare benefits. The state aims to save millions of dollars in the next budget with such changes. The limit could begin Oct. 1, Corrigan said. Critics have argued that such a limit would boot some needy families off public assistance. East Lansing $2.2M grant supports freshwater research at MSU EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A $2.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation is supporting research at Michigan State University into the effect of land use and climate change on freshwater ecosystems. The school announced Tuesday that the work is being done by Patricia Soranno, an associate professor of fisheries and wildlife. She's leading a team of researchers who have been awarded a 5-year grant from a program studying continental ecosystems. The researchers will collect data on lakes, nutrients and watersheds from more than 5,000 lakes in more than 10 states. Published: Thu, Aug 11, 2011