State Roundup

Detroit Fed. agency ends management of public housing DETROIT (AP) - The federal government's 10 years of managing Detroit's public housing system has ended, restoring it to local control, officials said Tuesday. In a statement, U.S. Housing Secretary Julian Castro said the update "represents an important milestone in Detroit's road to recovery." The change made public this week was effective March 16, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said. "It's because of our partnership with local leaders and public housing residents that the people of this great city once again have a housing commission that they can count on," Castro said. The department took over the Detroit Housing Commission in 2005 because of a variety of mismanagement and regulatory compliance issues. They included financial record problems, poor living conditions and failure to carry out construction projects. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Detroit Housing Commission have hired an executive director to manage and oversee day-to-day operations, cut staff and increased the occupancy rate to 97 percent from 70 percent in 2005. "The Detroit Housing Commission plays a critical role in making sure low-income Detroiters have access to quality, affordable housing," Mayor Mike Duggan said. "We look forward to building on the progress they already have made." Lansing Water quality monitoring efforts to receive awards LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan is awarding nearly $300,000 to universities, local governments and nonprofits to monitor water quality. Recipients announced Tuesday by the Department of Environmental Quality include Saginaw Valley State University, which is getting more than $61,000 to monitor Bad Axe Creek in Huron County; and Calvin College, which is getting more than $56,000 for Plaster Creek in Kent County. The Kalamazoo County Office of the Drain Commissioner received more than $39,000; Western Michigan University got about $37,000; and the Wayne County Department of Public Services received nearly $36,000 to monitor the Rouge River in two counties. Other recipients include the Clinton Conservation District, which is receiving about $29,000; the Schrems West Michigan Chapter of Trout Unlimited, which got about $24,500; the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, which is getting about $15,000. Detroit Man gets prison in death of woman while fleeing cops DETROIT (AP) - A parolee who caused a crash that killed a 25-year-old woman while fleeing police has been sentenced to up to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. John McCallum was sentenced Tuesday to between 20 years and 45 years in prison in Detroit. The plea agreement reached earlier this month included the dismissal of other charges, including reckless driving causing death. A Livonia police officer was chasing John McCallum in October when the home invasion suspect crashed into Francesca Weatherhead's vehicle in Wayne County's Redford Township. Relatives say the newlywed had just moved to a new house in Royal Oak. Michigan paroled the 27-year-old Detroit man last May after five years' imprisonment for home invasion. Monitor Twp. @ROUND UP Briefs Headline:Sugar beet processing plants wrap up work MONITOR TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Sugar beet processing plants have wrapped up their annual work after a big Michigan harvest. The Bay City Times reports Michigan Sugar Co. on Monday finished processing. Growers are waiting for fields to dry out so they can plant in April. Last year, the majority of planting happened in May after a very wet spring. Officials say the past season produced a record crop for the Monitor Township-based, grower-owned cooperative to produce sugar with under the Pioneer Sugar and Big Chief Sugar brands. In the fall, growers delivered more than 4.72 million tons of beets, up from more than 4.17 million tons in 2013. Michigan Sugar says the yield was 29.6 tons per acre, the highest ever. And it was the second-largest crop behind 4.75 million tons in 2012. Detroit @ROUND UP Briefs Headline:Competition for fuel-efficient vehicles planned DETROIT (AP) - A competition involving fuel-efficient vehicles is planned for April in Detroit. The University of Michigan says its Supermileage Team will compete in the "Shell Eco-marathon Americas," which takes place in over several days. The Ann Arbor school says the team's torpedo-shaped one-seater that's being entered is powered by a modified lawnmower engine. The school says those involved predict it could get 1,500 miles per gallon. The competition typically attracts engineering students who aim to design, build and drive the most energy-efficient vehicles. More than 130 teams are expected for the competition. In all, the school says more than 1,000 participants are expected to race. Events are planned for Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. Published: Wed, Apr 01, 2015