At a Glance

Questions raised about murder convictions in DUI case

CHARLOTTE (AP) — A Michigan appeals court judge is urging the state’s highest court to clarify the legal standard for charging drunken drivers with second-degree murder.

In a recent 2-1 decision, the appeals court affirmed the murder conviction and severe sentence for a woman whose 4-year-old daughter died in Eaton County.

Starr Kiogima must serve 25 years in prison before she’s eligible for parole.

The court says there’s evidence of malice to support second-degree murder, noting that Kiogima failed to restrain her child in the car before the 2013 crash.

But Judge Douglas Shapiro disagreed. He says Kiogima was “grossly negligent” but her actions didn’t rise to murder. He had no problem with a 10-year sentence for drunken driving causing death.

Shapiro says Michigan needs a “clear rule of law” on the matter.

Business school at Wayne State starts diversity institute

DETROIT (AP) — The Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University is starting an institute to integrate a focus on organizational diversity and inclusive leadership.

The Institute for Leadership and Diversity will consolidate and expand the Detroit school’s leadership service and research programs. It also will seek to offer innovative student, community and executive leadership education and development opportunities.

Efforts that already have taken place at the school include the Young Entrepreneurs Academy that’s focused on middle school and high school girls. The school also launched a corporate mentor program, which pairs first-generation college students with Detroit executives.

Man pleads guilty to capturing and killing hawks

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to capturing and killing federally protected hawks.

Connecticut U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly says Adam Boguski, 43, pleaded guilty recently in federal court in Hartford to charges including two counts of taking, capturing and killing Cooper’s hawks.

Prosecutors say Boguski and another man are pigeon-racing enthusiasts who killed the predatory hawks because they saw them as threats to their pigeons.

Prosecutors say the men captured the hawks in a trap designed to capture birds of prey and then shot and killed them in it.

Cooper’s hawks are protected under federal law.

Boguski faces a maximum of 18 months in prison.

Crusade to bring back creamer gets results

EAST LANSING (AP) — A Michigan woman is being credited for helping to get an Amaretto-flavored coffee creamer back on store shelves.

The Lansing State Journal reports Judy Riedel Tugen of Williamston started using the Coffeemate creamer two decades ago, saying it has “a very comforting, soothing, almond and cherry flavor.”

Last year, however, she learned Coffeemate discontinued the flavor so the 73-year-old retiree petitioned Coffeemate via social media, called and wrote letters.

Coffeemate heard her pleas and now says the Amaretto-flavored creamer will be sold through the end of the year.

Coffeemate said it received thousands of requests to bring back the flavor —”but none were as passionate as Judy.”
 

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