Court: Woman’s church ceremony doesn’t upset alimony
PONTIAC (AP) — A court says a church ceremony that resembles a wedding isn’t a marriage if there’s no license.
The decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals is worth $120,000 a year to Karen Lueck. She was divorced in 2014 from James Lueck and is entitled to alimony for 10 years unless she remarries.
A pastor at First Congregational Church of Traverse City performed a Christian marriage ceremony for Lueck and her partner, Matthew Bassett. They exchanged vows and rings — but didn’t seek a marriage license.
Oakland County Judge Lisa Gorcyca cut off Lueck’s financial support in 2017, saying her actions were “fraudulent and manipulative.” But the appeals court this week threw out Gorcyca’s decision and reinstated the alimony.
The court says Lueck’s ceremony wasn’t a new marriage without a license.
Michigan man gets up to 20 years for bank heist that netted $106
HOWELL (AP) — A Michigan man has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for a bank robbery that netted $106.
Robert Joseph Markus of Brighton was given his punishment last week in a Livingston County courtroom after earlier pleading guilty to bank robbery and armed robbery in a deal with prosecutors. Chief Judge Miriam Cavanaugh ordered him to serve a minimum of 6¾ years and repay the money.
Markus was charged after authorities said he robbed a TCF Bank branch in January in Genoa Township. Police say Markus was wearing a ski mask and implied that he had a weapon, but didn’t show one during the robbery.
Markus faced possible life in prison because of previous convictions, including larceny and breaking and entering.
Police: More than $1M in drugs wash ashore
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (AP) — Police in a coastal Alabama city are investigating after more than $1 million worth of marijuana and cocaine washed ashore.
Orange Beach police tell WALA -TV beachgoers found the drugs last week. One package contained 21 pounds of marijuana and one kilogram of cocaine. Another bundle contained 38 kilograms of cocaine.
Police don’t know where the drugs came from.
They say at least one of the packages had barnacles on it, indicating it had been in the water for some time. Police have alerted federal authorities, who are helping with investigation.
Road closes when bee boxes fall off university truck
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Traffic was disrupted in a Washington state city when boxes holding thousands of bees fell off a truck.
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports the boxes fell off a Washington State University truck on Thursday morning in Pullman.
Police Chief Gary Jenkins says an officer at the scene described thousands of bees buzzing through the air while university employees put on protective gear and picked up the boxes.
A road was closed for about three hours.
The WSU Department of Entomology has a breeding program and research lab to study and protect bee populations.
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