State Roundup

Ann Arbor: U-M student drops request for order of protection
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The openly gay student government president at the University of Michigan has dropped a request for a personal protection order against a state lawyer who’s accused of harassing him.

An official at the Washtenaw County Circuit Court in Ann Arbor says 21-year-old Chris Armstrong’s lawyer filed the motion Monday, hours before a court hearing.

Armstrong had requested the order earlier this month against Andrew Shirvell, a Michigan assistant attorney general. He claimed the 30-year-old lawyer frequently harassed him over a five-month period.

Shirvell started a blog in April that criticized Armstrong as a racist with a “radical homosexual agenda.” Shirvell remains on personal leave from his state job.

A message seeking comment was left for Armstrong’s lawyer, Ashwin Patel.

Detroit: Green Party OKs fix for Wayne Co. Nov. ballot error
DETROIT (AP) — Green Party Chairman Fred Vitale says he will try to “make friends, not enemies” when the group discusses a mistake that left two of its Wayne County Commission candidates off the November ballot.

The Wayne County Board of Elections mistake left 5th District candidate Dianne Feeley and 6th District candidate Louis Novak off absentee voter ballots, and ballots distributed to polls.

Chief Deputy Wayne County Clerk Caven West said new ballots will be printed and mailed to every absentee voter in both districts.

Vitale says the party will not challenge the county’s fix unless the Nov. 2 general election results seem skewed. He says he will instead leverage media attention to discuss the Green Party’s goals and platform during a Monday news conference.

Lansing: Casket of state’s first governor to be put on display
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The casket containing the remains of Michigan’s first governor will be displayed at the Capitol.

Stevens T. Mason’s casket will be in the Capitol Rotunda for viewing Tuesday.

Members of the Michigan Army National Guard Funeral Honors Team will provide guard detail.

The casket departs Wednesday morning for Detroit’s Capitol Park, where Mason’s remains will be reburied at 1 p.m.