State Roundup

Muskegon Man who killed wife, self was corrections officer MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) -- Authorities say a western Michigan man who fatally shot his wife before killing himself was a state corrections officer. Muskegon police say they found the bodies of 36-year-old Jesus Flores and his 35-year-old wife Jennifer in their home Sunday. WWMT-TV says Jesus Flores worked at the Brooks Correctional Facility in Muskegon. The station says Jennifer Flores' brother saw her husband pull out a gun and shoot her. The couple were recently married. Lansing Dems propose extending battery tax breaks LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan Democrats said Monday they want to continue specifically targeted tax incentives for advanced battery manufacturers, putting them at odds with Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and GOP lawmakers who control the Legislature. The industry-specific tax credits are among those scheduled to be phased out under tax policy changes Snyder has signed into law. It's part of a strategy to lower overall business taxes and leave more flexibility for economic development incentives beginning with the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. Democrats say that's a mistake when it comes to the advanced vehicle battery business, which has begun growing in Michigan with the help of federal grants and state incentives. The Democratic plan also would include tax credits for buying electric vehicles and charging stations. "Michigan's advanced battery sector is a true success story of a local Michigan industry that's creating jobs, and we must do everything we can to continue the momentum," Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer said. Advanced battery tax credits that already have been awarded will be honored. But beyond that, battery manufacturers will have to compete with other types of companies for a $125 million incentive pool starting next fiscal year. Michael Finney, president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., said the changes will help make the state more business friendly. "What we've been trying to do is not necessarily pick winners and losers, but to really focus on being opportunistic," Finney said. "That means we have to look for every sector and every opportunity that exists within those sectors." Traverse City Co-worker: UP man killed by grizzly loved nature TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- An Upper Peninsula man killed by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park last week was an avid hiker who never mentioned the possibility of encountering bears in the wild, a friend and co-worker said Monday. John Wallace, 59, was found dead Friday along a trail in the park. An autopsy concluded he died from injuries sustained in a bear attack. Wallace lived in Chassell and worked for about two decades at the Portage Lake District Library in nearby Houghton, library director Shawn Leche said. He said Wallace, a staff librarian and building superintendent, was married and had no children. A nature lover who enjoyed national parks, Wallace had requested vacation time to hike and camp in Yellowstone, which he had visited before, Leche told The Associated Press. He said nothing about venturing onto backcountry trails where he might meet bears, Leche said. "The possibility of encountering grizzlies never even came into our conversations," he said. "It could have been something he was totally unprepared to deal with. He never mentioned to me that he had run into bears before." Leche said Wallace enjoyed gardening, books and the Metropolitan Opera. He was a conscientious worker who juggled office tasks with frequent repairs to the library's balky heating and air conditioning system, Leche said. Wallace also treasured animals, including his two Australian shepherd dogs, one of which died last year, Leche said. "It's hideously perverse to think that someone who loved nature so much would come to such an untimely end at the hand of nature," Leche said. "To me that just sounds so unfair. It's shocking." Lansing Enrollment a factor in Michigan school finances LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A new report says declining enrollment is one reason many Michigan public schools are facing financial struggles. About 61 percent of Michigan's 551 traditional public school districts faced some degree of declining enrollment between the state's 1995 and 2009 fiscal years. That's according to a report Monday from the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan. It's an important factor because much of the state aid that goes to school districts is granted on a per-student basis. The report says about half of Michigan's school districts saw a decline in their total state aid foundation revenue between the 1995 and 2009 fiscal years once it's adjusted for inflation. The report says the per-student gap between the state's highest and lowest funded districts has shrunk but still exists. Lansing Melton to leave Michigan House for education group LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A Democrat in the Michigan House is resigning to take a job with an education group. Rep. Tim Melton of Auburn Hills in Oakland County said Tuesday that he's leaving the House on Sept. 9. He's taking a job with the education reform group StudentsFirst. StudentsFirst was founded by Michelle Rhee, the former head of public schools in Washington, D.C. Her group supports ending teacher tenure, implementing merit pay for teachers and other changes. Melton is in his third term in the House and would not be able to run again in 2012 because of term limits. His departure will leave Republicans with a 63-46 advantage in the House. Lansing McCotter cancels media talk about White House run LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Congressman Thad McCotter had to pass up a trip to Lansing to meet with reporters and raise money for his longshot presidential campaign after events unexpectedly kept him in southeastern Michigan. Campaign spokesman Martin Van Valkenburg says the Livonia Republican had planned to hold a fundraiser and a media roundtable Tuesday. Both events were canceled shortly before the morning news conference was to begin. The spokesman blamed a scheduling conflict and said McCotter would reschedule the Lansing trip soon. The five-term congressman opened his national campaign headquarters in Plymouth earlier this month after launching his presidential bid in July. Known for his eccentric sense of humor and independent streak, the 46-year-old attorney is one of 10 Republican presidential candidates. He finished last in the recent Iowa straw poll. Published: Wed, Aug 31, 2011