State Roundup

East Lansing Report: Gov.-backed bridge would ease congestion EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A report finds a proposed new bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, that's backed by Michigan's governor would ease congestion, while a privately backed rival would not. The East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group released an independent report Tuesday examining the New International Trade Crossing supported by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and the Detroit International Bridge Co. plan from owners of the Ambassador Bridge. The report says the NITC would potentially reduce congestion and prepare for traffic increases. The competing plan to build a second span next to the Ambassador Bridge wouldn't eliminate congestion on both sides of the border. The report also finds both are susceptible to revenue shortfalls if traffic volumes are low, but the risk is greater for the more costly NITC project. Flint City getting more in-depth review of finances FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Flint's finances are getting a more in-depth review by the state after what's described as probable financial stress was found in its finances. The Flint Journal reports that the state treasury office told Mayor Dayne Walling last week about the finding. A panel is expected to report to Gov. Rick Snyder within about two months whether there's a financial emergency in Flint. In August, Michigan officials ordered a preliminary review of Flint's finances, the first involving a Michigan city since the state revised its emergency manager law early this year. The process could lead to the state appointing an emergency manager. Walling says he believes the appointment of an emergency manager can be avoided. Michigan has emergency managers in place in the Detroit public school system and three cities. Warren State police to probe post-Taser death WARREN, Mich. (AP) -- Warren has asked state police to investigate the death of a man after officers in the Detroit suburb used a Taser to subdue him. Police Commissioner Jere Green tells The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens and The Detroit News that his department wanted an outside probe of the circumstances of the death of 27-year-old Richard Kokenos. Police say officers came into contact with the Warren man about 12:30 a.m. Saturday after getting several 911 calls about possible home invasions. They say officers used the electrical shock device to stun and subdue Kokenos. Mayor Jim Fouts says it's important to have an independent investigation "whenever there is a loss of life involving the police." So far, authorities haven't released the cause of death. Ecorse Detroit-area soldier killed by IED in Afghanistan ECORSE, Mich. (AP) -- The Pentagon says a 24-year-old Army combat engineer from suburban Detroit has been killed in fighting in Afghanistan. The Defense Department announced Monday evening that Army Spc. Chazray Clark of Ecorse died Sunday in Afghanistan's Kandahar Province. It says Clark was wounded when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. His remains arrived Monday afternoon at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He was part of the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Riley, Kan. Fort Riley says Clark joined the Army in September 2009 and began his first deployment to Afghanistan this February. He's survived by his wife and one child. Saginaw Hearing for officer in pregnant woman's killing SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) -- A judge has scheduled an Oct. 3 court date in the process of deciding whether to try a Michigan police officer accused of strangling a pregnant woman whose body was found near his department's gun range in Saginaw County. Thirty-six-year-old Buena Vista Township Officer Kenneth Bluew is being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder and felony firearm possession, as well as a charge related to the death of the unborn child. Authorities aren't commenting on any relationship between Bluew and 32-year-old Jennifer Webb, who was killed Aug. 30. Saginaw County District Judge Christopher Boyd on Monday postponed a preliminary examination for Bluew so new defense lawyer Rod O'Farrell can receive and study case records. The Oct. 3 conference is to help decide when to hold the examination. Ann Arbor UM freezes book digitizing project after lawsuit ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- The University of Michigan says it has committed some serious errors in its legally challenged book digitizing project and is putting new releases on hold. The action follows a copyright infringement suit filed Sept. 12 in federal court in Manhattan by the Authors Guild, the Australian Society of Authors, a Quebec writers' group and eight individual authors. The suit names the universities of Michigan, California and Wisconsin, and Indiana and Cornell universities. Michigan acknowledged committing a "number of errors, some of them serious," AnnArbor.com reported Monday. "Our pilot process is flawed," the university said in a statement. "Having learned from our mistakes -- we are, after all, an educational institution -- we have already begun an examination of our procedures to identify the gaps that allowed volumes that are evidently not orphan works to be added to the list." Before pausing the program, the Ann Arbor school planned to release 27 books on Oct. 13 and 140 books starting in November as a part of its Orphan Works Project for books out of copyright protection. Authors Guild President Scott Turow issued a statement saying Michigan's digitizing project needlessly puts works under copyright at risk. "Even if it weren't for this preposterous, ad-hoc initiative, we'd have a major problem with the digital repository. Authors shouldn't have to trust their works to a group that's making up the rules as it goes along," Turow said. The authors said books from nearly every nation have been digitized, including thousands of works published in 2001 in China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and hundreds from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, The Netherlands, The Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Lansing Man gets up to 20 years in cemetery case LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A former Oklahoma oilman and cemetery owner has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $48 million in restitution for embezzling from cemetery trust funds in Michigan. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (SHOO'-dee) says 71-year-old Clayton Smart of Okmulgee, Okla., was sentenced Monday in Detroit. Smart had pleaded guilty to 39 felony counts filed by Schuette's office after an investigation revealed he'd embezzled up to $70 million in trust funds affecting 28 Michigan cemeteries. The multi-jurisdictional plea agreement resolving Smart's case addresses charges filed by Michigan and the federal government. It was entered Sept. 1. Smart and at least two others were charged in courts in Tennessee and Michigan with diverting millions from cemetery trust funds over a period of years for personal use. Published: Wed, Sep 21, 2011