State Roundup

Flint Tentative Flint deal could bring union concessions FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Flint's state-appointed emergency financial manager says he's reached a tentative agreement on potential contract concessions with a union representing city firefighters. Michael Brown tells The Flint Journal that as of Wednesday morning that's the only signed agreement so far. Talks have included Flint's five other unions, including ones representing police. Brown isn't immediately releasing details of the proposal. He says the members of the firefighters' union are expected to review the deal and vote on it in about 10 days. Brown has said he wants to have a plan for addressing union contracts in place by Friday, as well as a 2013 budget and a deficit-elimination plan. The city's public safety unions have been operating under expired contracts for more than two years. Traverse City St. Vincent de Paul official faces more charges TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- Authorities have filed more embezzlement charges against the ex-president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Traverse City after accusations she stole at least about $140,000 from a charity created to serve the poor. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports 69-year-old Mary L. Flohe of Elmwood Township now is charged with nine felony counts of embezzling between $1,000 and $20,000 from a nonprofit or charitable organization. Flohe was charged with seven counts in January. Defense lawyer John Grogan says she's innocent. Flohe was the group's local president in until 2010, and prosecutors say she embezzled funds from 2007 through 2010. The organization operates a thrift store and provides other help to the needy. Flohe's trial is set for April 25. A final conference is scheduled for Friday. Detroit Plans move forward for RoboCop statue in Detroit DETROIT (AP) -- Plans are moving forward for a Detroit statue of the fictional crime-fighting cyborg RoboCop. The Detroit News reports Wednesday that a RoboCop model is being scanned at a studio in Canada. When the scanning process is completed, artists will create foam pieces that will be shipped to Detroit's Venus Bronze Works, where the parts of the statue will be cast. Jerry Paffendorf, who is involved in the effort, says the statue "will have a physical, as well as conceptual, origin in Detroit." Location and a completion date are uncertain. The 1980s science fiction movie was set in a futuristic and crime-ridden Detroit. The movement for a RoboCop statue started last year after a social networking campaign exploded in support of the project, quickly raising $50,000 to make it happen. East Lansing MSU: 30,000 applications received for fall 2012 EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan State University says its applications for the coming school year have topped 30,000 for the first time in its history. The university says as of Friday, 30,055 students had applied for admission for the fall semester. Admissions Director James Cotter says the East Lansing school expects to offer admission to about 20,000 students for the fall. The university says it got 26,907 applications last year and 25,349 in 2009. Cotter says the university received about 7,100 international applications by the deadline Sunday. Cheboygan Hospital closes ER, shutting down operations CHEBOYGAN, Mich. (AP) -- Cheboygan Memorial Hospital said it shut down its emergency room Tuesday and was being forced to close its other operations after a proposed sale of the facility to McLaren Health Care Corp. was blocked, throwing hopes of preserving health services at the area's largest employer into doubt. The sale of the northern Lower Peninsula hospital to Flint-based McLaren was expected to wrap up Tuesday but came to a halt late Monday amid regulatory issues, the Cheboygan Daily Tribune reported. The Board of Trustees of Cheboygan Memorial Hospital voted to close, saying it didn't have the money to stay open. In a posting on its website Tuesday, the hospital said its emergency room was closed and its operations were winding down. "All routine hospital services are closed today," the hospital said. Chief Executive Officer Shari Schult said arrangements were being made to divert ambulances to other hospitals. She said in a statement that other services also will be shut down, including outpatient clinics, laboratories and rehabilitation. "It's very frustrating that in spite of all the work put into this effort that we were unable to secure health care in Cheboygan," Schult said. Kevin Tompkins, a spokesman for McLaren, told The Associated Press the health system plans to work with Cheboygan-area doctors to preserve health services in the region. He said McLaren learned Monday that if it went through with the purchase, it might not be able to operate the hospital for six months or longer because of licensing issues. "We're frustrated and disappointed that we couldn't get this where we needed it to be," Tompkins said. A message seeking additional information was left Tuesday with a representative of CMH. CMH on March 1 announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after losing more than $7 million last year. A federal judge earlier approved the sale to McLaren. But CMH said it couldn't get proper federal approval for its emergency services and outpatient surgery area to continue operating in time. "CMH will have a period of time in which they will wind down," Schult stated. "We'll cease operations, but there will be a period of time when we'll have to wind down the (entire) corporation." Cheboygan Memorial Hospital is the largest employer in rural Cheboygan County, with a staff of about 400. The hospital and its Indian River facility were to close, Schult said. The hospital had offered limited services on Monday, including the emergency room, as it prepared to transition to McLaren's ownership. Published: Thu, Apr 5, 2012