State Roundup

East Lansing
Study to look at economic, social effects of blight

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Researchers at Michigan State University will be working to help study the economic and social effects of efforts to fight blight in Michigan cities.

Federal funding has supported local efforts to deal with blighted buildings in recent years, with a goal of stabilizing neighborhoods. The MSU Land Policy Institute will work with the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Nonprofit Housing Corporation on the study.

Cities targeted for funding to boost blight-elimination efforts include Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Pontiac, Saginaw, Lansing, Jackson, Highland Park, Inkster, Ecorse, Muskegon Heights, River Rouge, Port Huron, Hamtramck, Ironwood and Adrian.

Researchers will look at housing vacancies, foreclosures, foreclosure assistance and crime in cities and neighborhoods. They'll also survey area residents and examine the effects of blight and cleanup efforts on property values.

Muskegon
WWII vet marks 97th birthday on board LST ship

MUKSEGON, Mich. (AP) - A World War II veteran who served aboard a tank landing craft has celebrated his 97th birthday on a vessel of the same design in western Michigan.

Sidney Lenger was joined by friends and family Tuesday on board the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum in Muskegon. The Muskegon Chronicle reports that festivities at the birthday celebration included a musical performance, a short film and several personal tributes in his honor.

During WWII, Lenger worked in the wheel house of the LST 651 in the Asian Theater as a member of the U.S. Navy.

The LST ships were designed without a keel so they could roll up onto the beach, but they also were less stable.

Lenger occasionally has taken groups on tours of the LST 393.

Niles
Prosecutor confident about sex case outcome

NILES, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan prosecutor isn't offering much public reaction after a judge threw out a sentence that put a 19-year-old Indiana man on two sex offender registries for having sex with a 14-year-old who lied about her age.

Berrien County prosecutor Michael Sepic says he's confident another judge will look at everything, especially the "public's concern for minors who are unable to make appropriate potentially life-changing decisions." His statement was released Wednesday.

Berrien County Judge Dennis Wiley has ordered a new sentence for Zach Anderson of Elkhart, Indiana. Anderson's lawyer had argued that prosecutors failed to remain neutral on a key part of the plea deal, which would have erased his record if he stayed out of trouble.

Anderson's punishment had been criticized by many people as too strict.

Muskegon
Man arraigned following crash that killed cyclist

MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) - A 26-year-old man has been arraigned following a hit-and-run crash that killed a 50-year-old Detroit-area bicyclist in western Michigan.

The Muskegon Chronicle reports Ronnie Jo Claflin of Muskegon Township appeared in court Wednesday after surrendering last month to police. He's charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death.

A Sept. 22 hearing is scheduled, but an attorney for Claflin says a delay will be requested to allow more preparation time.

Susan Cummings, a nurse from Lake Orion, was part of a group bicycling across Michigan's Lower Peninsula. She was struck Aug. 8 by a truck while riding from Montague Township to Bay City.

Prosecutors have said the driver failed to stop although he "knew or had reason to know he'd been at fault."

Published: Thu, Sep 10, 2015