At a Glance ...

Man sentenced for swapping fake diamonds for real ones

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) — A federal judge has sentenced a man to two years in prison for swapping fake diamonds for real ones at jewelry stores in several states.

Demetrius Eugene Woodson, 28, was sentenced recently in U.S. District Court in Kalamazoo. Woodson, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., was also ordered to pay more than $89,000 in restitution.

MLive.com reports Woodson and a co-defendant took part in the scheme involving jewelry stores in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and New Jersey. They had operated out of Toledo, Ohio.

Police said Woodson would swap cubic zirconia diamonds for real diamonds while store clerks were distracted.

Police caught Woodson and his co-defendant the same day they took $7,000 worth of diamonds from a Michigan store.


August declared  Immunization Awareness Month

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued a proclamation declaring August as Immunization Awareness Month.
 
Vaccines have greatly reduced the prevalence of infectious diseases throughout the United States.

Currently, the U.S. has the safest vaccine supply in history. However, vaccine-preventable diseases still circulate in Michigan, and as of 2017, only 69.9 percent of children aged 19-35 months were up to date on their recommended vaccines.

Michigan also recently experienced its largest hepatitis A outbreak ever and, in 2018, had the highest number of confirmed measles cases in the state since 1994.


Partnerships urged to keep students out of court

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's governor and chief justice are encouraging each county to create a partnership between schools and law enforcement to help students who commit minor offices stay out of court.

Gov. Roy Cooper and Chief Justice Cheri Beasley spoke at a Back to School Safety Summit in Greensboro, where they discussed School Justice Partnerships. Eight counties have the partnerships, and more than 30 others are developing them.

Each partnership develops an agreement that establishes guidelines for addressing student misconduct without court or law enforcement involvement.

In North Carolina, school-based referrals make up about 40 percent of the referrals to the juvenile justice system. Most of these referrals are for minor, nonviolent transgressions.


Bear breaks into house, leaves by pushing through a wall

DENVER (AP) — A black bear broke into a Colorado house over the weekend and left by breaking through a wall “like the Kool-Aid Man.”

Estes Park police say the animal was likely attracted to trash.

A Facebook post by the police department said: “Upon officer’s arrival, said bear forcibly breached a hole in the wall like the ‘Kool-Aid Man’ and made its escape.”

The Denver Post reports no one was injured.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said bears entered over 35 vehicles and nine residences in the Estes Park area in the 10 days before Aug. 3. Residents were encouraged to close and lock all doors and windows to homes and vehicles.

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