State Roundup

Traverse City
No Hanukkah song at Mich. Catholic school concert
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A Catholic schools administrator in Traverse City has dropped a Hanukkah song from a Christmas concert.
Mike Buell of Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools says he doesn't have a problem with Jewish music. But he says it's a season to focus on the birth of Jesus.
The song "Festival of Lights" was supposed to be performed Tuesday night by students from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Middle School. The students are taught by two music instructors from Traverse City public schools.
The instructors were not going to participate without "Festival of Lights." The Traverse City Record-Eagle says Buell decided Monday to drop the Hanukkah song and put the concert in the hands of Catholic schools staff.

Ross Township
Teenager who brought gun to school readmitted
ROSS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan school district is allowing a teen back in school, a year after he was caught with a loaded gun and 200 rounds of ammunition.
The school board in the Gull Lake district heard passionate pleas on both sides of the issue Monday night before voting to readmit the boy, who's 14. TV station WWMT  says he will be enrolled in Gateway Academy, an alternative school, but will be banned from other school properties until 2014.
Police say the boy brought a handgun and 200 rounds of ammunition to a middle school in November 2011 as part of a plan to run away with two classmates. The gun was found under rocks in the parking lot.
The Gull Lake district is 15 miles northeast of Kalamazoo.

Detroit
Ex-con who worked for Kilpatrick joins Rep. Peters
DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area congressman has hired an ex-convict who worked for former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Kandia Milton is working for U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Oakland County. Peters tells TV station WXYZ that he's a Christian who believes in giving people a second chance.
He says Milton, who was sentenced to 14 months in prison, has "paid his price." Milton rose to become deputy mayor under Kilpatrick. He pleaded guilty to taking a $20,000 kickback to help arrange the sale of city land.
Milton will be paid about $43,000 to work for Peters, whose new congressional district includes a large chunk of Detroit. Milton could be called as a witness at Kilpatrick's ongoing corruption trial in federal court.

Detroit
Teen tries to bring loaded gun into Detroit school
DETROIT (AP) — A 13-year-old boy was caught carrying a loaded handgun into a Detroit school.
Detroit TV station WDIV says the boy felt threatened by other students Monday at Marquette Elementary-Middle School. Officials tell WDIV that the gun was seized when it set off a metal detector at the entrance.
In a statement, Detroit Public Schools says safety is a top priority. The district says it sent an email to parents informing them about the incident. The teenager was taken to a youth facility.