Official enters plea in lead-contaminated water case in Flint
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s former state epidemiologist pleaded no contest on Wednesday to a neglect of duty charge stemming from the investigation into the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint.
Corinne Miller entered the plea to the misdemeanor count in exchange for prosecutors dropping felony misconduct and conspiracy charges. As part of the deal, Miller also acknowledged that she was aware of dozens of cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Flint area two years ago but didn’t report it to the general public.
The city started using the Flint River as its water source to save money in 2014. A definitive connection between the corrosive water and Legionnaires’ has not been made, but many experts believe it likely was the cause. At least 91 Legionnaires’ cases were detected in 2014 and 2015.
A no contest plea isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated that way for sentencing. Miller’s attorney, Kristen Guinn, said Miller entered the plea because of potential civil actions.
Another past city official, former Utilities Administrator Mike Glasgow, pleaded no contest to neglect in May.
Flint, a financially struggling city of 100,000 people, switched from Detroit’s water system to the Flint River to save money in 2014. But tests later showed that the river water was improperly treated and coursed through aging pipes and fixtures, releasing toxic lead.
Court: Playground built along Michigan trail must be removed
ROCKFORD, Mich. (AP) — A court has declared that a playground that a man built near his home near the White Pine Trail in western Michigan is a public nuisance.
The Grand Rapids Press reports Kent County Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock on Friday ordered Paul Golembiewski of Rockford to remove the play structures, basketball hoop, swings, deck, bridge and boulders within six months.
The playground and other features were built and maintained over decades. Trusock notes, however, that Golembiewski acknowledges he doesn't own land that's at issue in the case. The playground encroaches on a right of way for the White Pine Trail.
The state for years has been trying to get the playground north of Grand Rapids removed. Golembiewski says he received verbal permission decades ago from railroad and state officials.
Detroit Mercy Law to celebrate Red Mass
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law will host its104th annual Red Mass at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church, 629 E. Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit. The church is immediately adjacent to the School of Law Campus. The Red Mass is an occasion for judges, attorneys, and officials of all faiths to pray together for guidance at the beginning of the new judicial term and join in the Renewal of the Lawyer’s Oath of Commitment. For more information on the Red Mass, contact Denise Hickey, Assistant Dean of Alumni Relations, at (313) 596-0202 or at hickeydp@udmercy.edu.
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