Wayne County Judge Vonda Evans resigns
DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit judge who was criticized last year for her attendance says she’s resigning after 21 years on the bench.
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Vonda Evans described her departure as a retirement in an emotional video posted this week on social media. She said, “It’s time now for me to close the book.”
She tapped her gavel and said her courtroom is “in permanent recess.” She signed the letter while on camera.
In recent years, Evans presided over high-profile cases, including the murder trial of Robert Bashara and the assault trial of Inkster Officer William Melendez.
In April, WXYZ-TV reported that Evans appeared late to work, left early and sometimes failed to show up at the Frank Murphy courthouse. She denied some allegations and said her attendance wasn’t much different than the performance of other judges.
Court rejects appeal over military burn pits
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is rejecting appeals from military veterans who claim they suffer health problems because of open burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The justices this week left in place a federal appeals court ruling that more than 60 lawsuits over the burn pits could not go forward.
The lawsuits said military contractor KBR dumped tires, batteries, medical waste and other materials into open burn pits. The suits claimed the resulting smoke caused neurological problems, cancers and other health issues in more than 800 service members. The complaints said at least 12 service members died.
The appeals court said KBR was essentially under military control and had little discretion in deciding how to manage the waste.
University reaches $100M fundraising goal early
DETROIT (AP) — The University of Detroit Mercy says it’s reached its $100 million fundraising goal a year ahead of schedule.
The school’s President Antoine M. Garibaldi announced Monday that “momentum and enthusiasm” for the effort helped “The Campaign for University of Detroit Mercy” succeed.
The university says the fundraising effort still will continue as planned through the end of the year.
The fundraising effort was made public in 2017, when $78.5 million was already raised.
Woman has 50-pound tumor removed
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho woman who thought she was gaining weight because of menopause discovered she actually had a 50-pound tumor that had been growing inside her for decades.
Boise television station KTVB reports Brenda Cridland of Meridian chalked up her weight gain to aging, but when her health started to quickly decline eight months ago she decided to see a doctor.
That’s when a CAT scan revealed she had a tumor that had displaced her organs and was cutting off the blood supply to her brain. Cridland said she underwent two-and-a-half hours of surgery to remove the mass, which luckily was benign.
Cridland says she lost 65 pounds in the process, and learned the tumor was caused by undiagnosed endometriosis. She says she ignored red flags about her health, and hopes her story will remind other women that they shouldn’t avoid seeing a doctor.
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